2005 Strategic Environmental Assessment SEA6 Technical Report - Other users (Irish Sea)

This report is a contribution to the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA6) conducted by the Department of Trade and Industry (now Department of Energy and Climate Change). The SEA 6 area supports different users and activities, many of which are focussed in particular coastal and marine areas. It is a mixture of sparsely populated rural areas and highly developed centres of population. The primary contributors to the national and regional economies are tourism and leisure, oil and gas, ports and shipping and locally naval defence. The renewable energy sector is growing and may provide significant local opportunities for the port and local construction industries in the future. The report presents an overview of the coastal population of the SEA 6 area and the industries and activities using the SEA 6 area including: Oil and gas activity; Ports and shipping; Mariculture; Military activity; Telecommunication cables; Renewable energy; Aggregate extraction; Marine disposal; Tourism and leisure; Locally important activities; Coastal and marine archaeology; Coastal and marine management initiatives