Twenty years ago I organised a series of events on marine and riverine litter. Plastic cotton bud sticks were an obvious and common sign of sewage related debris (SRD). Tick – ‘good’ – because you could see which beaches were still being routinely fouled by sewage and SRD. Then there were calls for biodegradable sticks […]
Scotland will be home to the world’s first ever large-scale tidal stream farm as part of a drive to develop Scotland’s marine renewables industry, creating jobs and investment. Water Briefing: First Minister Nicola Sturgeon visited the MeyGen project, owned by Atlantis Resources, to see the first turbines in the planned tidal stream array during a […]
‘Scallop fishing is not a widely managed activity’ MMO Hmm … you can say that again. Given the importance of scallops to UK fishermen this is a rather surprising and long overdue recognition of scale and importance of the fishery. The reporting deadline is 2019 so don’t hold your breath that it will say anything […]
Marine Conservation Grants – Applications Invited If you are planning a marine conservation project in 2017 you may be eligible to apply for a grant from Sea-Changers. We give a number of small grants (generally under £1,000) and tend to support grass roots and community based projects. The latest round of applications is currently open, […]
The Environmental Audit Committee has questioned Ministers from the Department for Exiting the European Union and Defra on how the Government intends to approach the environment in its negotiations with the European Union after the EU Referendum result. Thérèse Coffey, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at Defra and Robin Walker, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Brexit Department […]
Recently there have been three major flood – storm events in 2012, 2013-14 (SW coasts & Somerset), and 2015-2016 (Cumbria and the north of England). These have been characterised by a series of storms, following in close succession, covering different geographic locations but with quite devastating effects. In terms of costs and damages each of […]
Forest Enterprise England, the land management agency of the Forestry Commission, has become the first organisation to publish an organisation-wide Natural Capital Account. It seeks to quantify the full value of the services provided by the natural assets on its entire 254,000 hectare landholding. Although the account is initially only partial, it includes detailed management […]
MPs on the Energy and Climate Change Committee have warned the Government that, on its current course, the UK will fail to achieve its 2020 renewable energy targets—to provide for 15% of its energy needs from renewable sources. The overall obligation includes three sub-targets: 30% in electricity, 12% in heat and 10% in transport. The […]