Maritime Affairs & Fisheries
The South West England is the Region in England with the longest coastline (over 1,130 kilometres in length). It is a maritime region that treasures a long history of maritime activities and harbours many local ports. More than three million people (62% of the population) live within 10 kilometres of the coastline and the coast plays a vital role in the Region’s economy and in the quality of life of its inhabitants. The marine sector represents 32,000 employees, 2,700 companies and it values £1.3 bn to the economy (+ £244m from fishing).
The South West is very active in key priority maritime related sectors as environmental technologies (renewable energy), advanced engineering (composites), food and drink, tourism, etc. One of the major strength of the Region lies in its marine research and development pole comprising several marine science Universities (Plymouth Marine Institute, University of Exeter, Bournemouth University, University of Bath) and research centers (Plymouth Marine Laboratory, UK Hydrographic Office, Met Office, Marine Biological Association, Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science, National Marine Aquarium).
