05 Jun 2025
Image description: Woodland and bluebells. Image by Charles Miller / Pexels. Irreplaceable habitats threatened by Planning Bill Part Three of Labours’ Planning and Infrastructure Bill has been highly contentious since its introduction, with the UK’s leading nature organisations labelled it “a license to kill” and calling for it to be completely scrapped after the […]
05 Jun 2025
Image description: Aerial view of a reservoir. Image by Kelly / Pexels. Government gives two new reservoirs the go-ahead The Environment Secretary Steve Reed has seized control of the planning process to build two major reservoirs for the first time since the 1990s, in what the government is hailing as “a significant intervention to […]
05 Jun 2025
Image Description: Water treatment facility from a birds-eye view. Image by Tom Fisk. The Independent Water Commission has released its interim report, ahead of its final findings due in the Summer. Sir Jon Cunliffe, Chair of the Commission, has set out five areas where he believes wide-ranging and fundamental change is needed to reset […]
05 Jun 2025
Image: A man paddleboarding. Image by Kampus Production / Pexels. In March, the government announced reforms which it says will modernise “outdated” regulations around bathing water quality, and will “keep pace with Britain’s love of swimming”. The system for monitoring the more than 550 designated, outdoor, swimming sites in England and Wales will be […]
03 Jun 2025
Image: Whaleshark in the dark by Aaim Zameer A new scientific study has revealed that vast areas of the ocean have grown significantly darker over the past two decades, with potentially serious consequences for marine ecosystems. Researchers used satellites and computer models to examine how far sunlight penetrates the upper layers of the ocean. […]
03 Jun 2025
Image: EU flag – Alexey Larionov The United Kingdom is facing mounting criticism for its delay in ratifying the High Seas Treaty, also known as the Global Ocean Treaty, as the European Union and several of its member states move swiftly ahead. The treaty, aimed at protecting marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, […]
03 Jun 2025
Image: Fishing boat at the harbour – Paul Einerhand A new report claims that the marine insurance industry is enabling illegal and environmentally destructive behaviour in the fishing sector by insuring vessels that deliberately disable their tracking systems — a practice known as “going dark.” In 2023, Blue Marine investigators revealed how industrial fishing […]
03 Jun 2025
Image: Whale tail – Thomas Lipke After 25 years of operation, Cork Whale Watch has ceased its tours, citing a significant decline in marine wildlife, as reported in the Guardian. Colin Barnes, the founder of Cork Whale Watch and a veteran marine observer, announced the closure, expressing deep concern and attributing the drop in […]
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