25 May 2018

The draft climate change bill sets a target of a 90% reduction by 2050 – which the UK Committee on Climate Change states is currently “at the limit of feasibility” – with the aim of achieving 100% reduction, or “net-zero”, as soon as possible. Tom Ballantine, chair of Stop Climate Change Chaos described the targets as […]

25 May 2018

Giving evidence to the Northern Ireland Affairs Select Committee last week, Fisheries Minister George Eustice stated that during the transition period “in practice, not much will change”. “We have to whisper in the ear of the Commission and hope for the best. Broadly, that will be the same. That is not going to change. When it comes to […]

25 May 2018

An analysis of the economic impacts of ocean acidification on shellfish fisheries and aquaculture in the UK estimates total loss to UK economy between £23-£88 million. This equates to annual economic losses of between £3-6 billion of UKs GDP in 2013 for medium and high emission scenarios. There are regional variations due to different patterns […]

25 May 2018

The significant role seagrass meadows play in supporting fisheries productivity and food security across the globe is not adequately reflected in the decisions made by authorities with statutory responsibility for their management. This paper reveals why seagrass meadows need targeted policies to recognize and protect their role in supporting fisheries production and food security. Seagrass […]

25 May 2018

Puffin numbers on the Farne Islands, Northumberland may have fallen by an average of 12 percent since the last census. Grim news for the struggling seabird according to early figures in the Natural Trust five-yearly census. Initial numbers suggest the population has fallen by up to 42 per cent on one of the islands – […]

22 May 2018

A major new satellite-based study by NASA warns that water shortages will be the key environmental challenge of the century. It finds that freshwater supplies have already seriously declined in 19 global hotspots – from China to the Caspian Sea – due to overuse. Areas in northern and eastern India, the Middle East, California and […]

22 May 2018

Reported in Water Briefing Water industry regulator Ofwat is calling for regional water resource groups to take a much stronger role in regional planning for water resources. John Russell, Senior Director, Strategy and Planning at Ofwat, was commenting on the appointment by the Water Resources South East group (WRSE) of Simon Cocks, who formally stepped […]

22 May 2018

The Guardian reports that UK demand for fruit increased by 27% last year alone, prompting accusations that growers are illegally diverting rivers and leaving locals without water. British supermarkets are selling thousands of tonnes of avocados produced in a Chilean region where villagers claim vast amounts of water are being diverted, resulting in a drought. […]