Functional maritime zoning unveils strategic vision development until 2040

The Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) government published its “Marine Area Plan” in the Official Gazette yesterday, outlining a strategic vision for coordinating urban construction and maritime conservation in the region until 2040.

The MSAR’s “Marine Area Plan” aims to promote the management, utilization, and protection of Macau’s 85 square kilometer territorial waters over the next two decades.

In the near-term until 2025, it prioritizes marine health and sustainable management of sea resources for projects supporting local livelihoods and flood mitigation.

This includes restoring degraded mangrove ecosystems, which serve as nursery habitats for marine life and provide natural coastal defenses.

Looking ahead to 2026–40, the plan shifts focus to optimizing the inner harbor and Coloane coastline, accelerating large-scale sea-use projects, and promoting integrated land-sea development, such as the “ecological island” concept. Additionally, the plan allocates certain sea areas specifically for ecological purposes to support Macau’s economic diversification while safeguarding its natural marine life – such as the Chinese white dolphin species. This involves zoning off sensitive marine areas and limiting activities that could degrade or disrupt critical ecological functions.

The plan sets requirements for sea use control, environmental protection, and supporting Macau’s integration into the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area and national development.

Experts emphasize the importance of developing coastal protection systems, increasing public leisure areas along the 76.7km coastline, and protecting natural ecosystems like mangroves.

The overarching aim is to optimize the layout and use of both land and sea spaces in coastal regions, expanding opportunities for marine economic development while protecting the environment.

At the press conference organized by the DSAMA late last year, director Susana Wong, said the main purpose of the new law is to ensure that the maritime areas comprising 85 square kilometers are part of the public domain and cannot be alienated or moved to the private domain.

Wong also noted the new law will also establish a clearer evaluation and approval system for the use of those areas by private entities, standardizing these rules and providing broader access to the public of this information and requirements for those interested in making use of them.

With the regime also comes a supervision and sanctioning system for those who fail to comply. It will also stipulate the price to pay for each use, although this information will only be added at a later stage via an administrative regulation. Nadia Shaw