On the centrality of tenure in spatial data systems for coastal/marine management: International exemplars versus emerging practice in Ireland

Although it is often overlooked, access to data regarding ‘tenure’ is of primary importance in underpinning coastal management and marine spatial planning (MSP). National, regional and international coastal/marine spatial data management exemplars demonstrate the need for clarity and certainty with respect to legal coastal/marine geographies (i.e. the basis for achieving security of tenure). Good practice in MSP is underpinned by four key pillars (use’, ‘value’, ‘development’ and ‘tenure’ (U,V,D,T)). The exemplars demonstrate the importance of currency in the statutory delineation of the coastline (HWM) and the spatial extent of the ‘coastal zone’ and tenure therein.

The National Marine Planning Framework (NMPF), established in Ireland in 2021, provides the foundations for three of the interrelated management (U,V,D) pillars but those relating to ‘tenure’ are largely absent. Coastal/marine management platforms and data gateways have yet to be fully developed to meet emerging marine/offshore obligations while national data portals remain primarily terrestrial in focus. Early steps to create a MSP ‘one stop’ web portal (MarinePlan.ie) are rather limited when benchmarked against international exemplars that do include information related to tenure. This is particularly important as legislation enacting the adoption of the NMPF extends planning control and the marine consent authorisations process of Irish Coastal Local Authorities (CLAs) to also include the nearshore (three nautical miles seaward from High Water Mark (HWM)). To achieve MSP targets, information on coastal/marine legal and regulatory interests across the land/sea interface needs to match that currently available in terrestrial settings.