19 Jun 2025

 Image description: River running through stones. Photo by kazuend on Unsplash   The Environment Department (Defra) said more than £100 million in fines and penalties levied on water firms for breaches such as illegal sewage spills since October 2023, as well as future fines, will be reinvested in projects to clean up England’s waters. The […]

19 Jun 2025

Image description: Wide shot of the houses of Parliament. Image by Dominika Gregušová / Pexels.   A report from the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Efra) select committee has said bonuses and dividends for water company bosses and shareholders should be approved by the regulator Ofwat before they are paid, as billpayer funds are being […]

17 Jun 2025

Photo of beach in Nice, France, by Amira El Fohail   At the third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) in Nice, held from 9th – 13th June 2025 and co‑hosted by France and Costa Rica, governments, heads of state and more than 10,000 delegates, including 60 world leaders, gathered to confront an ocean in crisis. Against […]

17 Jun 2025

Photo of the Houses of Parliament by R Spegel   A cross-party committee of UK MPs has called for a comprehensive reform of the nation’s marine governance system to better involve coastal communities in decisions affecting their local marine environments. The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) released a report on 5th June, 2025, recommending the establishment […]

17 Jun 2025

Photo of Kaikoura, New Zealand, by Helen Stegney   New Zealand, home to one of the world’s largest exclusive economic zones (EEZs), is under increasing pressure to enhance its marine conservation efforts. Despite its vast ocean territory, less than 1% is designated as highly protected, falling short of the nation’s commitment to protect 30% of […]

17 Jun 2025

Photo of a sunken ship by Wouter Naert   A team of maritime experts has commenced an in-depth survey of the World War I-era warship HMS Cassandra, sunken off the coast of Estonia in 1918. The initiative aims to assess and mitigate potential environmental hazards posed by the wreck, which lies in shallow waters approximately […]

17 Jun 2025

Photo of Raja Ampat, Indonesia, by Simon Spring   Environmental campaigners have released stark drone images revealing extensive nickel mining activity in the Raja Ampat archipelago, Indonesia, a globally significant marine biodiversity hotspot often called the “Amazon of the Seas.” The images, shared with the BBC by Global Witness, show forest cleared for mining, dirt […]

17 Jun 2025

Photo of Istanbul by Evgeny Matveev   A new regional initiative, the “Blueing the Black Sea” Project (BBSEA), was officially launched in Istanbul on June 10, 2025. The project aims to address significant environmental challenges facing the Black Sea, including untreated wastewater, agricultural runoff, marine litter, and industrial discharge. These issues have contributed to the […]