Netherlands: Sint Maarten

Country information

Basic facts on marine waters

Territorial sea (12 nm zone): 532.88 km²
Exclusive Economic Zone: 14.32 km²
Man of War Shoal Marine Park: 31 km²

National practices

National projects

(Updated) Bathymetry of marine waters – to be conducted

Overview of MSP related maritime uses

Current main uses:

Shipping	Ports
Fisheries	Mining
Scientific research	Coastal protection
Cables and pipelines	Tourism and leisure
Nature conservation	Underwater cultural heritage

Which marine spatial plans exist?

Currently, Sint Maarten does not have a formal marine spatial plan. In the past, there have been proposed marine spatial plans, yet these were never formalized.

However, there have been reports with suggestions towards a marine spatial plan, such as:

Legal framework

While there is no specific legislation related to MSP under development, the following legislation is in place:

MARINE NATURE MANAGEMENT:

COUNTRY REGULATION laying down rules for the management of the maritime areas in Sint Maarten [National Ordinance on Maritime Management]
- Provisions to designate a manager of the marine environment
- Regulations concerning licenses for fishing vessels
- Regulations for the prohibition of structures, objects or other materials in the sea
- Regulations regarding ship(ping) activities in the marine environment
- Provisions to designate protected areas and navigation restrictions in these protected areas
- Regulations for conducting scientific research in the marine environment
- Regulations concerning the broadcasting of radio and television form the “high seas” of Sint Maarten
- Regulations concerning the implementation of specific treaties
- Regulations concerning the supervision and enforcement of this law
- Regulations concerning the boarding and detention of vessels
- Regulations concerning the shutting down of activities
- Penalties attached to the law
COUNTRY REGULATION concerning rules concerning fishing in the territorial sea and the fishing zone of Sint Maarten [Fisheries Ordinance]
- Regulations concerning the licensing of fishing vessels
- Regulations for establishing the Fisheries Commission
- Penalties attached to the law
COUNCIL DECISION, CONCERNING GENERAL MEASURES, implementing Articles 3 and 12 of the Fisheries Country Regulation [Fisheries Decree]
- Regulations concerning the methods of fishing allowed and gear that can be used
- Regulations concerning catch size of certain species
COUNCIL DECISION, CONCERNING GENERAL MEASURES, in implementation of Articles 12, 13a, second paragraph, and 13c, first, second and third paragraph, of the Fisheries National Ordinance [National Decree Fishing on the High Seas]
- Regulations concerning the composition and tasks of the Fisheries Commission
- Regulations concerning the content of permits

MARINE PARK:

Ministerial Decree (Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication – TEATT) of 30 December 2010 – designation of Man of War Shoal Marine Park
Ministerial appointment (Ministry of TEATT) of 15 August 2011 – agreement to transfer the management of the marine park from the Ministry of TEATT to the Nature Foundation

NATURE (FLORA AND FAUNA):

COUNTRY REGULATION laying down rules for the management of nature and the protection of the animal and plant species occurring therein [National Ordinance Foundations Nature Management and Protection]
- Provisions for designating protected areas (marine/ terrestrial) as “nature parks”
- Provisions for designating a Nature and Management Protection Committee
- Provisions for the establishment of Nature Policy Plans to detail the objectives for nature and landscapes
- This legislation also provides information of those species which are protected on and in the waters of Sint Maarten
- Penalties attached to the law
COUNCIL DECISION, CONCERNING GENERAL MEASURES, containing rules on the management and protection of flora and fauna and nature parks [National Decree on Nature Management and Protection]
- Provisions for designating (and managing) protected areas (marine/ terrestrial) as “nature parks”
- This legislation also provides information of those species which are protected on and in the waters of Sint Maarten
- Rules concerning the expelling of non-native fauna and flora
MINISTERIAL ADMINISTRTIVE DECISION granting the Authority to Manage Marine and Terrestrial Ecosystems of the Territory of Sint Maarten, 6 August 2014, 1362/2014
- The Nature Foundation St Maarten is mandated as the authority to manage marine and terrestrial ecosystems of Sint Maarten (mainly as this concerns the CITES convention)