Skip to main content

About us

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has been established to make a significant contribution to sustainable development in the marine area and to promote the UK government’s vision for clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse oceans and seas.

We are a new executive non-departmental public body (NDPB) established and given powers under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. This ground-breaking act brings together for the first time key marine decision-making powers and delivery mechanisms.

We have incorporated the work of the Marine and Fisheries Agency (MFA) and acquired several important new roles, principally marine-related powers and specific functions previously associated with the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and the Department for Transport (DfT).

The establishment of the MMO as a cross-government delivery partner therefore marks a fundamental shift in planning, regulating and licensing activity in the marine area with the emphasis on sustainable development.

We have a wide range of responsibilities, including:

  • implementing a new marine planning system designed to integrate the social requirements, economic potential and environmental imperatives of our seas
  • implementing a new marine licensing regime that is easier for everyone to use  with clearer, simpler and quicker licensing decisions
  • managing UK fishing fleet capacity and UK fisheries quotas
  • working with Natural England and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) to create and manage a network of marine protected areas (marine conservation zones and European marine sites) designed to preserve vulnerable habitats and species in UK marine waters
  • responding to marine emergencies alongside other agencies
  • developing an internationally recognised centre of excellence for marine information that supports the MMO’s decision-making process.

Further information

Her Majesty's Government and the Marine Management Organisation Framework Document (PDF 570 KB)

Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009

Help with documents

Some of these documents are in the portable document format (PDF) for downloading. Adobe Acrobat Reader can be freely downloaded from www.adobe.co.uk