20 Aug 2021
Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity are discussing the new Global Biodiversity Framework to be agreed at COP15 in Kunming next year. There is strong and growing global support for effectively protecting and conserving at least 30% of the earth’s land, sea and freshwater ecosystems by 2030, as a key requirement for halting and beginning […]
20 Aug 2021
If shipping were a country, it would be the world’s sixth largest emitter of CO2. The International Maritime Organisation has set a target which, if met, would cut CO2 emissions from the shipping sector in half by 2050. This article provides an overview of where things stand. It explores issues such as comparisons of emissions […]
17 Aug 2021
The government has announced the first set of programmes to receive funding from the £500m Blue Planet Fund launched by the Prime Minister at the G7 summit. The Fund will support developing countries on the front line of climate change to reduce poverty and improve the health of their seas. The programmes, financed from the […]
17 Aug 2021
In December 2020, Defra announced a call for evidence on the scale of shark fin trade in the UK, seeking advice on the conservation impacts as well as economic, social and cultural impacts. According to a report of the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) the UK has reported between 2,000 tonnes and […]
17 Aug 2021
One of the elements of the Environment Bill, which is expected to become law by autumn 2021 is the principle of biodiversity ‘net gain’ for developments in England. Once enacted, requirements for net gain in both terrestrial and intertidal habitats (to mean low water mark) will have to be considered, with any biodiversity impacts which […]
17 Aug 2021
Marine animals may eat plastic rubbish in the sea because an additive found in common items such as water bottles and yoghurt pots lead them to mistake the debris for food. A study using hermit crabs has shown their respiration rate increases significantly in response to low concentrations of oleamide and that they are attracted […]
17 Aug 2021
To be able to fish commercially for scallops and shellfish, fishers are required to have a scallop and/or shellfish permit on their fishing vessel. These vessels can also engage in a mixed fishery targeting other species, including other shellfish to meet market demands. The management provisions vary depending on the area fished. In a current […]
10 Aug 2021
The strength of the IPCC’s Code Red for Humanity report is sobering; its dire warning could not be clearer. Yet at the same time, it confirmed that the Paris agreement’s 1.5C warming limit is not lost, and with strong global action, we can still achieve it. Interviews with five people involved in the debate on […]
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