07 Oct 2024

First Minister John Swinney has confirmed that 67 projects will share a total of £14 million in support from the latest round of Marine Fund Scotland. This year’s awards include seven to Shetland-based projects, including support for a new fisher from Scalloway to help secure a vessel to enter the industry, along with grants for […]

05 Oct 2024

During Ocean Week in Brussels (30 September – 4 October), 140 organisations urged the newly elected EU institutions to take bold measures to protect Europe’s oceans and coastlines. These include launching an Ocean Fund and banning destructive activities at sea. On 1 October, the Blue Manifesto, led by Seas At Risk, BirdLife Europe, ClientEarth, Oceana, […]

05 Oct 2024

Oysters once formed extensive reefs along much of Europe’s coastline – but these complex ecosystems were destroyed over a century ago, with the advent of steam ships with powerful dredges accelerating their disappearance through overharvesting,  new research shows. Researchers found past evidence of reefs almost everywhere, from Norway to the Mediterranean, covering at least 1.7 million […]

02 Oct 2024

Looking a little different, doing more in our sector In a recent article, we introduced our new brand identity, with a first look at some of the key elements of the brand. We’re now ready to share more about what this means in terms of our communications, and the services we provide. Our news and jobs […]

02 Oct 2024

The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust has launched their Wetland Potential Maps, highlighting the significant economic benefits wetlands can offer to communities, investors, and partners. These maps compile national data from sources like flood risk areas, sewage dumping sites, and regions facing economic deprivation. They illustrate how wetland creation and restoration can drive wide-ranging positive impacts. […]

02 Oct 2024

Recent flooding has led to localised river and surface water flooding across central England, Yorkshire and the North East. Further rainfall over the last few days means minor, localised river flooding impacts across England, including parts of Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham and the East. At 2pm on Tuesday, there were 47 flood warnings, showing flooding is expected, […]

02 Oct 2024

The Guardian reports that the new Labour government used “economically illiterate” analysis paid for by water companies in order to argue against the nationalisation of the sector in England. In an official letter recently sent to anti-sewage groups, civil servants cited a paper by the Social Market Foundation as a reason to avoid nationalisation as part of […]

02 Oct 2024

The Environment Agency is asking people visiting or living near Lake Windermere, the River Ribble at Edisford Bridge or the River Nidd in Yorkshire to become citizen scientists by providing a range of information, about what they can see at the sites, to help shape future plans to improve water quality. To support this, the […]