A proposed multiple-use zoning scheme for the Irish Sea. An interpretation of current legislation through the use of GIS-based zoning approaches and effectiveness for the protection of nature conservation interests

This paper demonstrates a multiple-use zoning scheme approach to the management of marine activities at a regional sea scale. The zoning scheme is based on existing legally permitted and permissible mechanisms within the Irish Sea and is designed to inform the development of marine spatial planning (MSP). The scheme indicates visually and descriptively the extent to which the existing planning and governance framework is able, or unable, to meet the increasing pressures of activities and developments within the marine environment. In order to test the robustness of the zoning scheme, several scenarios were developed and assessed against the de facto zonation methodology. The Irish Sea Pilot's collated data on the presence of marine landscapes was used as a case study example. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.