Marine Licensing & Planning

Marine Licencing

Under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 (MaCCA) certain activities at sea require a marine licence unless an exemption applies. The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is responsible for issuing marine licences in English waters and applicants must go through a formal application process if the proposed activity requires a marine licence. Northumberland IFCA are statutory consultees for relevant marine licences within the NIFCA district and for any licence applications where NIFCA may have a vested interest. The NIFCA Environmental Team respond to marine licences. As part of this process, the team will assess the impact of the proposed activity on the fishing industry, sea fisheries resources, and the marine environment in line with NIFCA’s remit and responsibilities.

Marine Planning

The MMO is responsible for preparing marine plans in the inshore and offshore area of England. The North East Marine Plan was published in 2020. The plans contains multiple policies which guides users and regulators of the marine area to encourage sustainable use in conjunction with all other activities occurring in the marine area. NIFCA must have regard for the marine plan in responding to marine licence applications (process outlined above), in making byelaws, and in carrying out MPA assessments.

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