24 May 2022
England’s second ‘super’ National Nature Reserve (NNR) has been declared in Somerset by Natural England on the 70th anniversary of the creation of national nature reserves. The Somerset Wetlands NNR has absorbed the six reserves on the Somerset Levels and Moors and added 56% more land to the area occupied by the original site. Tony […]
24 May 2022
The Outer Hebrides Inshore Fisheries Pilot is co-managed by the Regional Inshore Fisheries Group (RIFG) and the Marine Scotland Directorate of the Scottish Government. The Pilot limits the number of creels that commercial fishing vessels may deploy in the waters around the isles. The aim of this is to improve the management of shellfish stocks […]
24 May 2022
Traditionally, wild caught scallops are primarily fished using dredges and trawls. Due to their penetrative nature, the interaction of this towed gear with the seabed can cause significant damage to sensitive marine habitats and species. Diver caught scallops have been a low impact alternative source, however, this sector can only supply limited quantities due to […]
24 May 2022
Seabirds usually feed in areas that are rich in fish and so they frequently encounter commercial fishing boats. Being incidentally caught in the boats’ nets or hooks (“by-catch”) is a major threat to seabirds, and many end up drowning. The problem has also negative impacts on fishing activity; it is time-consuming and damages fishing gear. […]
24 May 2022
Marine biologists from the Marine Biological Association (MBA) and the University of Southampton have led ground-breaking research which indicates that lethal collisions of whale sharks with large ships are vastly underestimated, and could be the reason why populations are falling. Whale shark numbers have been declining in recent years in many locations, but it is […]
24 May 2022
Whales, dolphins and porpoises are a group of marine mammals collectively known as cetaceans. During the 19th and 20th centuries many types due to over-hunting, many cetacean populations had collapsed. A moratorium on commercial hunting of whales was introduced in 1986 by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in late 1986. The IWC was set up […]
17 May 2022
The cumulative effects of offshore wind on the marine environment alongside other human activities is the focus of a new initiative in the UK. The Ecological Consequences of Offshore Wind (ECOWind) research programme aims to help deliver policy-ready solutions that aim to enable offshore wind and thriving marine ecosystems to coexist and to promote environmental […]
17 May 2022
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has launched a Call for Evidence on the impacts of fishing activity in 13 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). It follows the announcement of Byelaws to prohibit damaging fishing activity in four MPAs last month, including Dogger Bank and the Canyons, which will come into force on 13 June 2022. The MMO are […]
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