Marine mammals mistakenly eat plastic debris items such as plastic bags, food wrappers, ropes and abandoned fishing gear, or they become entangled in plastic items including fishing nets. Both scenarios can lead to injury and, in many cases, death. Now a recent US study has revealed that marine mammals face a more subtle plastic threat: microplastics. In the ocean, microplastics […]
The International Union for Conservation Nature’s World Commission on Protected Areas (IUCN WCPA) has launched a freely available guide to achieving Target 3 or the “30×30 target” of the Global Biodiversity Framework and effectively and equitably conserving at least 30 per cent of the Earth by 2030. The publication guides readers through the target, breaking down the […]
Hywind Tampen, the world’s largest floating offshore wind farm, was inaugurated by Equinor and its partners. Hywind Tampen consists of 11 8.6 megawatt (MW) turbines. It’s around 140 km (87 miles) off the Norwegian coast in a water depth of between 260 and 300 metres (853 to 984 feet). It produced its first power in […]
The Environment Agency (EA) has removed a requirement for EDF to install an acoustic fish deterrent (AFD) into Hinkley Point C’s cooling system, which the company said could be dangerous to maintain. Environmental groups say millions of fish could be killed per year. The reactor cooling system tunnels will take in 132,000 litres of water per […]
A £425,000 fund designed to support projects and ideas to benefit the environment and local communities has opened for its fourth round of applications. Crown Estate Scotland’s Sustainable Communities Fund, set up in 2020, has already delivered around £970,000 in valuable support to people across the country. It consists of two grant programmes: Community Capacity […]
Proposals to introduce electronic tracking and monitoring technology for small fishing vessels will be consulted on as part of package of new fisheries measures, the Scottish Government has announced. The consultation proposes that vessel tracking devices will be required by Scottish commercial fishing vessels under 12 metres in length wherever they operate, and by all […]
A scheme to support local projects in coastal areas of Wales in tackling the climate emergency will benefit from funding from the Welsh Government. Rural Affairs Minister Lesley Griffiths said the Coastal Capacity Building Fund will be important in helping coastal communities improve environmental outcomes. The fund aims to build capacity, helping communities to deliver […]
A new series of high-resolution maps of Irelands coast is being released and made available to the public for free. INFOMAR (Integrated Mapping for the Sustainable Development of Ireland’s Marine Resource) has launched the Blue Scale Map Series; a collection of 18 high-resolution bathymetric maps of Ireland’s coastal waters. Developed by a dedicated team of hydrographers, data […]