TO BE PUBLISHED October 2026
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This conference will consider key priorities for marine protection in the UK, assessing next steps for managing the marine environment in the context of recent policy and regulatory developments. Areas for discussion include progress towards Good Environmental Status, the future of marine protected areas and Highly Protected Marine Areas, priorities for marine planning and use, coordination across environmental policy frameworks, and approaches to managing pressures from offshore development and other marine activities.
It will bring together key stakeholders and policymakers to discuss implications of the Government’s recently updated Marine Strategy, developments in the Environmental Improvement Plan 2025, and ongoing work on marine planning, including the Marine Management Organisation’s update to the East Marine Plan. Delegates will consider priorities for meeting environmental targets and what will be needed from policy, regulation and delivery arrangements to support implementation.
Marine protection, monitoring & governance
Discussion will examine progress towards Good Environmental Status in UK seas, including priorities for strengthening the effectiveness and coverage of the Marine Protected Area network, options for expanding Highly Protected Marine Areas, improving monitoring and data, and addressing questions around regulatory and compliance arrangements. Attendees will also consider ongoing management challenges, including the continuation of activities such as bottom trawling, alongside priorities for protecting marine habitats and supporting resilience.
Marine planning, development & delivery
Further discussion is expected on marine planning and management in the face of increasing spatial pressures, including the interaction between offshore development, environmental protection and the interests of coastal communities. Delegates will consider improving links between land and marine planning systems, coordination across government, devolved administrations and delivery bodies, implications of compensatory measures for offshore wind development, and safeguards for supporting marine recovery while maintaining environmental protections.
Overview of areas for discussion
- progress towards Good Environmental Status:
- Marine Strategy Part One update on GES - assessment and transparency
- OEP report on failures to meet GES for future governance and regulation - statutory targets and compliance with Marine Strategy Regulations - effectiveness of existing measures
- strengthening the UK’s MPA network - improving monitoring and data of MPA condition - expanding HMPAs
- managing damaging activities - whole-site versus feature-by-feature management techniques
- protection, regulation and enforcement of byelaws - proposals for additional byelaws in MPA Stage 3 consultation
- impact of climate change on marine health - supporting adaptation and resilience of MPAs
- policy, strategy, and governance of the marine environment:
- updates to Marine Strategy Part Three Programme of Measures - marine challenges in environmental strategies - objectives and timelines
- integrating and aligning Water White Paper and EIP targets - influence of terrestrial water and land management on coastal and marine areas
- tackling water pollution from water and agricultural sectors - water governance reform for coordinating action
- EAC’s report: Governing the marine environment - coordination between government departments and devolved administrations
- the EIP and Scotland’s Natural Environment Act 2026 - scaling resource capacity of Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies
- international obligations - implementation of the High Seas Treaty
- marine planning and use:
- impact of marine spatial pressures for affected communities and the environment - balancing social, economic and environmental needs - Marine Spatial Prioritisation Programme
- supporting fisheries - access to grounds and economic impacts of restrictions - integration of fisheries management with marine planning and environmental targets
- updating marine plans, including East Marine Plan and Scotland’s National Marine Plan - cumulative impacts of uses in marine planning
- fragmentation between nations of the UK - aligning clean energy goals with marine protection
- mitigation and compensation of harm:
- Offshore Wind Environmental Improvement Package and Scotland’s Strategic Compensation Policy for Offshore Wind - aligning offshore wind acceleration with marine protection
- implications of the proposed compensation hierarchy - preventing weakening of MPA protections and network coherence, particularly from Tier 3 measures
- safeguards to ensure additionality of compensatory measures - strengthening definitions and requirements for ecological benefits - lags in compensation delivery
- Marine Recovery Fund - responsibilities of regulators, industry and delivery bodies - enabling joined-up, large-scale schemes
