Wetlands along the east coast of England, from the Humber to the Thames, have successfully been added to the UK’s Tentative List of World Heritage sites. England’s east coast wetlands will be added to the UK’s Tentative List of World Heritage sites along with just five other new sites, the UK Government has announced. Inclusion […]
Orkney Island Council and Crown Estate Scotland (CES) have unveiled further details of a ground-breaking project aimed at giving Orkney islanders greater say in decisions about the use of the seabed around them. The arrangement involves both organisations working closely to evaluate new applications for agreements on the seabed surrounding Orkney, ensuring key decisions are […]
English and Irish organisations are looking for boats owners to participate in Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) trials. REM is a technology that allows for the remote monitoring of fishing vessels, providing valuable information on fishing activity and compliance with regulative requirements. Devon and Severn The Devon and Severn Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority […]
The Marine Conservation Society’s latest ‘Good Fish Guide’ relegates mackerel from green list, while eel and Celtic cod remain on unsustainable red list. Mackerel is no longer deemed a sustainable seafood choice after the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) has warned that populations of the fish have been in steady decline in recent years. […]
A rare shark washed up on the shores of Co Wexford in what scientists believe to be the first official record of the species in Irish waters. The smalltooth sand tiger (Odontaspis ferox) is rarely seen by humans because it normally lives offshore in waters more than 100 metres deep. At 14 feet long (4.25m), […]
DNA testing has confirmed widespread – and probably illegal – international trading of critically endangered European eels. A research team led by the University of Exeter carried out “DNA barcoding” on products including jellied eels and unagi, which is used in sushi and donburi. With European eel populations at about 5-10% of their former levels, the EU […]
Rarely observed circling behaviours of endangered basking sharks have now been explained as ‘shark speed dating’ courtship displays. Marine biologists from the Marine Biological Association (MBA), the Irish Basking Shark Group and colleagues have led ground-breaking research which reveals the circles of basking sharks seen off western Ireland are engaged in annual reproductive behaviour, the first place in the world […]
The US government has released its new Ocean Climate Action Plan, a ‘roadmap to harness the power of the ocean to advance immediate, transformational steps to protect ocean health and address the climate crisis’. According to a White House fact sheet: “Acknowledging that there is no path to a healthy and livable climate without the ocean, the plan […]