We ask the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to clarify the objectives and planned timeline for outputs from the Marine Spatial Prioritisation Programme and explain how it contributes to the Department’s aims for “clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse oceans and seas”. We recommend that the programme sets out a framework for marine spatial planning that is adaptable to future pressures and follows the guidance set out in an updated Marine Policy St...

We ask the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to clarify the objectives and planned timeline for outputs from the Marine Spatial Prioritisation Programme and explain how it contributes to the Department’s aims for “clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse oceans and seas”. We recommend that the programme sets out a framework for marine spatial planning that is adaptable to future pressures and follows the guidance set out in an updated Marine Policy Statement, which we have also recommended. This framework should direct activity toward areas of least environmental sensitivity, fully integrate the fishe Type: recommendation | Number: 9 | Response status: partially_accepted Government response: The MSPri programme supports the goal of achieving “clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse oceans and seas” through developing a more strategic approach to the use of sea space, with key consideration for needs of different marine secto