The Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 has been so written to ensure clean healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse oceans and seas, by putting in place better systems for delivering sustainable development of marine and coastal environment.

The Marine and Coastal Access Bill received Royal Assent on 12 November 2009.

After the Bill received Royal Assent, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said:

“This historic, ground-breaking legislation fulfils the Government’s 2005 commitment to introduce a new framework for managing the demands we put on our seas, improve marine conservation, and open up access for the public to the English coast.

I would like to thank all of you who have dedicated so much time and energy to producing this excellent Act and look forward to your help in implementing it.”

The legislation is likely to introduce a number of arrangements that are of interest to recreational boating including:-

•   A Marine Management Organisation
•   Marine spatial planning
•   Streamlining the consenting arrangements for marine and coastal developments
•   A network of nationally important marine protected areas

Scotland has already established Marine Scotland on the 1st April 2009 as their management organisation which will be responsible for managing Scotland’s seas.

More information can be found on the DEFRA website:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/marine/legislation/index.htm