16 November 2010 NSMC Welcomes Announcement by the Marine Management Organisation
The North Sea Marine Cluster, a local organisation made up of members from the UEA and local offshore data acquisition company Gardline, welcome the announcement by the Marine Management Organisation that the first two marine plan areas to be produced are to be located in a sea area spanning a key part of the North Sea, including the East Anglia region.
These new marine plans will guide decisions on how local businesses and communities can work in the marine environment, including shipping, tourism and sailing, offshore wind-farms and fisheries. The marine plans will ensure that the competition for different activities at sea are managed in order to protect the marine environment across the region.
The first two marine plans, to be developed from April 2011, will cover sea areas off the coast between Flamborough Head in East Riding of Yorkshire to Felixstowe in Suffolk. These two area plans will be the first in a series that will, over the coming years, grow to become a comprehensive marine planning system around the whole of England.
Phil Durrant from the North Sea Marine Cluster commented "The North Sea is one of the world's most important commercial and environmental areas. It is also one of the world's most crowded and used marine areas. Developing the UK's first marine plans in this area will enable clear and consistent decision making to protect our marine environment and offer long-term certainty for the region's businesses and coastal communities."
Professor Peter Liss of the UEA and NSMC commented "We welcome the decision by the MMO to develop the first two marine plans in an area with world class expertise in working in, and protecting the marine environment. The North Sea Cluster is a unique partnership of organisations specific to this region. The Cluster hopes to work with the MMO to ensure that the first two marine plans take in to consideration the needs and concerns of local communities, that they provide continued employment and further support for additional jobs in the marine economy whilst also protecting our marine environment"
Mr Brandon Lewis, MP for Great Yarmouth, commented "The development of these marine plans is critical for the sustainable development of the marine environment and I am pleased to see that the East Coast has been selected as the first area for which such a plan will be developed. Organisations such as the North Sea Marine Cluster, which are focussed on bringing together the best resources within the region, will play a critical role in ensuring that the voice of the local communities are heard and considered. It is to be hoped that the MMO use the great wealth of local expertise available to them when delivering their plans"
A map of the new marine plan area can be seen here:
www.marinemanagement.org.uk/marineplanning/documents/first_marine_plan_areas.pdf