08 Sep 2025
Photo by NOAA Scotland has announced new restrictions on bottom trawling across offshore Marine Protected Areas, representing what officials describe as a “major milestone” in marine protection, though environmental groups have criticised the measures for deliberately leaving the most heavily fished areas open. The fisheries management measures, coming into effect from 16th October, cover twenty MPAs […]
02 Sep 2025
Photo by Richard Bell A long-running dispute between North East Atlantic coastal states has intensified following record Norwegian mackerel catches that have sparked alarm among conservationists and rival fishing nations. Record week sparks concerns In week 34, 130 Norwegian vessels landed 27,000 tonnes of mackerel in a single week. Industry figures described it as “a pure […]
12 Aug 2025
Photo by Michelle Pitzel Officials have shut down the remote krill fishery near Antarctica after trawling for the tiny crustacean exceeded the seasonal catch limit for the first time, marking an unprecedented early closure in the world’s southernmost fishery. The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), the international organisation that […]
05 Aug 2025
Photo by SpaceX Groundbreaking research using satellite imagery and artificial intelligence has provided the first comprehensive evidence that strictly protected marine reserves successfully deter illegal fishing, offering new hope for ocean conservation efforts worldwide. The peer-reviewed study published in Science analysed 1,380 marine protected areas (MPAs) globally and found that 78.5% had no commercial […]
22 Oct 2024
New legislation implementing a range of short-term management measures for certain species of fish have been introduced to the UK Parliament (16 October 2024). These new arrangements have been identified within the first Fisheries Management Plans (FMP) as priority to help provide additional protection to vulnerable stocks. The measures, which are subject to Parliamentary scrutiny, […]
21 Jan 2024
A new study has revealed how much carbon bottom trawling releases into the atmosphere. Much of the damage done by dragging across the bottom of the sea to catch fish has been known for many years. However, new research shows that it is also an unaccounted source of carbon emissions that is “too big to […]
21 Jan 2024
Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has confirmed that more than 80% of under-12m inshore vessels participated in the I-VMS roll-out programme last year, resulting in £1.3m of European funding being awarded to fishers. New legislation, a statutory instrument (SI), is expected to come into force in April 2024 and will require all under-12m vessels fishing for […]
10 Jan 2022
An article by Jon Hare, the Science and Research Director of NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole, on the ‘wicked problem’ of fisheries management. He sets out 10 lessons to carry forward in his efforts to provide advice in this field “backed by sound science and an ecosystem-based approach to management”. Accept that […]
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