HUMAN ACTIVITIES IN THE SEA 3 AREA August 2002 This page is intentionally blank SEA 3 Existing Users Report CONTENTS 1 Introduction....................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Coastal and offshore industries and activities.......................................... 3 1.2 Fisheries.................................................................................................. 3 1.3 Ports and shipping................................................................................... 9 1.4 Military activity ....................................................................................... 11 1.5 Aggregate extraction ............................................................................. 13 1.6 Marine disposal sites ............................................................................. 14 1.7 Oil and gas activity ................................................................................ 16 1.8 Alternative energy.................................................................................. 18 1.9 Telecommunications cables .................................................................. 20 1.10 Coastal settlements ............................................................................... 22 1.11 Tourism and leisure ............................................................................... 24 1.12 Bathing waters and marinas .................................................................. 24 1.13 Mariculture............................................................................................. 28 1.14 Locally important activities..................................................................... 30 2 Scottish Borders and North East .................................................................. 31 2.1 Coastal fisheries .................................................................................... 31 2.2 Ports and shipping................................................................................. 31 2.3 Military activity ....................................................................................... 34 2.4 Aggregate extraction ............................................................................. 35 2.5 Marine disposal sites ............................................................................. 35 2.6 Oil and gas activity ................................................................................ 36 August 2002 i Contents SEA 3 Existing Users Report 2.7 Alternative energy.................................................................................. 38 2.8 Telecommunications cables .................................................................. 39 2.9 Coastal settlements ............................................................................... 39 2.10 Tourism and leisure ............................................................................... 40 2.11 Bathing waters and marinas .................................................................. 41 2.12 Mariculture............................................................................................. 42 3 Yorkshire and Humber................................................................................... 44 3.1 Coastal fisheries .................................................................................... 44 3.2 Ports and shipping................................................................................. 45 3.3 Military activity ....................................................................................... 47 3.4 Aggregate extraction ............................................................................. 48 3.5 Marine disposal sites ............................................................................. 48 3.6 Oil and gas activity ................................................................................ 49 3.7 Alternative energy.................................................................................. 53 3.8 Telecommunications cables .................................................................. 54 3.9 Coastal settlements ............................................................................... 54 3.10 Tourism and leisure ............................................................................... 55 3.11 Bathing waters and marinas .................................................................. 56 3.12 Mariculture............................................................................................. 57 4 Norfolk and Suffolk ........................................................................................ 59 4.1 Coastal fisheries .................................................................................... 59 4.2 Ports and shipping................................................................................. 59 4.3 Military activity ....................................................................................... 62 4.4 Aggregate extraction ............................................................................. 62 4.5 Marine disposal sites ............................................................................. 63 Contents ii August 2002 SEA 3 Existing Users Report 4.6 Oil and gas activity ................................................................................ 63 4.7 Alternative energy.................................................................................. 67 4.8 Telecommunications cables .................................................................. 68 4.9 Coastal settlements ............................................................................... 69 4.10 Tourism and leisure ............................................................................... 69 4.11 Bathing waters and marinas .................................................................. 70 4.12 Mariculture............................................................................................. 72 5 Essex and Kent............................................................................................... 73 5.1 Coastal fisheries .................................................................................... 73 5.2 Ports and shipping................................................................................. 73 5.3 Military activity ....................................................................................... 76 5.4 Aggregate extraction ............................................................................. 77 5.5 Marine disposal sites ............................................................................. 77 5.6 Oil and gas activity ................................................................................ 78 5.7 Alternative energy.................................................................................. 79 5.8 Telecommunications cables .................................................................. 80 5.9 Coastal settlements ............................................................................... 81 5.10 Tourism and leisure ............................................................................... 81 5.11 Bathing waters and marinas .................................................................. 82 5.12 Mariculture............................................................................................. 85 6 References ...................................................................................................... 87 Appendix 1: Glossary and Abbreviations ........................................................A1-1 August 2002 iii Contents SEA 3 Existing Users Report This page is intentionally blank Contents iv August 2002 SEA 3 Existing Users Report 1 INTRODUCTION The SEA 3 region provides an important resource for a wide variety of different users. Much of the English east coast is rural in nature and attracts a large number of tourists to its unspoilt scenery. However, the coastal boundary of SEA 3 is also home to many of the UK’s major ports and harbours as well as major industrial and population centres. These areas form the focus for shipping and trade and particular regions of SEA 3 experience heavy shipping pressures. The presence of extensive offshore sand and gravel deposits in coastal waters provides an important source of marine aggregates and, within the same area there are a number of marine disposal sites for spoil from dredging operations. The natural gas reservoirs of the southern North Sea have attracted significant infrastructural development within the SEA 3 region and there are a number of coastal gas terminals and pipelines. A network of subsea communication cables linking the UK with Europe also traverses the SEA 3 region. For the purpose of this report, the coastal and offshore areas of the SEA 3 region have been divided up into regional sections (see Box 1.1 and Figure 1.1). These regional sections divide the coastline into areas which broadly share a range of economic and environmental issues and activities, as well as providing coastal sections of relatively similar length. Box 1.1 - SEA 3 regional sections and inclusive counties and unitary authorities SCOTTISH BORDERS AND The Scottish Borders, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, Durham, NORTH EAST Hartlepool (UA), Stockton-on-Tees (UA), Redcar and Cleveland (UA). YORKSHIRE AND HUMBER North Yorkshire, East Riding of Yorkshire, City of Kingston upon Hull (UA), North Lincolnshire (UA), North East Lincolnshire (UA) and Lincolnshire. NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK