Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
In addition, it is dif
cult to draw boundaries between marine ecosystems
or, indeed, to separate them from each other as the
uid medium allows
the effects of activities to travel easily. This is not necessarily problematic
for governance as ecosystem-based management is primarily concerned
with
'
'
managing people
sin
uences on ecosystems, not ecosystems
.
127
Regulation can be conducted by reference to consideration
of the threats that activities may have on places and species that are
understood to be of most importance to ecological functionality without
the governed area necessarily encompassing the ecosystem(s) concerned in
entirety.
The UK has, alongside many other developed coastal states, taken on
board these views on the need for a new approach to marine gover-
nance. Statutory responsibility for the licensing of most activities in the
waters off England
128
has been delegated by the Secretary of State for
the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to a new body, the Marine
Management Organisation (MMO).
129
This body will also take the lead
in developing marine spatial plans for the territorial sea and continental
shelf areas lying off the coastline of England.
130
The development of plans
that identify the ecological signi
themselves
'
cance of marine places, the locations in
which different marine activities are conducted, and, based on this knowl-
edge, potential risks that combinations of marine activities will threaten
ecosystem functionality is seen as a key supporting mechanism for an
ecosystem-based approach to marine governance.
131
IquestionwhetherthenewregimeformarinegovernanceintheUKis
appropriately endowed to improve ecological protection. The overarch-
ing duty of the MMO is to carry out its responsibilities
with the objective
of making a contribution to the achievement of sustainable development
'
'
nedecologicalgoals.
132
As a result, much
rides on the contents of the marine policy statement produced by central
rather than to pursue well-de
127
McLeod and Leslie,
,p.5.
128
Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009, Part 4
Chapter 2
.
129
The Marine Licensing (Delegation of Functions) Order 2011 (SI 2011 No.627).
130
Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs,
'
Ecosystem-based Management
'
'
Marine and Coastal Access
Bill
-
Policy Paper
'
, (HM Government, October 2009),
'
Part 1
-
The Marine
Management Organisation
'
, Para.2, 1.
131
Young et al.,
TheImportanceofMarine
Spatial Planning in Advancing Ecosystem-based Sea Use Management
'
Place-based Management
'
,25
-
6; F. Douvere,
'
'
(2008) 32
Marine Policy,762;DouvereandEhler,
'
New perspectives
'
,78
-
9; Jay,
'
Built at Sea
'
,
84.
132
Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009, section 2(1)(a).
178
-
