Burial at Sea
Burial at sea is an alternative method to burial on land or cremation.
This type of burial is recognised, not only within the sailing community, but
also as a tradition that permeates all communities. This tradition however,
has to be balanced against a number of concerns, including our obligation to
protect the marine environment, the living resources that it supports, human
health and an increased use of the sea.
A free licence is required and available from the Department for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). However, there are less than 50 burials at
sea a year and are only allowed at the following locations: 
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Near Newhaven, Sussex
The Needles Spoil Ground, to the west of the Isle of Wight
In the Tynemouth off the Northumberland coast
DEFRA does not encourage burial at sea, as there have been occasions
where bodies buried off the coast have been washed up on shore. Also, there
are concerns about fishing vessels trawling the bodies back up. Naturally,
this can cause considerable distress to relatives; friends of the deceased and
all concerned.
To avoid this risk, DEFRA recommends the scattering of cremation ashes at
sea. This can be undertaken without a Food & Environment Protection Act
(FEPA) licence.
To conduct a burial at sea you can arrange it through a funeral director or
apply for the licence yourself. The costs for this type of burial, through funeral
directors and local companies offering this service can vary greatly. (The
FEPA licence is free of any charge).
The following are the considerations DEFRA keep in mind when considering a
FEPA licence application for burial at sea: 
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The death needs to be registered with the Registrar of Births, Deaths
and Marriages
Prepare the correct documentation
Obtain a FEPA Licence for burial at sea
Prepare the body
Obtain the correct coffin or shroud
Organise the burial / ceremony
Navy Burials
The navy conducts its own burials at sea, for those veterans who wished to be
buried at sea. For more detailed information contact the Base Chaplin via the
place from which the deceased served.