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… […]

27 May 2025

Image: Fishing boat by Michel Stockman   A new report from marine conservation organisation Oceana claims that bottom trawling continues to pose a serious threat to the UK’s offshore marine protected areas (MPAs), with over 20,000 hours of suspected activity recorded in 2024 alone. The report, titled The Trawled Truth, estimates that the suspected trawling would […]

20 May 2025

  Late Monday night, negotiations between the UK and the EU – covering trade, defence and fishing, came to a dramatic close, as the UK agreed to allow EU vessels continued access to UK waters until 2038. Reaction to the deal on fishing revealed highly differing views. The UK Government stressed that the agreement maintains […]

20 May 2025

Image: Ice by Sergey Guk   Scientists are sounding the alarm as new research paper reveals that the colour of the ocean is visibly changing—a visible sign of profound ecological shifts driven by climate change. Research led by scientists from the University of Amsterdam highlights how the retreat of sea ice in polar regions is […]

20 May 2025

Image: St Mawes by Philip Auld    Conservationists have expressed deep concern over the deteriorating state of ancient maerl beds off the coast of Cornwall, England. from recent dives near St Mawe, which were organised as part of the UK Maerl Forum 2025, revealed that these fragile ecosystems are now covered in dense algae – […]

20 May 2025

Image: Puffin flying by Phil Robson   Scotland’s seabirds are set to benefit from a major new funding initiative aimed at reversing decades of population decline. The Scottish Marine Environmental Enhancement Fund (SMEEF) has unveiled a £1.6 million Seabird Resilience Fund, designed to bolster efforts to protect and restore vital seabird habitats across Scotland’s coastlines […]

20 May 2025

Image: Houses of Parliament by Deniz Fuchidzhiev   Legislation for Britain’s new publicly owned energy company has passed through Parliament. Great British Energy will invest in clean power projects across the UK as part of the government’s Plan for Change to become a clean energy superpower – helping to get off the rollercoaster of fossil […]