ABSTRACT
In recent years there has been much debate as to whether legislation should be introduced into coastal management over a wide number of issues from proficiency standards to development control. Central to this debate has been the philosophy of self-regulation. In brief the key issues have been:
whether to extend planning jurisdiction offshore or promote voluntary coastal management plans;
whether to introduce compulsory proficiency standards for skippers of recreational craft or rather to leave it to organizations such as the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) to promote education and training;
whether boats should be registered centrally, rather like cars, for security reasons or alternatively should security marking of equipment be left to the industry and users;
whether the environment should be protected through legislation or by the adoption of voluntary codes;
whether safety standards in watersports should be left to the national governing bodies to administer or be centralized through a state organization; and
whether navigational regulation, instituted for commercial reasons, should be extended to some areas currently freely enjoyed by all (this is currently being debated for the Western Solent where Associated British Ports (ABP) has applied to the DOT to extend its regulatory authority).
