ABSTRACT
The UK has more than 15,000 km of coastline and more than one-third of a million km2
of territorial waters (Gubbay 1990). The coastal zone contains a variety of valuable ecosystems (§11.2.3) but is subject to considerable economic and recreational pressures. It is estimated that 70% of European coastlines are highly threatened (the highest proportion of any region), and that between 1960 and 1995 (a) a kilometre of unspoilt coastline was developed per day, and (b) most coastal habitats suffered considerable loss and decline (EUCC 1997). Pressures are exacerbated by the need to balance three conflicting requirements: meeting the demands of economic development and tourism; protecting vulnerable settlements from flooding and erosion; and protecting important scenic, geological and ecological systems (DoE 1993).
