23 Sep 2025
Photo by Jakob Owens A landmark UN treaty to safeguard marine biodiversity on the high seas has reached the critical threshold of 60 ratifications needed to enter into force, clearing the way for it to take effect in January 2026. Morocco and Sierra Leone became the 60th and 61st parties to ratify the Agreement on Friday, triggering […]
23 Sep 2025
Photo by Ray Harrington The Office for Environmental Protection has escalated its investigation into the UK government’s failure to achieve healthy marine waters, issuing a formal Information Notice to Defra over suspected breaches of environmental law. The unprecedented enforcement action centres on the government’s failure to meet the statutory deadline for achieving Good Environmental Status […]
23 Sep 2025
Photo by Venti Views The UK has begun installing infrastructure for its first electric shipping routes, with NatPower Marine and Peel Ports Group set to commence installation of shore power at Heysham port this month. The groundbreaking initiative will create green shipping corridors between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, enabling all Heysham routes within the Irish Sea […]
23 Sep 2025
Photo by K Mitch Hodge Consultation responds to Lough Neagh crisis The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has launched a public consultation on strengthening enforcement mechanisms against water polluters, as part of a forthcoming Fisheries and Water Environment Bill designed to protect Northern Ireland’s marine and freshwater environments. The consultation, running until 6 […]
23 Sep 2025
Photo by Mario Ame The Dutch government has announced a major policy reversal, allocating approximately €1bn in subsidies for offshore wind farm development after temporarily halting tenders in May due to deteriorating market conditions. The move aims to support construction of 2GW of new offshore wind capacity and prevent the renewable energy sector from stalling. Deputy […]
23 Sep 2025
Photo by Ernests Vaga The International Court of Justice has delivered a landmark ruling protecting the maritime borders and sovereignty of small island nations facing existential threats from sea level rise. In a unanimous advisory opinion issued on 23 July 2025, the UN’s highest court concluded that rising sea levels caused by climate change do not […]
23 Sep 2025
Photo by Gowtham AGM Decade-long moratorium continues New England’s once-thriving shrimp industry faces an uncertain future as fishermen struggle to find sufficient numbers of the region’s iconic northern shrimp, with regulators now empowered to extend fishing moratoriums for five years at a time instead of annual reviews. Fishermen have operated under a moratorium on […]
16 Sep 2025
Matthew TenBruggencate The UK Government has launched the parliamentary process to ratify the High Seas Treaty, a landmark international agreement designed to protect biodiversity in areas of the ocean beyond national jurisdiction. Announcing the move, the Foreign Office minister Seema Malhotra said: “Our oceans are under pressure, it’s undeniable. Unsustainable fishing, global warming, pollution—all threaten to deplete the […]
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