Wales updates marine licensing rules from 1 April 2026

From 1 April 2026, a new Welsh Order changes what you can do in coastal waters without first applying for a marine licence. The Marine Licensing (Exempted Activities) (Wales) (Amendment) Order 2026 was made on 2 February 2026 and published on legislation.gov.uk. It adds new exemptions and tightens some existing ones so simple, low‑risk work can happen quickly while safety and the sea’s health stay front and centre.

A quick devolution primer helps. In Welsh inshore and offshore waters, Welsh Ministers are the licensing authority under the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. This amendment updates the 2011 exemptions and applies where Welsh Ministers are responsible, with UK bodies still leading on certain reserved activities. Think of it as Wales fine‑tuning day‑to‑day rules for beaches, harbours and nearshore projects.

What is an “exempted activity”? It’s something you may carry out without a marine licence as long as you meet the conditions set in law. That usually means staying under volume limits, giving notice to the right bodies, protecting navigation, wildlife and heritage, and sticking to any time limits. If you can’t meet every condition, you still need a licence before you start.

If you run a dive club, this matters. Divers may remove marine litter and abandoned, discarded or lost fishing gear without a licence. The guardrails are clear: do not damage features of archaeological or historic interest, avoid restricted wreck and military sites, and do not cause significant effects on marine protected areas. If you discover artefacts, record the location and report them rather than lifting them.

Beach cleans can scale safely too. Using a vehicle or vessel to remove litter, marine litter, debris or dead animals from a beach or intertidal area can be exempt when done by or for Welsh Ministers, local authorities, harbour authorities, Natural Resources Wales or an environmental charity. If a charity is moving a dead animal, it must act on behalf of a public body and notify the enforcement authority first. As ever, avoid harm to protected habitats and heritage features.

Fireworks over the water now come with clearer lines. The deposit and use of fireworks as part of a display, plus the removal of any associated litter, can be exempt. Displays must not create an obstruction or danger to navigation and must avoid significant effects on marine protected areas. Plan routes, timings and clean‑up with skippers and safety teams before any launch.

After storms, councils and harbour teams often face drifts of wind‑blown sand. You can now clear sand from promenades, roads or slipways and put it back on the beach within seven days, provided it’s free from litter and contaminants. That quick turnaround keeps public spaces usable while returning clean sediment to the shoreline where it belongs.

Science at sea gets simpler. You can place and later recover scientific instruments, and deposit approved reagents or tracers, with light‑touch notice rules. Tell the UK Hydrographic Office at least five days before you deploy equipment, and within five days after you remove it. Set‑ups must not create navigation hazards, including cutting charted clearance by more than five per cent relative to Chart Datum, and must not significantly affect protected sites.

Temporary markers for recreation are covered. You can place buoys and other markers to set out areas for swimming, sailing or diving. If a marker will stay in for more than 24 hours, give at least five days’ notice to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Trinity House, and remove everything within 28 days. Keep clear of shipping lanes and local fairways to avoid hazards.

Keeping channels open matters for small ports and clubs. Maintenance dredging for navigation may be exempt if the site has been dredged or maintained within the last ten years. Each dredging episode must remove no more than 500 cubic metres, and the total from that site across any 12‑month period must be 1,500 cubic metres or less. Works must not affect defence interests, harm marine protected areas, block river basin objectives or cause environmental damage, and disposal of dredged material is not covered by the exemption.

If you’re testing the seabed, there are new allowances. You can take samples for analysis up to a one cubic metre limit, and you can excavate trial pits or drill boreholes up to five cubic metres per plan or project. Vibrocore sampling is also exempt up to five cubic metres recovered. Across all three, avoid navigation risks, protected sites and archaeological damage, and stop if conditions cannot be met.

Harbour users will notice clearer rules on pontoons. With harbour authority consent, you can install or remove small pontoons within harbour or port limits. The pontoon’s deck area must not exceed 30 square metres, there must be no piling or dwellings on top, and no more than ten pontoons may be added at the same site in the previous six months. Check and clean kit to prevent invasive non‑native species before installation.

Seagrass restoration is actively supported. You can deposit native seagrass seeds or cuttings, move small cores and restore beds when you follow International Union for Conservation of Nature guidance on conservation translocations, ensure donor beds remain healthy, and keep materials free from invasive species. Non‑biodegradable or harmful substances are out, and you must avoid effects on defence interests, heritage and navigation.

Routine minor works get a practical green light. Local and harbour authorities, or those acting for them, may carry out maintenance to existing bridges, cantilevered structures, jetties and piers within their current boundaries. You cannot reduce air clearance over Highest Astronomical Tide, you cannot extend below mean low water springs, and you should notify the UK Hydrographic Office five days before starting.

Harbours and Natural Resources Wales can deal with dangerous craft more quickly. Removing abandoned or derelict vessels is exempt with at least 24 hours’ notice to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. It does not cover restricted wreck sites, anything that risks navigation, or activities likely to affect marine protected areas. Here, “abandoned” means owners are unknown or have surrendered ownership, and “derelict” means serious disrepair and neglect.

A handful of tidy‑ups make day‑to‑day work clearer. Salvage for pollution control remains exempt, but not if you are removing wrecks or objects of archaeological or historical interest. Emergency flood works are in scope, though not where a structure has simply been left to fail. Moorings, aids to navigation and vessel launching now explicitly include the associated removal and maintenance steps under the exemption where conditions are met.

To help you read official notices, a short glossary helps. A “marine protected area” here includes special areas of conservation, special protection areas, marine conservation zones and sites of special scientific interest. The “intertidal area” means the zone between mean high water springs and mean low water springs. The UK Hydrographic Office updates charts, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency oversees maritime safety, and Trinity House manages aids to navigation. “Chart Datum” is the reference level printed on charts that mariners use to judge clearance.

What this means for you is practical. If you run a beach clean, a club or a harbour, these changes reduce paperwork for simple, low‑risk tasks. They do put the onus on you to plan, notify the right bodies, keep evidence of volumes and timings, and stop if you cannot meet the conditions. When in doubt, check details with the Welsh Government’s marine licensing team or Natural Resources Wales before you begin.