Marine and fisheries

Marine Bill

Image of crashing waves in the sea

The Marine Bill will ensure clean healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse oceans and seas, by putting in place better systems for delivering sustainable development of marine and coastal environment.

Marine Bill Front Cover

Consultation on draft Marine Bill

The draft Marine Bill was published, on 3 April 2008, the deadline for comments was 26 June 2008.

The key issues covered were:

  • the creation of the Marine Management Organisation (MMO);
  • planning in the marine area;
  • licensing activities in the marine area;
  • marine nature conservation;
  • managing marine fisheries;
  • reform of inland and migratory fisheries;
  • modernisation and streamlining of enforcement powers;
  • administrative penalties scheme for domestic fisheries offences; and
  • access to coastal land.

See our consultations section for copies of the draft Bill, our Policy Document and the Impact Assessment.

See "what does this mean for me?" for summary factsheets, and "Protecting our marine environment through the Marine Bill" [PDF] (1.42 MB).

Latest news

  • 27th June 2008:
    The public consultation on the Draft Marine Bill closed at midnight in accordance with the Government criteria of a 12-week consultation period. All non-confidential responses received within the deadline will be made available for public scrutiny through the Defra Information Resource Centre. A summary of the responses received will be published on the Defra website in due course.
  • 28 May 2008:
    Defra has published three documents explaining in greater detail how provisions in the draft Marine Bill for the establishment of Marine Conservation Zones will work in practice. Specifically, the documents look at the site selection and designation process, duties on public authorities, and the making of conservation orders to protect sites. They can be accessed through the Marine Biodiversity pages.

Marine Bill sections:

Contact us

Please email MarineBillTeam@defra.gsi.gov.uk to be added to our stakeholder list for future mailings about the Marine Bill and public consultation activities, or to provide any feedback on issues relating to the Marine Bill.

Page last modified: 27 June 2008

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs