03 Jun 2025

Image: Shipping containers – Teng Yuhong   In a significant maritime incident, the Liberia-flagged container ship MSC ELSA 3 sank approximately 38 nautical miles off the coast of Kochi, Kerala, on 25th May 2025, triggering a substantial oil spill and raising serious environmental concerns. The vessel was enroute from Vizhinjam to Kochi when it capsized […]

03 Jun 2025

Image: Wind turbines – Mert Kahveci   Ireland’s ambitious offshore wind energy targets are under scrutiny as industry leaders express concerns over potential delays and missed objectives. At the recent Wind Energy Ireland (WEI) Offshore Wind Conference held in Dublin on 27th – 28th May, stakeholders highlighted the urgency of governmental action to ensure the […]

27 May 2025

  Sea temperatures around the UK and Ireland have risen over the past week, with some regions now measuring up to 4°C above average — a spike that could impact marine ecosystems and swimmers alike. Dr Ségolène Berthou at the Met Office explained that “marine heatwaves in UK waters usually last around two to four […]

27 May 2025

Image: The Statue of Liberty by Stephen Tafra   Empire Windfarm has been given the go-ahead after a u-turn by the Trump administration. Only last month, 16th April, President Trump issued a stop-work order on Empire Wind, a USD 5 billion project to build a wind farm off the coast of New York. At the […]

27 May 2025

Image: EU flags at the European Commission by Guillaume Périgois   The General Court of the European Union has ruled that Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) must be properly protected from fishing practices such as bottom trawling. New regulations had been adopted on 8th December 2022, providing stronger levels of protection. However, the German fishing association […]

27 May 2025

Image: Brighton Marina by Being Momentx   The MMO has been heavily criticised for renewing a licence for the Brighton marina to dispose of sediment, in Beachy Head West Marine Conservation Zone. While the marina needs to be dredged to allow vessels to access the marina, there are fears that the sediment is smothering marine […]

27 May 2025

 Image: Bluefin Tuna in Torbay, Devon by Ray Harrington   Angus Campbell, a fisher based on the Isle of Harris, the Outer Hebrides, has secured one of only 15 licences, which allows him to land 3 tonnes of tuna this season. Eastern Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) have returned to UK waters after being absent […]

27 May 2025

Image: Fishing boats by John Mark Strange   The number of octopus are increasing in the south-west, and fishers are feeling the impact. Instead of hauling up pots with crabs, lobsters and other shellfish, fishers are finding octopus and empty shells instead. Plymouth crab fisherman Brian Tapper described the situation: “The octopus are ruining us… […]