Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

36 Marine nature reserves. E+W+S

(1) Where, in the case of any land covered (continuously or intermittently) by tidal waters or parts of the sea [F1 which are landward of the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea adjacent to Great Britain is measured or are seaward of those baselines up to a distance of three nautical miles], it appears to the Secretary of State expedient, on an application made by the Nature Conservancy Council, that the land and waters covering it should be managed by the Council for the purpose of—

(a) conserving marine flora or fauna or geological or physiographical features of special interest in the area; or

(b) providing, under suitable conditions and control, special opportunities for the study of, and research into, matters relating to marine flora and fauna and the physical conditions in which they live, or for the study of geological and physiographical features of special interest in the area,

he may by order designate the area comprising that land and those waters as a marine nature reserve; and the Council shall manage any area so designated for either or both of those purposes.

(2) An application for an order under this section shall be accompanied by—

(a) a copy of the byelaws which, if an order is made, the Council propose making under section 37 for the protection of the area specified in the application; and

(b) a copy of any byelaws made or proposed to be made for the protection of that area by a relevant authority;

and an order made on the application shall authorise the making under that section of such of the byelaws proposed to be made by the Council as may be set out in the order with or without modifications.

(3) Byelaws the making of which is so authorised—

(a) shall not require the Secretary of State’s consent under subsection (1) of section 37; and

(b) notwithstanding anything in the provisions applied by subsection (4) of that section, shall take effect on their being made.

(4) The provisions of Schedule 12 shall have effect as to the making, validity and date of coming into operation of orders under this section; and an order made under this section may be amended or revoked by a subsequent order so made.

(5) The powers exercisable by the Council for the purpose of managing an area designated as a marine nature reserve under this section shall include power to install markers indicating the existence and extent of the reserve.

(6) Nothing in this section or in byelaws made under section 37 shall interfere with the exercise of any functions of a relevant authority, any functions conferred by or under an enactment (whenever passed) or any right of any person (whenever vested).

(7) In this section—

• “enactment” includes an enactment contained in a local Act;

• “local authority” means—

  (a)

  in relation to England and Wales, a county council, a district council, F2 . . . or a London borough council;

  (b)

  in relation to Scotland, a regional council, an islands council or a district council;

• [F3 “nautical miles” means international nautical miles of 1,852 metres;]

• “relevant authority” means a local authority, [F4 a water authority or any other statutory water undertakers,][F4 the National Rivers Authority, a water undertaker, a sewerage undertaker,] an internal drainage board, a navigation authority, a harbour authority, F5 . . . , a lighthouse authority, a conservancy authority, a river purification board, a district board for a fishery district within the meaning of the M1 Salmon Fisheries (Scotland) Act 1862, or a local fisheries committee constituted under the M2 Sea Fisheries Regulation Act 1966.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words substituted by Territorial Sea Act 1987 (c. 49, SIF 29:1), ss. 1(5), 3(1)(2), Sch. 1 para. 6(a)

F2 Words repealed by Local Government Act 1985 (c. 51, SIF 81:1), ss. 1, 102, Sch. 17

F3 Definition inserted by Territorial Sea Act 1987 (c. 49, SIF 29:1), ss. 1(5), 3(1), Sch. 1 para. 6(b)

F4 Words commencing “the National Rivers Authority” substituted (E.W.) for words commencing “a water authority” by Water Act 1989 (c. 15, SIF 130), ss. 58(7), 101(1), 141(6), 160(1)(2)(4), 163, 189(4)–(10), 190, 193(1), Sch. 25 para. 66(2), Sch. 26 paras. 3(1)(2), 17, 40(4), 57(6), 58

F5 Words repealed by Pilotage Act 1987 (c. 21, SIF 111), s. 32(5), Sch. 3

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 36(1): power to extend conferred by Territorial Sea Act 1987 (c. 49, SIF 29:1), ss. 1(5), 3(2)(b)

Marginal Citations

M1 1862 c. 97.

M2 1966 c. 38.