10 Nov 2020

Goodwin Sands was awarded marine protected area (MPA) status by the government last year due to its biodiversity and unique habitats. But despite its status and fervent opposition by local conservationists, archaeologists and historians, millions of tonnes of sand and gravel are about to be dredged from the site, as part of plans to extend […]

10 Nov 2020

The latest water quality report from Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) reveals that Between 1st October 2019 and 30th September 2020, a total of 2,941 Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) discharge notifications were issued through the Safer Seas Service, a real time alert system for sea water users of pollution releases which is based on information they […]

10 Nov 2020

This year’s Great British Beach Clean organised by the Marine Conservation Society was held as a week-long event running from the 18-25th September. The results show a concerning, but perhaps predictable, presence of PPE litter. Face masks and gloves were found on almost 30% of beaches cleaned by our volunteers. The Source to Sea Litter […]

10 Nov 2020

For nearly two decades, member governments of the World Trade Organization have been working on a deal to end harmful fisheries subsidies, one of the main drivers of overfishing. Fisheries subsidies are payments that governments make to fishing fleets to help cover costs such as fuel and vessel construction. But these subsidies damage the environment […]

10 Nov 2020

Whereas the conservation and management of biodiversity has become a key issue in environmental sciences and policy in general, the conservation of marine biodiversity faces additional challenges such as the challenges of accessing field sites (e.g. polar, deep sea), knowledge gaps regarding biodiversity trends, high mobility of many organisms in fluid environments, and ecosystem-specific obstacles […]

05 Nov 2020

As winter approaches, flood resilience expert Mary Dhonau, in partnership with Flood Re, has produced an 86 page electronic magazine) showing the measures homeowners in flood risk areas across the country have taken to reduce the impact of flooding on their properties. You can read the free full eMag here. One example in the ‘Property […]

05 Nov 2020

Environment Bill resumes passage through Parliament Defra The landmark and world-leading legislation which will transform how we protect and enhance our environment has returned to Parliament.  The Bill sets out a comprehensive and world-leading vision to allow our environment to prosper for future generations and ensure that we maintain and enhance our environmental protections. The […]

05 Nov 2020

Wildlife & Countryside Link ‘Sewage (Inland Waters) Bill     The Sewage (Inland Waters) Bill was published this month by Phillip Dunne MP (Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee), proposing ambitious new measures to turn the tide on river pollution from untreated sewage and to improve water quality. The Bill was welcomed by Link, particularly following last month’s water quality […]