29 Jul 2025
Photo by Ray Harrington The UK government has published a new policy paper detailing the principles for identifying and selecting compensatory Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), a key step in balancing the country’s ambitious offshore wind targets with marine conservation goals. The policy, released on 24th July by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural […]
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 […]
17 Jun 2025
Photo of beach in Nice, France, by Amira El Fohail At the third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) in Nice, held from 9th – 13th June 2025 and co‑hosted by France and Costa Rica, governments, heads of state and more than 10,000 delegates, including 60 world leaders, gathered to confront an ocean in crisis. Against […]
10 Jun 2025
In a landmark step for ocean conservation, Argentina has officially designated a vast new marine protected area along its southern coast — one nearly the size of Greater London. The newly established Patagonia Azul Provincial Park spans 729,000 acres (around 295,000 hectares) in Chubut Province, securing a critical stretch of coastal and marine ecosystems […]
27 May 2025
Image: Fishing boat by Michel Stockman A new report from marine conservation organisation Oceana claims that bottom trawling continues to pose a serious threat to the UK’s offshore marine protected areas (MPAs), with over 20,000 hours of suspected activity recorded in 2024 alone. The report, titled The Trawled Truth, estimates that the suspected trawling would […]
13 May 2025
Image description: The Seven Sisters in Sussex. Image by Andres Stefuca / Pexels. The Prosecution: The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has secured the first successful prosecution for a contravention of an MMO marine protected area (MPA) byelaw. Christoph Gouy, Master of the French-registered fishing vessel Pierre D’Ambre, pleaded guilty at Newcastle Magistrates Court to […]
29 Apr 2025
The Government of South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands (GSGSSI) has announced that enhanced Marine Protected Area (MPA) measures have officially come into force, following the signing of new legislation by Her Excellency the Commissioner, Alison Blake CMG. These strengthened protections, announced in early 2024 following the conclusion of the MPA 5-yearly expert review, […]
08 Apr 2025
Image description: A survey boat passing in front of a row of offshore wind turbines. Image by Bente Jønsson / Pixabay. UK fisheries being ‘squeezed’ out Evidence presented to the recent Environmental Audit Committee revealed increasing concern from Members of Parliament and industry observers over the cumulative impact of UK government marine policy on […]
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