1.  EU Position – strengthened proposals for 2016 On 10 November 2015 the Commission proposed further measures, to be decided by the 28 Member States meeting in the Fisheries Council on 14 and 15 December. The proposals build upon and strengthen the measures already put in place, with the aim of bringing the stock under […]

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The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) was established by an intergovernmental meeting in Panama City, Panama on 21 April 2012 with the objective of strengthening the science-policy interface for biodiversity and ecosystem services for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, long-term human wellbeing and sustainable development. IPBES will respond to requests […]

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Joan Edwards ‘The announcement of an MPA around Ascension Island is great news – but waters closer to home need protection too The New Year got off to a great start with the UK Government’s announcement that it would designate an MPA almost the size of the UK in the waters around Ascension Island. One […]

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Mersey and Medway Maintenance Dredge Protocol Updates: Call for Expressions of Interest Peel Ports Group operates and is the statutory harbour authority for, amongst others, the ports of Liverpool and Sheerness.  The maintenance dredge protocol baseline documents covering these harbour authority areas (i.e. Mersey and Medway-Swale respectively) now need to be updated.  So, too, do […]

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CEH ‘A relentless sequence of storms, record rainfall and sustained very high river flows in parts of the UK meant that December was an extraordinary month in both meteorological and hydrological terms, with wet conditions across the north contributed to the wettest calendar month on record for the UK (in a series from 1910). Slow-moving […]

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Water regulator must act to secure better deal for customers The Public Accounts Committee publishes report calling for the water regulator, Ofwat, to adopt new measures intended to secure a better deal for customers Report: Economic regulation of the water sector Report: Economic regulation of the water sector (PDF 153KB) Inquiry: Economic regulation of the […]

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One of the emerging themes of the Northern floods is how farmers and dredging debate has once again taken off. This note covers Liz Truss’s speech and some of the resulting commentary. Environment Minister addresses the Oxford Farming Conference https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/environment-minister-addresses-the-oxford-farming-conference–2    6 January 2016  Elizabeth Truss today delivered a speech to delegates at the annual Oxford […]

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Scottish Government: A plan to protect homes, businesses and communities from flooding has been launched by Environment Minister Aileen McLeod. The Flood Risk Management plan contains 14 local strategies and proposals for 42 flood protection schemes or engineering works planned for 2016-21 and a range of other flood alleviation measures. This will be supported by […]

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