Fishing for sandeel is to be banned in Scottish waters ahead of the 2024 fishery season, subject to Parliamentary approval. Sandeel support the long term sustainability and resilience of the marine ecosystem and are an important food source for many species, including marine mammals, seabirds and predatory fish. Commercial fishing for sandeel is currently carried […]
A Marine Management Organisation (MMO) byelaw to protect valuable marine habitats and species in 13 English offshore marine protected areas (MPAs) will come into force on 22 March 2024. Following formal consultation in 2023 and an official announcement on 31 January 2024 as part of Government’s 1 year on Environmental Improvement Plan progress update, management measures […]
An £11.6m funding boost from The National Lottery Heritage Fund has been awarded to Plymouth to help deliver the UK’s first National Marine Park – a transformation programme that will help empower and engage the city in the marine environment. Previously, a grant of £9.5m from the National Lottery Heritage Fund was confirmed, and now a funding […]
Businesses and marine organisations in Scotland’s coastal communities will benefit from £14 million in grants from the Marine Fund Scotland 2023-24. A total of 91 projects, with grants ranging from just under £1,000 up to £1.6 million, will support innovation and sustainable practices for the marine economy, including work to reduce carbon emissions. Projects include: […]
A new map-based digital tool will make plans for shoreline management easier to access, understand and use for coastal practitioners and the public alike, the Environment Agency has announced. The Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) Explorer will enable coastal practitioners and local planners to find the information they need more easily. It will also improve the Environment Agency’s […]
Helen Wakeham, Director of Water Transformation at the Environment Agency delivered a keynote speech at the annual Coastal Futures Conference in London. Here, Helen shares her thoughts on the history and future of our estuarine, coastal, and marine environments and how the Environment Agency and others can make a real difference. Over the past thirty […]
Beaches and dunes are becoming increasingly trapped between rising sea levels and our towns and cities. Researchers writing in the journal Nature found that when dropped on a random beach anywhere in the world, you only need to walk 390 metres on average to find the nearest road or building. And while that short walking […]
The All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Ocean has published the inquiry report “The Ocean: Inquiry into the Future of Ocean Technology”, which highlights “the huge, potential that ocean technology can bring to UK marine science, discusses the current challenges in developing and scaling ocean technology, and provides key recommendations to Government focused on improving data, […]