National Assembly for Wales

To propose that the Senedd:

1. Notes a proposal for a Bill on marine planning that would make provisions for legal requirements and policies that would help deliver marine development that protects the environment.

2. Notes that the purpose of this Bill would be to:

a) create a duty for the Welsh Government to facilitate the creation of a National Marine Development Plan, and review it at least once in every Senedd;

b) implement strategic resource areas for marine energy in a way that assesses the suitability of sites against the inter-relationships between activities, their cumulative effects on the marine environment and other marine industries through comprehensive mapping and analysis;

c) take urgent action to address the failure to achieve good environmental status and to ensure that marine development does not exacerbate this;

d) provide a funding mechanism/programme for projects which collect environmental data on marine species and habitats, to better inform development constraints, mapping, and aid in the creation and expansion of an evidence base upon which a Marine Development Plan can be based;

e) introduce targeted conservation measures for marine wildlife, including through a seabird conservation strategy and associated funding mechanism;

f) require that offshore wind farms include requirements on habitat restoration of the seabed; design of the sub-surface structures as artificial reefs and; the painting of one blade on each turbine in stark contrast to the others as a way of reducing the incidence of bird-strikes;

g) develop a strategy for sustainable seafood harvesting from within the area of the windfarm.