Abstract
This Marine Policy Statement (MPS) is the framework for preparing Marine Plans and taking decisions affecting the marine environment. It will contribute to the achievement of sustainable development in the United Kingdom marine area. It has been prepared and adopted for the purposes of section 44 of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009.
The Secretary of State, Scottish Ministers, Welsh Ministers and the Department of the Environment in Northern Ireland are jointly adopting the MPS. This is a key step towards achieving the vision shared by the UK Administrations (UK Government, Scottish Government, Welsh Assembly Government and Northern Ireland Executive) of having ‘clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse oceans and seas’.
The MPS will facilitate and support the formulation of Marine Plans, ensuring that marine resources are used in a sustainable way in line with the high level marine objectives and thereby:
- Promote sustainable economic development;
- Enable the UK’s move towards a low-carbon economy, in order to mitigate the causes of climate change and ocean acidification and adapt to their effects;
- Ensure a sustainable marine environment which promotes healthy, functioning marine ecosystems and protects marine habitats, species and our heritage assets; and
- Contribute to the societal benefits of the marine area, including the sustainable use of marine resources to address local social and economic issues.