Case Study

Marine Stewardship

Marine stewardship was established in The Crown Estate to support practical projects, relevant research, and other initiatives that improve the status and management of the marine estate.

Since 1999 the entire programme has provided over £5 million to research into aquaculture, dredging, and community projects. With around 55% of the foreshore, approximately half of all estuary beds and tidal rivers and the seabed out to the 12 nautical mile territorial limit, the marine estate is the largest and most diverse within The Crown Estate. We are committed to sustainable and long-term management of these unique assets.

Marine stewardship helps deliver these aims and contributes to our corporate responsibility policy and plan.

The programme comprises two funding streams:

• Marine Communities Fund - community initiatives that further good management of the marine estate
• Marine Research Fund - scientific projects that underpin our knowledge of the activities we manage.

Over the past year projects and schemes run for the benefit of coastal communities all around the UK shared over £750,000 in funding from The Crown Estate’s programme of marine stewardship.

The projects receiving support include:

• The National Maritime Museum for their Marine Environmental Education Initiative. This project aimed to engage teachers, educators, students and industry in raising awareness and understanding of marine renewable energy resources and to learn about their social, economic and political impacts.
• The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales received funding for the Skomer Island Heritage Experience. This project enabled interpretation facilities to be installed at two sites, one of which was previously restored with the aid of MCF funding. The project provided the opportunity to highlight best practice management by showing the work of the trust and its partners on the island and surrounding marine environment.
• The Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) and the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) received funding for a Seasonal Ranger to be employed at the Spey Bay Reserve and Wildlife Centre Ranger which is located on land owned by The Crown Estate’s marine and rural estate. The seasonal post will run for three years and the project offers excellent potential for partnership working.

In addition to the marine communities fund, The Crown Estate’s programme of marine stewardship also supports marine research delivering well managed, high quality research projects that provide scientific evidence to support business planning and the management of current and future offshore assets and the seabed.