09 Oct 2024

The government is being urged to reform a “nightmare” system designed to help victims of flooding rebuild their homes and businesses, following an Unearthed investigation.   Credit: Wes Warren   The Property Flood Resilience (PFR) grant is supposed to award flood victims up to £5,000 to allow them to rebuild and flood proof their homes […]

09 Oct 2024

A new report presents findings from the 2023/2024 Continuous Household Survey in relation to household water usage. Key points Individual usage: On average 55% of respondents indicated they showered between 6 and 10 time a week. Nearly half of respondents (48%) said their average shower times were between 2 and 5 minutes. Household usage: Eighty-one […]

09 Oct 2024

From The Times An annual salmon count has found the lowest number of juveniles in one of the country’s most important rivers for the species. The steep decline uncovered during the counting and tagging of juvenile wild Atlantic salmon on the River Frome in Dorset has caused significant concern among scientists running the project. It […]

09 Oct 2024

Bathing water quality at some of England’s highest-rated beaches can decline sharply during the autumn and winter months, according to an internal Environment Agency (EA) study completed earlier this year, seen by Unearthed. Each year, designated swimming spots are sampled for bacteria between mid-May and late-September. Based on these summertime tests, each swimming spot is […]

09 Oct 2024

QR signage at both beaches will prompt a text conversation with the Hello Lamp Post artificial intelligence platform. The beach will share the latest news from Environment Agency monitoring about bathing water quality. But the agency hopes this will be more than a one-way conversation, with beach lovers sharing their own information about the site. […]

09 Oct 2024

In response to the growing threat of climate change to Europe’s water systems, the European Union has published an updated guidance document, River Basin Management in a Changing Climate, which calls for a shift towards nature-based solutions (NbS) to improve resilience. The publication, which is part of the EU’s strategy to implement the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and the Floods […]

08 Oct 2024

I am coming. A razorbill attempts a very wobbly landing in Saltee Islands, Ireland. Photograph: Ines Godinez. Comedy wildlife photography awards 2024 Welcome to OCF’s insights from the marine and coastal sector. This week we have summarised the most relevant stories for you from Fisheries, Offshore Wind, Offshore Industries, Conservation, Climate and Marine Pollution.   Fisheries […]

07 Oct 2024

Plans for giant floating wind farms in Scotland threaten to destroy the country’s fishing sector, the leader of an industry body has warned. The Scottish Fishermen’s Federation (SFF) said despite efforts to find a solution to the problem, mobile fishing and floating offshore wind farms “are simply not able to co-exist”. Speaking at the SFF’s […]