Joint National Marine Park Position Signed in Pembrokeshire

Published: 19 January 2026

At the start of November, Campaign for National Parks hosted a marine workshop at the Port of Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire.  

The workshop explored shared aspirations for Pembrokeshire’s landscape, seascape and coastal communities. We discussed the role that a National Marine Park could play in improving environmental outcomes at sea, as well as supporting coastal communities and connecting policy and consenting regimes at land, coast and sea.   

Following a thoroughly engaging discussion and a follow up with the special interest groups in attendance, we were able to agree a Joint Marine National Park Position Statement for Pembrokeshire which we are hugely excited about as we start the process of engaging more widely in the local area and bringing in the expertise of a wider group of stakeholders.

Read the full statement:  

Pembrokeshire’s marine protected areas are currently largely in an unfavourable condition, highlighting the need to improve the health and resilience of our coastal and marine environment.  Alongside the environmental challenges, there is a clear imperative to unlock sustainable economic growth to support more thriving coastal communities. To achieve this, there is a need to address existing challenges in governance and consenting regimes to create better integrated land-sea planning and management. 

Grounded in information gathered with local stakeholders, we will support a deeper exploration of these existing issues and identify opportunities for improvement, which may include – among other various approaches to improving the identified weaknesses of the present system – a seaward extension of the National Park or the designation of a Marine National Park.   

We will focus on:   

1. What is important – nationally and locally – about the resources of Pembrokeshire’s coast and sea, and the links between them and their geographical distribution 
2. The planning and management issues and opportunities facing the long-term sustainability of Pembrokeshire’s resources 
3. What is needed in planning and management terms to ensure their long-term sustainability and the flow of benefits into Pembrokeshire’s coastal communities

We would welcome the support of other interested parties who would like to join us on this journey to mobilise capacity and expertise for further exploration.  

Signed by:  

Milford Haven Port Authority 

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority 

Friends of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park 

Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum  

Campaign for National Parks 

DOWNLOAD THE STATEMENT