Introduction
THE SEA AROUND OUR SHORES is a sensitive environment that needs to be valued and protected.But it is also, in part, a working environment that makes a substantial contribution to all our lives.
From energy to aggregates and from ports to cables and leisure boating, the industries of the sea make an essential contribution to our land-based society and represent 4.2 per cent of gross domestic product*.
| The Seabed User & Developer Group |
| Associated British Ports |
| British Ports Association |
| British Marine Aggregate Producers Association |
| British Marine Federation |
| British Wind Energy Association |
| Oil & Gas UK |
| Renewable Energy Association |
| The Crown Estate |
| Contact us here |
The Seabed User & Developer Group represents some of these industries. We are an informal grouping whose participants have a common interest in sustainable development within the UK’s marine environment. We believe that sustainable win-win solutions are possible from what are sometimes seen as competing needs.
The sea plays and essential role in our society. It provides much of the energy to power our homes and businesses, and the aggregates we need to build and maintain our homes, schools, hospitals, roads and much more. The ports around our shores enable us to import what we cannot produce ourselves and to earn revenue from exports. The sea is also a pathway for vital cables and telecommunications. And it’s a wonderful place for leisure boating, which is a source of enjoyment and an industry in its own right.
(footnote)
* Pugh, D. ‘Socio-economic Indicators of Marine-related Activities in the UK Economy’, Research Report, The Crown Estate, 2008. ISBN: 978-1-906410-01-8