This time last year we launched our consultation on the draft Welsh National Marine Plan. To support the consultation we held a number of local drop-in events and the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs led a debate in the Senedd. We were pleased to receive over 80 responses to the consultation. A number of key themes arose from the consultation and we have spent the summer looking into the further detail with members of the Marine Planning Stakeholder Reference Group (MPSRG).

We established a Marine Planning Decision Makers Group and are working with this group to ensure we support public authorities who will need to take decisions in line with the plan when it comes into force. We’ve also recently published a frequently asked questions. This week we will meet with the MPSRG and will be discussing with them our proposals to allow final feedback on our approach. This will inform the decisions the Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Rural Affairs will take on next steps for the WNMP.

As the year draws to a close we want to thank you all for your input and feedback in helping us develop the first national plan for our seas and in particular the members of the MPSRG for their commitment and time in helping us shape the approach. We look forward to another productive year and to welcoming the first Welsh National Marine Plan in 2019.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

As independent chair of the Wales Marine Action and Advisory Group (WMAAG) for the last 5 years I have had a perspective on the development of the Wales Marine Plan. It has been a long time in the making with its origins in the 2009 Marine and Coastal Access Act. The plan aims to set out a framework for the sustainable development of our marine environment, enabling better management of the increasing demands of our seas, providing direction on what we want to achieve for our marine area.

The Environment (Wales) Act provides a new framework supporting the Sustainable Management of Natural Resources (SMNR) in Wales. Under the Environment Act, Natural Resources Wales must produce a State of Natural Resources Report and Area Statements to support the delivery of Welsh Ministers’ Natural Resources Policy. Marine Planning is a new tool that will ensure a more integrated approach to decision-making for activities that happen in the marine environment. 

Since the summer we have established a task and finish group of the Marine Planning Stakeholder Reference Group (MPSRG) to provide advice on monitoring and reporting on the WNMP. To support this work, we have let a contract: Welsh National Marine Plan: Identification of key indicators to inform development of an integrated monitoring and reporting framework. The aim is to commission a set of example indicators, which the Monitoring and Reporting sub-group will then consider as we develop a monitoring and reporting framework for the WNMP. The project will report end of January 2019.

Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford has set out Wales’ ambition to become a leading country in the development of marine energy. He delivered the keynote speech at the Ocean Energy Europe conference and exhibition at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, where the Welsh Government hosted a trade stand with 16 Welsh companies. Read more

Welsh Government representatives attended the Tidal Dee Catchment Partnership and the annual Severn Estuary Partnership conference. Rachel Mulholland and Stacey Clarke presented jointly with the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) on developments on the WNMP, marine planning, cross border engagement and how feedback on the draft WNMP is being incorporated into the final plan. There was a positive response at both events towards the WNMP with questions mainly focussed on plan implementation.

In October Marine Planning Policy Officer Patrick Cowdy represented Welsh Government at the first meeting between the Irish Sea Maritime Forum (ISMF) steering group and the Irish Sea Centre in the Isle of Man. The meeting, which included other Government departments, considered how both organisations can work collaboratively to sustain and conserve the Irish Sea. In addition to the steering group the visit included meetings with a number of key stakeholders and visits to various sites of significance to the Irish Sea.

The invitation to tender (ITT) for the contract to deliver the second phase of the ‘Sustainable management of marine natural resources’ project has been issued and can be accessed via Sell2Wales/eTender Wales/OJEU, with a closing date for bids of 17 December 2018.

As the UK prepares to leave the EU on 29 March 2019, it is a time of change and uncertainty for the fishing industry. We have produced a bulletin to keep stakeholders updated on what support is available, to help you prepare your business and to help you understand the implications of Brexit on the fishing industry in Wales. Sign up here.