Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009

Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009^[1]
Act of Parliament
	Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to make provision in relation to marine functions and activities; to make provision about migratory and freshwater fish; to make provision for and in connection with the establishment of an English coastal walking route and of rights of access to land near the English coast; to enable the making of Assembly Measures in relation to Welsh coastal routes for recreational journeys and rights of access to land near the Welsh coast; to make further provision in relation to Natural England and the Countryside Council for Wales; to make provision in relation to works which are detrimental to navigation; to amend the Harbours Act 1964; and for connected purposes.
Citation	2009 c. 23
Introduced by	Hilary Benn (Commons); Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Lords)
Territorial extent	England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
Dates
Royal assent	12 November 2009
Other legislation
Repeals/revokes	Seal Fisheries (North Pacific) Act 1895
Status: Amended
History of passage through Parliament
Text of statute as originally enacted
Revised text of statute as amended

The Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 (c. 23) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It creates "a new system of marine management".^[2]

Provisions

Marine Management Organisation

Section 1(1) creates the Marine Management Organisation.

Sections 1 to 3 and Schedules 1 and 2 came into force on 12 January 2010.^[3]

Exclusive economic zone

Section 41 gave the powers to establish an Exclusive economic zone (EEZ), with the zone defined by Exclusive Economic Zone Order 2013 which came into force on 31 March 2014. The UK was later than most states in establishing an EEZ, previously relying on overlapping maritime zones for fisheries; pollution control; and energy matters.^[4]^[5]

Coastal access

Sections 296 to 310 provide for the establishment of an English coastal walking route (i.e. the England Coast Path) and of rights of access to land near the English coast. They also contain supplementary legislation concerning the powers of the Welsh Assembly concerning the Wales Coast Path.