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The Pembrokeshire coastal region is complex. The county has 186 miles of coastline which is part of the UK's only coastal National Park. The inshore waters, coastline and adjacent maritime areas of Pembrokeshire are both nationally and internationally important for nature and landscape conservation. The county is also host to one of Europe’s major oil ports and two international ferry terminals, as well as the important industries of tourism, agriculture, and fishing - all of which are vital to the county’s economy. The interface between these environmental resources and economic activity is characterised by a plethora of organisations and users with little integration and co-ordination, no united forum for debate and exchange of information, and weak conflict resolution and consensus building structures. Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum was established to start to tackle these problems by working with everybody, aiming to listen, co-ordinate, inform and guide.The History of Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum. The Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum was officially established in May 2000. A team started working full time from December 2001, following the successful completion of an Objective One bid, and brought together a variety of stakeholders from the public, private and voluntary sector. All the partners work to promote a sustainable approach to the planning, management, use of and development of the entire Pembrokeshire Coastal Zone.How Much of The County Does Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum Cover? As the majority of Pembrokeshire is no further than several miles from the sea, and many terrestrial/maritime activities can have an influence on the coastal zone, the area covered by Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum is therefore identified by the issue. For example, poor management of inland streams/rivers can impact on the coastal waters; offshore fisheries practices can affect inshore fisheries management. The Aims Of Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum. Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum promotes a sustainable and strategic approach to the planning, management, use and development of Pembrokeshire's coastal zone, which will ensure that it's natural, cultural and economic assets are maintained and enhanced for the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations. How Are These Aims Achieved? There are two parts to the work of Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum. The first is the day-to-day running of the organisation. Under the current Objective One programme the Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum team are involved in a range of Projects and Activities which benefit the coast, and enable the Forum to gather large amounts of information. This in turn informs Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum’s long-term goal – writing a management strategy and action plan for the local coast and waterway. The Benefits of Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum. Having Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum as an organisation in the county creates a number of benefits for both the individual as well as statutory and voluntary organisations. It creates a flexible structure that encourages involvement and cooperation by all interests at all levels, while also enabling organisations to cut down on the duplication of work, time and resources. It provides up-to-date topical information with no cost to the user and improves the understanding of other organisations and the public. It raises the profile of the Pembrokeshire coast and waterway and associated issues – both within and outside the county. It provides scope for developing new partnerships to pool resources and expertise therefore reducing costs, and it helps to develop more inclusive partnerships. This in turn may be looked on more favourably by funding bodies