This section encompasses the transport of both freight and passengers by sea. Maritime transport is supported by a diverse range of ancillary activities including shipbuilding, the construction of ports and marinas and activities associated with navigation including dredging and the production of charts.

In 2007, the turnover of UK shipping (freight, passenger and charter services) was £9.5 billion with a direct contribution to GDP of £4.7 billion GVA. In 2007, there were 24.8 million passengers making international sea journeys and 424.42 million domestic sea passengers. UK ports handled 582 million tonnes of freight traffic, although the number of freight passages is unknown due to the commercial sensitivity of shipping data. The type of freight transported is shown in Figure 5.5.

A total GVA of £7.8 billion was calculated for those ancillary activities for which such information was available (e.g. port activities, shipbuilding and navigation activities). However, the value to the economy from other service activities such as construction of ports is less certain, so this is likely to be an underestimate.

In total there are more than 650 ports in the UK for which statutory harbour authorities have been established; of these 120 are commercially active. Values to the economy were assigned to reporting regions based on the proportion of freight tonnage handled by major coastal ports in each region. The majority of value to the economy (> £1 billion each) is located in Region 2 (Southern North Sea; which includes major ports in the Thames connecting with London), Region 1 (Northern North Sea; linking with the northern European mainland), Region 5 (Irish Sea; linking Scotland, the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, England and Wales), and Region 3 (Eastern Channel; with key routes to Europe and North Africa). This pattern is also likely to be a fair reflection on the distribution of pressures from shipping among the regions.

Key pressures relate to pollution (from oil spills, loss of cargo and leaching of antifoulants), introduction and spread of non-native species (through ships’ hulls and ballast water), noise impacts from ship movement and habitat damage (for example from port development, maintenance dredging and disposal of dredge material). While shipping is generally a very carbon efficient form of transport, continued growth in the sector will increase global emissions which currently account for around 3.3% of global CO₂ emissions. Most of the shipping impacts are managed through the International Maritime Organization. Impacts from local development are managed through local planning policies and conservation objectives where they apply. While records are kept of vessel movements and shipping densities, this information is currently not easily and freely accessible, hampering an assessment of pressures. To be useful for assessments, collated information should include the size of ships and temporal data such as when and how often they sail.

The long-term trend is for sustained growth of 3% to 4% on average per year in the container and roll-on/roll-off sectors. The Ports Policy review in 2007 proposed no substantive change to the regulatory framework although the recommendation for Master Plans by major ports may help to refine the operating framework for ports.