14 Aug 2025
Image description: A swimmers back profile as they stand chest-high in water. Photo by Chris on Unsplash A new government analysis revealed thousands more waterways are being used for swimming and boating in England than were previously recorded. Their data revealed 3,347 “water recreation locations”, places where people take part in activities including swimming, […]
29 Jul 2025
Photo by Kate Estes A ruling by the General Court of the European Court of Justice has opened the door to increased legal scrutiny of the European Commission’s fisheries policies, with potential implications for the sustainability practices of UK supermarkets. The decision follows a legal challenge brought by environmental organisations Blue Marine Foundation and […]
29 Jul 2025
Photo by Zoltan Tasi In June 2025 the UK Government launched announced a major plan to ban bottom trawling in 41 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) across English waters. The consultation will close on 29th September, after a four-week extension was announced, and in recent weeks the debate over the proposed ban is being keenly […]
01 Jul 2025
The long-running dispute over sandeel fishing in the North Sea has taken another turn, with the UK Government re-confirming its position that closures remain in place. The dispute over sandeel fishing in the North Sea marked the first time the UK and EU had been in court since Brexit in 2020, with the […]
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, […]
27 May 2025
Image: EU flags at the European Commission by Guillaume Périgois The General Court of the European Union has ruled that Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) must be properly protected from fishing practices such as bottom trawling. New regulations had been adopted on 8th December 2022, providing stronger levels of protection. However, the German fishing association […]
08 May 2025
Image description: Ecologists monitoring life in the River Itchen in Hampshire, wearing a white hat, blue shirt and waders. Image by Martin Godwin/The Guardian Chalk streams are some of the rarest habitats in the world – there are only 200, and England boasts 85% of them. However, despite the rarity and importance of these […]
06 May 2025
Almost nine out of 10 Scots believe the UK should definitively control which vessels fish in its waters, a new poll shows. And more than 80% think the European Union fleet should not be granted continued access to UK fishing grounds without tangible benefits being returned to Scottish skippers and crew. The poll, commissioned by […]
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