Seasonal closures to protect spawning cod in the Firth of Clyde that have been in place for the past 20 years are due to continue in 2022 and 2023, but with additional measures. Since its introduction, the Scottish Statutory Instrument (SSI) for the annual closure of the spawning ground has included exemptions to allow Nephrops […]
A global study of the impacts of bottom trawling reports undertaken by Bangor University with collaborating research institutes and published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, builds on recent international collaboration. It brings together data from 24 large marine regions around the world to establish a relationship between distribution and intensity of trawling […]
It is estimated that there are between 300,000 and 500,000 pieces of unexploded ordnance left over from World War I and II in UK waters. Many of these unexploded bombs lie in areas which are heavily used by marine industries, including offshore wind, and the bombs must be removed to allow safe working conditions. On […]
Fisheries management in the UK is largely devolved. As part of the wider UK Fisheries Management and Support Framework (the Fisheries Framework), the Joint Fisheries Statement provides a mechanism to manage policy divergence while establishing common goals for all administrations to work towards. The JFS sets the policy framework for how the UK will work […]
Classified by the UN as Sri Lanka’s “worst maritime disaster”, the biggest impact of the X-Press Pearl container ship fire and sinking in the Indian Ocean last May was not caused by the heavy fuel oil. Nor was it the hazardous chemicals on board, which included nitric acid, caustic soda and methanol. The most “significant” […]
It has long been known that global warming is causing not only longer and more intense heatwaves, but also, depending on the region, more severe droughts, rains and storms. Moreover, these kinds of extreme weather events increasingly occur in combination, compounding each other. However, there has been little research into how extreme events develop in […]
Section 61 of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 (MCAA) sets a legal requirement on the Marine Management Organisation to monitor and report on the marine plans and the progress towards the effects of policies and the effectiveness of policies in securing objectives set out in the marine plan every three-years. Monitoring surveys are one […]
Cod stocks which have already collapsed could fall to a record low after UK and EU fishing ministers ignored scientific advice when setting catch limits for next year, a marine conservation charity has warned. The limits set by the UK and EU on shared stocks of fish breach a commitment they made in the post-Brexit […]