Country information
Basic facts on marine waters
- Territorial Sea (12 NM):
- Inshore: 5335.33 km2
- Offshore: 1474.14 km2
- Exclusive Economic Zone: As above
Strategic documents related to MSP
Technical resources related to MSP
National projects
- SIMAtlantic – Supporting the Implementation of Maritime Spatial Planning in the Atlantic (2019-2021)
- MARPAMM – Marine Protected Area Management and Monitoring (2018-2022)
- MOSES – Maritime, Ocean Sector and Ecosystem Sustainability (2018-2021)
- COMPASS – Collaborative Oceanography and Monitoring for Protected Areas and Species (2017-2022)
- ALICE – Improving the Management of Atlantic Landscapes (2016)
- SIMCelt – Supporting Implementation of MSP in the Celtic Seas (2015-2018)
- TPEA – Transboundary Planning in the European Atlantic (2012-2014)
- SWELL – Shared Waters Enhancement & Loughs Legacy
Overview of MSP related maritime uses
Current main uses:
| Ammunition storage sites | Offshore renewable energy |
| Aquaculture | Oil and Gas |
| Cables and pipelines | Ports |
| Coastal protection | Scientific research |
| Fisheries | Shipping |
| Military | Tourism and Leisure |
| Mining | Underwater Cultural Heritage |
| Nature conservation | Others: Carbon Capture and Storage; Dredging; Compressed Air Energy Storage; Underground Gas Storage; Energy Transmission |
Which marine spatial plans exist?
Name of the plan (year) |
Draft Marine Plan for Northern Ireland 2018 |
|---|---|
Scale of the plan |
National |
Pre-planning |
Status: Completed |
Assessments for planning |
Status: Completed |
Plan development
|
Status: Underway |
Plan completion
|
Status: N/A |
Plan approval
|
Status: N/A |
Plan implementation |
Status: N/A |
Plan review
|
Status: N/A |
National authority in charge of MSP |
Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) |
Governmental funding |
The Northern Ireland Executive provides funding to DAERA |
External funding |
N/A |
Public-Private funding |
N/A |
Size of planning area |
Inshore 5335.33 km2; Offshore 1474.14 km2 |
Time required to complete the planning document |
DAERA’s target is to have the NI Marine Plan adopted byMarch 2023 |
Main issues that led to the adoption of MSP (drivers) |
|
Stakeholder engagement activities |
All stakeholder engagement has taken place in line with the Statement of Public Participation and its earlier publicationsStakeholder engagement took place at the initiation, evidence gathering and preparation stages to inform the development of the Draft Marine Plan. Those involved included key sectors / industry groups, environmental NGOs, local councils, local interest groups, the public, statutory partners and other government bodies and bordering administrations.
Methods used include meetings, discussions, workshops, newsletters, email, website and other public and school events During the public consultation period on the Draft Marine Plan, over 70 organizations and individuals completed submissions either online, by email or submitted in writing. Submissions were received from a broad range of stakeholders, including members of the public, coastal community groups, environmental NGOs, sports bodies, stakeholder representative bodies, fisheries organizations, energy providers, Local Authorities, and public sector bodies. Stakeholder engagement on the development and implementation of the plan is ongoing and it is hoped to engage stakeholders further in the co-design of the next iteration of the Marine Plan NI. |
Sectors included in planning |
Aquaculture Carbon Capture and Storage Commercia Fishing Defence and National Security Dredging Energy Heritage Assets Marine Aggregates Natural Heritage Ports, Harbours and Shipping Telecommunications Cabling Tourism and Recreation |
Articulation between MSP and coastal zone management |
DAERA has a team within the same Division as the Marine Plan Team dealing with Coastal Management (The Marine Conservation and Reporting Team). DAERA and the Department for Infrastructure jointly commissioned a baseline study of coastal change data in Northern Ireland which reported in January 2019.
The report assessed available data on the Northern Ireland coastline and concluded that the data currently available is insufficient to develop the Coastal Erosion Vulnerability mapping necessary for effective management of our coast and more information and data is required to bring the understanding of coastal erosion to a sufficient level. This preliminary risk assessment data has been made publicly available in an online map viewer and for download to assist with decision making. Following publication of the report, Departments, Local Authorities and the National Trust have set up a Coastal Forum, co-chaired by Ministers to provide guidance on coastal planning to local Councils. A project to measure wave activity in the Irish Sea enabling more accurate models of the effects of wave climate on the Northern Ireland Coast has already been undertaken, and the Forum is seeking collaborations with academia for further studies. |
Articulation between MSP and marine protected areas |
DAERA has a team within the same Division as the Marine Plan Team dealing with Marine Protected Area Management (The Marine Conservation and Reporting Team). The draft Marine Plan is used in tandem with work on the implementation of marine protected areas |
Articulation between MSP and sustainable blue economy |
DAERA has a team within the same Division as the Marine Plan Team deal Implementation of the Marine Plan will take place in tandem with the delivery of the Green Growth Strategy Programme which will include the aim to achieve a sustainable slue economy. |
Plan approval process |
The final draft of the Marine Plan will have to be approved by the Northern Ireland Executive and the DEFRA Secretary of State |
Legal status of the plan (guiding or legally binding) |
Legally binding |
Plan review process |
The MCAA and the Marine Act require the Marine Plan to be reviewed at 3-yearly intervals, at which time DAERA will decide whether or not to amend or replace the Marine Plan. In addition, the MCAA and the Marine Act require DAERA to lay 6-yearly reports in the Assembly, the first of these, 6 years after their dates of passing. The reports will describe any intention to amend any of the existing Marine Plans or any intention to prepare and adopt any further Marine Plans. These reports have been consolidated, and a single report was laid in the Assembly in November 2015. This will have the additional advantage of consolidating the otherwise two6-yearly dates for subsequent reports up to January2030.
Whilst the legislation prescribes review dates, the Marine Plan is intended to be an iterative process, with matters continually being kept under review. Whilst DAERA is responsible for preparing the Marine Plan, the public authorities with responsibilities in the marine area are involved in implementing the policies and helping to achieve the objectives contained within it, through a wide range of decision making processes. During the lifetime of the Marine Plan, the Marine Plan Authority is required to keep under review, matters, which may affect the Marine Plan’s content or effectiveness. |
Performance monitoring and evaluation |
Monitoring of the Marine Plan will provide valuable information for the required reporting and review, and consists of two elements:
|
Legal framework
Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009:
- Provides for a statement of policy in the UK marine area, its preparation, review, amendment and withdrawal
- Identifies the component regions within the UK marine area and provides for the creation of marine plans, their amendment, withdrawal and duty to keep relevant matters under review
- Provides for the delegation of functions relating to marine plans, decisions affected by the marine policy statement or marine plan, monitoring and reporting
Marine Act (Northern Ireland) 2013:
- Defines the geographical area to which the Act applies
- Provides for the creation of marine plans in the Northern Ireland inshore region and sets out basic requirements as to their content and the way in which they are to be prepared; it also provides for their amendment, withdrawal and duty to keep relevant matters under review
- The Act also makes about the effect which marine plans will have on certain decisions by public authorities, and the monitoring of and reporting on marine plans
Contact
Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
Hugh Edwards – Acting Head of the Marine Plan Team