20Assessment of threats and risks to marine estate

20 Assessment of threats and risks to marine estate

20 Assessment of threats and risks to marine estate

(1) The Authority must ensure that an assessment of threats and risks to the marine estate is periodically carried out.

(2) The purpose of the threat and risk assessment is—

(a) to identify threats to the environmental, economic and social values of the marine estate, and

(b) to assess the risks associated with those identified threats, and

(c) to inform marine estate management decisions by prioritising those threats and risks according to the level of impact on the values derived from the marine estate.

(3) A threat and risk assessment under this section is to be commenced—

(a) as soon as possible after—

(i) in the case of the first assessment—the commencement of this section, and

(ii) in any other case—the period of 10 years has elapsed since the previous assessment, and

(b) at any other time determined by the relevant Ministers.

(4) The Authority is to carry out the threat and risk assessment in accordance with any standard prescribed by the regulations for the purpose of this section.