The New Marine Bill

Pressures on the Marine Environment:
A Summery

The view of the ocean as a bottomless pit of profit and an indestructible dumping ground for the unwanted terrestrial waste has changed. The marine environment is now seen as the vital resource it is, and is being show by science to demonstrate the importance in environmental systems and the fragility of it too.

Pressures place upon the marine environment from anthroprological needs have placed the ocean in the middle of arguments as to how best to manage it. The needs of the human in and next to the marine;
- Space for living
- Recourses (fishing, dredging, sewage waste disposal)
- Energy production (wind & wave farms, oil rigs)
- Industrial Development (wind & wave farms, wave hubs, fish farms, shellfish farms)
- Shipping & Transport
- Tourism (beach use, capital dredging, pleasure boating)
- Conservation & Science (divers, nature enthusiasts, environmentalists)
- Climate Change (sea level rise, ocean acidification, extreme weather increase

With current changes in the energy requirement in today’s society, these conflicts of interest will become evermore contentious. The needs of the UK energy industry will push the energy industry more and more into the marine environment. The UK Government hope to achieve not only a good foothold in the European marine market place, but also wants to achieve this by taking an efficient, holistic and profitable attitude towards managing the marine activities. It wishes to do this by the forthcoming Marine Bill. Argued as being more industrial over conservational, it never-the-less is the first piece of European Legislation to attempt this. This is a major advantage for all UK stakeholders in the Marine sector.

One of the main issues that will develop from this increased expansion into the marine world will be the increase in conflicts and these will need conflict resolution between the different stakeholders. This will be the job of the Coastal Zone Manager. Mediation between the different needs and necessities will start by the bringing together of the different parties, and placing them on a level playing field where all the issues can be discussed and hopefully solved. Groups like the Devon Maritime Forum have leaded the way in this type of conflict resolution. Using simple and yet effect means to;
- educate
- inform
- acquire information
- present this information
is the only way that true progress can be achieved. Coastal managers have to incorporate all the demands of all the interested parties, in a fair an equal manner. The needs of all elements, both natural and economical together are the only way of achieving this process. The development of true coastal zone management is the development of needs and the balance between them.