Clarity provided for industry leaders at Marine Act Seminar

Thursday, 01 April 2010 00:00

Chris Parry, Chair of the new Marine Management Organisation (MMO),addressed industry leaders and senior government representatives at a seminar in Exeter on Tuesday 30 March, to outline details of the Marine and Coastal Access Act and clarify the role of the organisation.

From 1 April, the MMO will oversee marine planning, licensing and conservation, and become the single point of contact for developers whose projects have an impact in the seas and littoral.

Hosted by environment consultants Royal Haskoning and leading South West solicitors Tozers LLP, the seminar was attended by over 100 delegates drawn from the port and harbour industries, marine developers and local authorities.

The seminar explored all aspects of the new Act and included topics relating to marine spatial planning, licensing, coastal access provisions, conservation zones, and implications for marine renewables. It also provided more information about proposed changes to fisheries management and informed coastal landowners about their rights and responsibilities.

Commenting on the seminar, Nicola Solly, Royal Haskoning's Director for Environment in the South West, said: "Delegates were given a clear understanding of the new framework for managing the demands placed on the seas around the English coastline, improving marine conservation, and opening up public access to the coast."

Graham Bond, Chairman of Tozers LLP, added: "The Act has immense implications for all those who are in some way involved in marine or coastal areas, whether it be commerce, tourism, leisure or just messing about in boats and in a packed day the speakers did a brilliant job of explaining just how radically things were going to change."

Click here for a link to the photograph and article that appeared in the Express & Echo.