25 Nov 2025

Photo by Tanya Barrow   The Scottish Government has launched a public consultation on 11 proposed joint UK fisheries management plans for demersal fish stocks, marking a significant step in delivering sustainable management of Scotland’s valuable whitefish fisheries. The plans cover eleven different demersal fish stocks, species that live and feed on or near the […]

25 Nov 2025

Photo by Jahanzeb Ahsan   The Marine Management Organisation has published the East Marine Plan development engagement summary report, concluding a period of stakeholder consultation on draft policies for England’s first second-generation marine plan. The report details stakeholder insights on drafted plan policies and spatial prescription opportunities for the East Marine Plan. “Stakeholders were very knowledgeable and engaged, providing […]

25 Nov 2025

Photo by Isabelle Salomon   Coastal communities in North Cornwall have expressed devastation after Camel Fish Ltd lodged an appeal against the Marine Management Organisation’s refusal to grant a licence for a seaweed farm in Port Quin Bay, prolonging a contentious planning battle that has lasted over a year. The appeal has been submitted to the Planning Inspectorate by […]

18 Nov 2025

Photo by Anina Huber   Puffins have returned to nest on the Isle of Muck Nature Reserve off Islandmagee, County Antrim, for the first time in 25 years, marking a significant milestone in Northern Ireland’s seabird recovery efforts. The discovery represents the first time the vulnerable seabird has been recorded on the tiny island since […]

18 Nov 2025

Photo by Soren Funk   Scientists have analysed 10,000 marine animal autopsies to understand how plastic ingestion leads to death, revealing the surprisingly small amounts needed to kill wildlife. The study found seabirds face extreme risk after swallowing just 23 pieces of plastic, giving them a 90% chance of dying. Marine mammals reach similar danger at 29 pieces, whilst […]

18 Nov 2025

Photo by Tom Brown   The UK government has been warned that its flagship post-Brexit fisheries law is “failing” to deliver on promises of revitalised fish stocks and thriving coastal communities. MPs, environmentalists and some inshore fishermen argue the Fisheries Act, introduced after the UK left the EU’s fisheries policy, continues to allow overfishing and inadequately distributes […]

18 Nov 2025

Photo by Towfiqu Barbhuiya   A ban on the sale of wet wipes made of plastic has been signed into law in England, with the new rules coming into force in 2027 to bring the country into line with legislation across the rest of the UK. Plastic wipes don’t disintegrate when flushed down the toilet, […]

18 Nov 2025

Photo by Anchor Lee   Bird flu has caused a 47% decline in breeding female southern elephant seals at South Georgia, wiping out around 53,000 individuals at the world’s largest colony of the species, scientists have warned. The remote sub-Antarctic island is home to 54% of the global breeding population of southern elephant seals, with […]