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Landing

the plane
With the many initiatives, policies, consents and plans that exist for coastal
management, working towards ICZM can seem as difficult as landing a plane that’s
being directed in by several air traffic controllers at once. CoastNET’s Network Manager,
Theresa Redding, attempts to find safe landing.

management, ICZM or ICM. Today, sustainable. Right now of course the

C
onsider for a moment …
with the review of the LUP landing a plane seems like a piece of word on the street is ‘Marine Bill’,
system and the debate on cake compared with finding your way although no-one is yet sure what these
the development of MSP, around the issues, initiatives, policies, words will really mean to the coastal
what happens when the two systems Bills and consents process all related to management world and ICZM.
meet and will this be directed by a managing the 19,000 miles of coast
new MA? Does the MCA get left out in around Great Britain and its islands. Development of ICZM
the cold and will SMPs be necessary or With the coast being given a
will they be superceded by another With the effects of climate change higher profile by the EU (with the
initiative under the new MB? In upon us, so very visible in coastal areas Demonstration Programme on
addition whatever will happen to given tsunamis, hurricanes, sea level ICZM report and the subsequent
NTZs and SACs, MPAs not to mention rise and the resulting physical changes ICZM Recommendation, the Water
PPGs (now PPSs), NPPGs and TANs and loss of life that have occurred, Framework Directive, the Habitats
…………..are you still with me? many now consider that defending the Directive to name only a few)
coast is of supreme importance. Government had no option but to
There are nearly as many buttons, However it’s not that simple and issues respond. And respond it did, initiating
levers and lights in the cockpit of an related to the coast are complex, a flurry of activities and reports,
Airbus, as there are acronyms, requiring integrated and far-sighted sending the world of coastal
projects, and ideas relating to coastal management to ensure they are management into information

6 The edge Autumn 2005


Perhaps we need to take ICZM down to its most fundamental
level and look at exactly what we are trying to manage. This
must be human activities on the coast – and the list is long.

overload. Now, there is a plethora of into account. There are now calls (include those at the coast)
information relating to the coast and from a wide variety of voices for • The Marine Bill should provide for
its management, in reports, research various inclusions into the Marine better integration at sea, ie marine
papers, books and guidance notes – Bill (for example, the Marine Bill activities
enough to bury a Boeing. It’s almost Bulletin – Wildlife and Countryside
impossible for a mere mortal to Link, August 2005) and all these need The interface between the two systems
get hold of all these documents let to be considered. So where should it (wherever this is…) must be managed
alone read, understand, cogitate and all start? through partnership working (not just
digest it all. through coastal and estuary
Perhaps we need to take ICZM down partnerships ). The Water Framework
The historical aspects of how and to its most fundamental level and Directive, which also spans the land-
where the UK is today in terms of look at exactly what we are trying to sea interface in its aspirations, is
ICZM, can be found in a clear and manage. This must be human another complication that needs to be
concise report by S Gubbay (2002) activities on the coast – and the list is added to the equation and dealt with
which can also be found on our long. A recent CoastNET workshop through the partnership approach.
website: www.coastnet.org.uk under for coastal and estuary partnerships Clearly, for true integration, these
Publications. The main conclusions (March 2005) identified various partnerships must be multi-sectoral.
from this report recognised that coastal activities. These could be
progress in ICZM (or ICM) had been separated into those managed under Of course, even with both systems
mainly through initiatives undertaken the land use planning system, those in place and a partnership approach
by coastal fora and other adhoc falling under the Water Framework which is centrally supported,
projects which were not carried out Directive, those which could be integration will never be deliver-
under a statutory framework and managed under marine spatial ed unless those charged with
therefore not part of any long term planning as well as those which lay implementing both systems
strategy. Work on ICM under the outside all these categories. The understand the need for, and the
devolved administrations and in workshop concluded that the coast is benefits of, integrated management
England has been carried out in a unique resource, spanning the land- and put systems in place at the local,
variable ways and under fairly sea interface, which needs special regional and national level. The
different timescales. This is due to consideration in terms of Marine Bill must ensure that both a
the low political profile as well as management systems. At present the partnership approach and new
limited funding and statutory support management of coastal activities is planning systems are both supported
for ICM. confusing and the need for a clear and implemented; then perhaps, and
system, supported by a statutory only perhaps, we can land the plane.
Managing the land-sea framework was a popular call. There
interface was also clear indication that coastal
Since 2002, the completed National and estuary partnerships could play
Stocktake concluded that, in terms of an important role in integrating
implementing the eight principles of policy and practice but only with
ICZM, there was ‘a mixed and greater statutory support. The report
inconsistent approach’ and that a and conclusions drawn can be found
mechanism planning for the land-sea on www.coastnet.org.uk under
interface was lacking. While marine Publications.
spatial planning may have a role in
the decision making process on the So what hope is there for ICZM?
use of the sea, what happens when • The new land use planning system
marine spatial planning meets the should provide for better
revised land use planning system? integration at the land-sea
Hopefully the Marine Bill will take this interface ie terrestrial activities

The edge Autumn 2005 7

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