21 May 2024
Predictions of future impact of climate change on threatened UK marine species
A new report sheds light on the future impacts of climate change on marine species across the United Kingdom. Focussing on 21 marine species listed as ‘threatened’ or ‘declining’, ranging from sharks and rays to seahorses and oysters, predictive models were used to forecast the impacts of climate change on ‘habitat suitability’. Factors such as […]
14 May 2024
‘Deeply concerning’ issues with how laws to protect England’s estuaries and coastal waters are implemented
‘Deeply concerning’ failures to properly implement regulations designed to protect rivers, lakes and coastal waters in England mean key targets for improvement will be missed, a report by the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) has found. The OEP has carried out a review of the key legislation regarding water quality – the Water Framework Directive […]
14 May 2024
New coastal bathing sites get the go ahead
A record number of swimming spots in England have been designated as bathing sites, the UK government has confirmed. There has been widespread coverage, including in BBC, ITV, The Guardian, Independent and Sky, of the government’s announcement that 27 new bathing water sites will be designated across England. The decision follows a public consultation last year. The Environment Agency […]
14 May 2024
New technologies to be deployed to help tackle the risk of overfishing
The UK government has announced a package of new technologies are to be deployed on fishing vessels from this summer to help tackle the risk of over-fishing. Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) technologies involving camera, gear sensors, and GPS units are to be deployed to make sure catches are accurately recorded and fish are not unlawfully […]
16 Apr 2024
Reports published into the economic outcomes and sustainability of fisheries catch limits negotiated for 2024
Two reports have been released from the UK government which outline the economic and sustainability outcomes of the annual negotiations for UK fishing opportunities. The ‘Assessing the sustainability of fisheries catch limits negotiated by the UK for 2024’ report from the government’s Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) details the assessment of negotiated […]
10 Apr 2024
Up to £11m in water company fines to be reinvested
Up to £11 million in water company fines and penalties will be reinvested back into a new Water Restoration Fund (WRF), Environment Secretary Steve Barclay announced this week. All water company environmental fines and penalties since April 2022 have been ringfenced to directly improve the water environment. The Water Restoration Fund will offer grant funding […]
26 Mar 2024
Bottom towed fishing gear prohibited over reef habitats in 13 marine protected areas
A new byelaw protecting an area of almost 4000 square km of seas from damaging fishing activity is now in force in English waters. The byelaw prohibits the use of bottom towed gear in specific areas within 13 English offshore MPAs that contain valuable reef and rocky habitats. The implementation of the byelaw comes days […]
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