Governance
There is currently no single government body that has a complete overview of what is happening to UK seas.
Myriad pieces of legislation, some dating back centuries, are used to manage marine activities separately. The UK marine bill gives us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to put in place a law that addresses the current lack of coordination and the complicated mishmash of governance.
WWF considers that we need a new marine body that can take a lead and coordinate planning decisions between government departments, together with agencies and developers.
The government says the marine bill will focus on the three pillars of sustainable development (environmental, social and economic). WWF believes a single government body can make sure we achieve the balance between development, social needs and safeguarding our precious marine wildlife.
Consenting to plans and licences
The marine bill gives us an opportunity to streamline decisions on marine planning and licensing. It could also provide a more efficient system that saves developers and the government time and money, by enabling coordinated decision-making aided by the tools of Marine Spatial Planning and a coordinated information system.
Enforcement
To date, it has proved almost impossible to protect the UK's marine wildlife. Rather too many organisations have some enforcement powers in our seas and coastal areas - including local authorities, the Marine Coastguard Agency, harbour authorities and the Environment Agency. This has created many complications in marine management, and WWF wants to see clear lines of accountability set out in the marine bill stating exactly who is responsible for what, and a way forward to improve enforcement for marine nature conservation.