Maritime Spatial Planning and Protection of the Marine Environment

Protection and preservation of the marine environment is a priority under international law, as codified and further developed in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Nonetheless, the current state of the marine environment questions whether the approach adopted in the UNCLOS and other legal instruments, whereby each type of pollution is addressed separately, really suffices to ensure good environmental status. For this reason, new tools have been developed, including marine (or maritime) spatial planning (MSP) and integrated coastal zone management (ICZM). This article discusses MSP and its role in ensuring protection of the marine environment, both within and beyond areas under national jurisdiction.