Section 66 Licensable marine activitiesC1C2C3I1I2
For the purposes of this Part, it is a licensable marine activity to do any of the following—
| 1. | To deposit any substance or object within the UK marine licensing area, either in the sea or on or under the sea bed, from—
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| 2. | To deposit any substance or object anywhere in the sea or on or under the sea bed from—
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| 3. | To deposit any substance or object anywhere in the sea or on or under the sea bed from a vehicle, vessel, aircraft, marine structure or floating container which was loaded with the substance or object—
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| 4. | To scuttle any vessel or floating container in the UK marine licensing area. |
| 5. | To scuttle any vessel or floating container anywhere at sea F2except in an area beyond national jurisdiction, if the scuttling is controlled from a British vessel, British aircraft or British marine structure. |
| 6. | To scuttle any vessel or floating container anywhere at sea, if the vessel or container has been towed or propelled, for the purpose of that scuttling,—
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| 7. | To construct, alter or improve any works within the UK marine licensing area either—
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| 8. | To use a vehicle, vessel, aircraft, marine structure or floating container to remove any substance or object from the sea bed within the UK marine licensing area. |
| 9. | To carry out any form of dredging within the UK marine licensing area (whether or not involving the removal of any material from the sea or sea bed). |
| 10. | To deposit or use any explosive substance or article within the UK marine licensing area either in the sea or on or under the sea bed. |
| 11. | To incinerate any substance or object on any vehicle, vessel, marine structure or floating container in the UK marine licensing area. |
| 12. | To incinerate any substance or object anywhere at sea F3, except in an area beyond national jurisdiction, on—
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| 13. | To load a vehicle, vessel, aircraft, marine structure or floating container in any part of the United Kingdom except Scotland, or in the UK marine licensing area, with any substance or object for incineration anywhere at sea. |
| F414. | To deposit any substance or object in an area beyond national jurisdiction either in the sea or on or under the sea bed from—
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| 15. | To deposit any substance or object in an area beyond national jurisdiction in the sea or on or under the sea bed where the person carrying on, or causing or permitting any other person to carry on, the deposit is a United Kingdom person. |
| 16. | To scuttle any vessel or floating container at sea in an area beyond national jurisdiction, if the scuttling is controlled from a British vessel, British aircraft or British marine structure. |
| 17. | To scuttle any vessel or floating container at sea in an area beyond national jurisdiction where the person carrying on, or causing or permitting any other person to carry on, the scuttling is a United Kingdom person. |
| 18. | To construct, alter or improve any works in an area beyond national jurisdiction either in or over the sea or on or under the sea bed, if—
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| 19. | To use a vessel, aircraft, marine structure or floating container to remove any substance or object from the sea bed in an area beyond national jurisdiction, if—
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| 20. | To carry out any form of dredging in an area beyond national jurisdiction (whether or not involving the removal of any material from the sea or sea bed) if—
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| 21. | To deposit or use any explosive substance or article in an area beyond national jurisdiction either in the sea or on or under the sea bed, if—
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| 22. | To incinerate any substance or object at sea in an area beyond national jurisdiction on—
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| 23. | To incinerate any substance or object at sea in an area beyond national jurisdiction where the person carrying on, or causing or permitting any other person to carry on, the incineration is a United Kingdom person. |
In subsection (1)—
in F5items 9 and 20, “dredging” includes using any device to move any material (whether or not suspended in water) from one part of the sea or sea bed to another part;
“United Kingdom person” has the same meaning that it has in section 27(1) of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Act 2026.
The appropriate licensing authority for any area may by order amend subsection (1) so as to add any activity to, or remove any activity from, the list of licensable marine activities as it has effect in that area.
An order under subsection (3) that adds an activity may designate the activity as activity added in contemplation of the United Kingdom’s obligations—
under Part 3 of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement (area-based management tools), or
in respect of an activity that takes place in an area beyond national jurisdiction, under Part 4 of that Agreement (environmental impact assessments).
Where an order contains provision within subsection (3A), the related provision that may be made in the order in reliance on section 316(1)(b) (consequential etc provision) includes provision amending primary or secondary legislation whenever passed or made.
F10In this section—
“area beyond national jurisdiction” has the meaning that it has in the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement (see Article 1);
“the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement” means the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, opened for signature at New York on 20 September 2023.
For the purposes of this Part “the UK marine licensing area” consists of the UK marine area, other than the Scottish inshore region.
Annotations
Textual amendments
- F1
Words in s. 66(1) inserted (9.8.2026) by The Marine Licensing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment etc.) Order 2026 (S.I. 2026/676), arts. 1(1), 4(2)(a)
- F2
Words in s. 66(1) inserted (9.8.2026) by The Marine Licensing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment etc.) Order 2026 (S.I. 2026/676), arts. 1(1), 4(2)(b)
- F3
Words in s. 66(1) inserted (9.8.2026) by The Marine Licensing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment etc.) Order 2026 (S.I. 2026/676), arts. 1(1), 4(2)(c)
- F4
Words in s. 66(1) inserted (9.8.2026) by The Marine Licensing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment etc.) Order 2026 (S.I. 2026/676), arts. 1(1), 4(2)(d)
- F5
Words in s. 66(2)(a) substituted (9.8.2026) by The Marine Licensing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment etc.) Order 2026 (S.I. 2026/676), arts. 1(1), 4(3)
- F6
Words in s. 66(2)(b) substituted (9.8.2026) by The Marine Licensing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment etc.) Order 2026 (S.I. 2026/676), arts. 1(1), 4(4)(a)
- F7
Words in s. 66(2)(b) substituted (9.8.2026) by The Marine Licensing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment etc.) Order 2026 (S.I. 2026/676), arts. 1(1), 4(4)(b)
- F8
S. 66(2)(c) inserted (9.8.2026) by The Marine Licensing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment etc.) Order 2026 (S.I. 2026/676), arts. 1(1), 4(5)
- F9
S. 66(3A)-(3C) inserted (12.2.2026) by Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Act 2026 (c. 6), ss. 20(2), 32(1) (with s. 30)
- F10
Words in s. 66(3C) substituted (9.8.2026) by The Marine Licensing (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment etc.) Order 2026 (S.I. 2026/676), arts. 1(1), 4(6)
Modifications
- C1
Pt. 4 modified (7.9.2016) by The Hornsea Two Offshore Wind Farm Order 2016 (S.I. 2016/844), arts. 1(2), 36 (with arts. 37, 38)
- C2
Pt. 4 applied (E.W.S) (1.1.2022) by The Norfolk Boreas Offshore Wind Farm Order 2021 (S.I. 2021/1414), arts. 1, 32 (with arts. 41, 42, Sch. 17 para. 66)
- C3
Pt. 4 applied (E.W.S.) (5.3.2022) by The Norfolk Vanguard Offshore Wind Farm Order 2022 (S.I. 2022/138), arts. 1, 32 (with arts. 41, 42, Sch. 16)
Commencement
- I1
S. 66 partly in force; s. 66 in force for specified purposes at Royal Assent see s. 324(1)(c)
- I2
S. 66 in force at 6.4.2011 in so far as not already in force by S.I. 2011/556, art. 3(2)(a)
Notes on Part 4
Modifications
- C1
Pt. 4 excluded (11.3.2015) by The Dogger Bank Creyke Beck Offshore Wind Farm Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/318), arts. 1, 8(6) (with arts. 40, 41, Pt. 2 para. 4(2), Pt. 2 para. 4(3), Pt. 2 para. 19, Pt. 4 para. 3, Pt. 4 para. 4, Pt. 4 para. 16, Sch. 12 paras. 4, 9(2), 10)
- C2
Pt. 4 excluded (26.8.2015) by The Dogger Bank Teesside A and B Offshore Wind Farm Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/1592), arts. 1, 8(7) (with arts. 40, 41)
- C4
Pt. 4 modified (15.9.2016) by The River Humber Gas Pipeline Replacement Order 2016 (S.I. 2016/853), arts. 1, 39 (with art. 43)
- C5
Pt. 4 modified (22.1.2021) by The Hornsea Three Offshore Wind Farm Order 2020 (S.I. 2020/1656), arts. 1, 31 (with arts. 40, 41, Sch. 9 Pt. 5 para. 18)
- C8
Pt. 4 modified (29.12.2022) by The Keadby 3 (Carbon Capture Equipped Gas Fired Generating Station) Order 2022 (S.I. 2022/1396), arts. 1, 39 (with art. 32, Sch. 10 paras. 26(2), 68)
- C9
Pt. 4 modified (28.4.2025) by The Rampion 2 Offshore Wind Farm Order 2025 (S.I. 2025/468), arts. 1, 39 (with arts. 47, 48, Sch. 10)
- C10
Pt. 4 modified (28.7.2025) by The Mona Offshore Wind Farm Order 2025 (S.I. 2025/870), arts. 1, 5 (with arts. 37, 38, Sch. 10)
- C11
Pt. 4 modified (22.9.2025) by The Morgan Offshore Wind Project Generation Assets Order 2025 (S.I. 2025/1012), arts. 1, 5 (with arts. 9, 10)
- C12
Pt. 4 modified (27.11.2025) by The Cory Decarbonisation Project Order 2025 (S.I. 2025/1227), arts. 1, 42(1) (with Sch. 12)
- C13
Pt. 4 modified (23.12.2025) by The Morecambe Offshore Windfarm Generation Assets Order 2025 (S.I. 2025/1366), arts. 1, 5 (with arts. 9, 10)
- C14
Pt. 4 modified (8.1.2026) by The Five Estuaries Offshore Wind Farm Order 2025 (S.I. 2025/1376), arts. 1, 5 (with arts. 39, 40, Sch. 9)
- C15
Pt. 4: power to amend or modify conferred (12.2.2026) by Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Act 2026 (c. 6), ss. 22(3), 32(1) (with s. 30)
- C16
Pt. 4 modified (5.6.2026) by The North Falls Offshore Wind Farm Order 2026 (S.I. 2026/567), arts. 1, 35 (with arts. 44, 45, Sch. 14)
- C17
Pt. 4 modified (5.6.2026) by The Dogger Bank South East and West Offshore Wind Farms Order 2026 (S.I. 2026/577), arts. 1, 35 (with arts. 40, 41, Sch. 15)
Notes on Chapter 1
Modifications
- C1
Pt. 4 Ch. 1 modified (15.8.2013) by The North Blyth Biomass Power Station Order 2013 (S.I. 2013/1873), arts. 1, 27 (with art. 30)
- C2
Pt. 4 Ch. 1 modified (6.8.2014) by The Rampion Offshore Wind Farm Order 2014 (S.I. 2014/1873), arts. 1, 11, Sch. 13 Pt. 2 Sch. 14 Pts. 2 (with arts. 12, 13, Pt. 2 para. 6, Pt. 3 para. 5, Pt. 4 para. 4, Pt. 5 para. 4, Sch. 12 paras. 19)
- C3
Pt. 4 excluded (11.3.2015) by The Dogger Bank Creyke Beck Offshore Wind Farm Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/318), arts. 1, 8(6) (with arts. 40, 41, Pt. 2 para. 4(2), Pt. 2 para. 4(3), Pt. 2 para. 19, Pt. 4 para. 3, Pt. 4 para. 4, Pt. 4 para. 16, Sch. 12 paras. 4, 9(2), 10)
- C4
Pt. 4 excluded (26.8.2015) by The Dogger Bank Teesside A and B Offshore Wind Farm Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/1592), arts. 1, 8(7) (with arts. 40, 41)
- C6
Pt. 4 modified (22.1.2021) by The Hornsea Three Offshore Wind Farm Order 2020 (S.I. 2020/1656), arts. 1, 31 (with arts. 40, 41, Sch. 9 Pt. 5 para. 18)
- C9
Pt. 4 modified (28.4.2025) by The Rampion 2 Offshore Wind Farm Order 2025 (S.I. 2025/468), arts. 1, 39 (with arts. 47, 48, Sch. 10)