ABSTRACT
There are in excess of 400 ports and harbours along the coastline of the United Kingdom which range in size from complex dock areas to small fishing harbours. These ports often have a very long commercial history, but some have been developed relatively recently due to changing and developing trades. Being an island-trading nation, the UK is highly dependent on its commercial ports, but in many of these ports and harbours, the commercial operations have to carry on alongside recreational activities. Many of the most popular areas for marine recreation are in some of the busiest commercial waters in the vicinity of the country's most important ports. Examples of these are the Solent with the ports of Southampton and Portsmouth together with other locations such as the Thames, the Medway, Harwich and Plymouth along with their many surrounding creeks and rivers. Yachtsmen, power craft users and other water enthusiasts are free to use these waters, but it is important that they have an understanding, and give due consideration, to the problems faced by the commercial operations that are taking place in the quite often congested waters around them. The desire to live in harmony is advantageous for both parties. The aim of this chapter is to give an overview of commercial shipping and port operations along with details of the problems which exist and the precautions or management solutions that are taken to ensure safety and minimize the potential conflict that can occur between the various commercial and leisure users. The responsible authorities in harbour areas are investigated and the role of the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, Port Bye-laws and Vessel Traffic Services are described.
