National Parks and the Sea Report
National Parks and the Sea, Exploring a New Endeavour: created by Natasha Bradshaw on behalf of Campaign for National Parks as part of our National Marine Park work.
Purpose of this report
Campaign for National Parks (CNP) were commissioned by the Esmee Fairburn Foundation to explore how the National Parks model could apply to the sea. Building on the work of Blue Marine Foundation’s vision for National Marine Parks, this report shares the findings of initial work by CNP. The aim was to understand the challenges and opportunities for extending the existing National Parks model to include seascape. The research involved interviews with the eight National Parks in England and Wales with coastline, followed by a roundtable (online) presentation of the findings and discussion, between January-March 2025. This report presents the key findings and
recommendations in relation to the potential future role of National Parks in marine governance, legislation, protection and the promotion of greater connectivity between coastal communities and the sea. It supports understanding of the added value, risks and benefits over existing coastal and marine designations. It provides a baseline upon which to consider further opportunities and key activities for a multi-year programme of work towards implementation.
More on our National Marine Park Work
We believe that the sea is a critical gap in the National Park story. Some of our most important habitats and the pressures across land, coast and sea can only be managed by considering our interconnected ecosystems as a whole. We’re campaigning for the UK’s first designated National Parks at land, coast and sea, and supporting the exploration of voluntary National Marine Parks.