The Welsh Government proposes to introduce a Marine Planning Notice (MPN) to identify Strategic Resources Areas (SRAs) for tidal stream energy. Tidal stream energy resource occurs in several areas around the Welsh coast, mainly where water flows are restricted, such as areas around coastal headlands. However, there are a limited number of small and discrete […]

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With offshore wind scaling up rapidly in the UK ocean, demand for sea-space is increasing. At the same time, there is more evidence than ever before that the ocean is near an ecological tipping point, with marine species in sharp decline. Wildlife and Countryside Link’s Marine Strategy Group is working on policy proposals to reconcile […]

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Scotland’s National Marine Plan (NMP) was published in 2015 and following statutory reviews on the current plan, last year Scottish Ministers committed to update and replace the NMP (NMP2). The Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 requires that a sustainability appraisal is undertaken to assess the impact of the proposed policies within the National Marine […]

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Defra and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) have released reports which review progress made in meeting the aims of the East Inshore and Offshore Marine Plans and the UK Marine Policy Statement. The East Marine Plans’ inshore area has a coastline that stretches from Flamborough Head in Yorkshire to Felixstowe town in Suffolk. The offshore area covers from […]

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An expert led ‘Biodiversity Deep Dive’- commissioned by Welsh Government to assess how nature recovery across land and sea can best be accelerated – has set out its recommendations.     The recommendations centre around the United Nation’s ’30 by 30’ goal, which aims to protect and effectively manage 30% of the planet’s marine and […]

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