A man sailing a yacht in the North Sea near Scotland’s Shetland Islands said that an orca repeatedly rammed into his boat, exhibiting behaviour that’s been recently seen in killer whales farther south. This is the same behaviour that has been seen in the Iberian orca population, but it is the first time it has been known […]
The world’s first international treaty to protect the high seas was adopted at the United Nations on Monday 19th June. The commonly referred to ‘High Seas Treaty’, or more fully the Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ / ABNJ), is the legal framework that aims to ensure the conservation and […]
Research has shown that oyster restoration projects in the U.S. have been largely successful, but ecosystem benefits may take decades to fully emerge. In a study published in Conservation Biology, scientists synthesized data on the restoration of eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) reefs in the U.S. They found that such projects improved the local ecosystem by […]
Salmon deaths on fish farms in Scotland nearly doubled last year, according to Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI) Scotland. FHI data shows that nearly 15m salmon mortalities were reported by farms in Scotland from January to November 2022, the latest data available, compared with 8.58m in all of 2021 and 5.81m in 2020. Deaths are caused by growing […]
It has been quite a year for the ocean. 2022 has seen some big news for the marine and coastal sectors, with environmental, community, industry and global issues coming to the fore. It was the year of the COPs: right across the world several Conference of the Parties took place, with varying levels of perceived […]
Environmental charity Thames21 is calling for the government to make an immediate decision on banning plastic in wet wipes in order to help tackle this sewage-based pollution ending up in the River Thames. The charity is making the call as it launches its second Big Wet Wipe Count of the year. Wet wipes […]
Greenpeace UK has placed 18 limestone boulders on the seabed in the South West Deeps (East) Marine Conservation Zone with the aim of disrupting industrial fishing. The environmental group dropped the boulders into the ocean about 200 miles (322km) off Cornwall from its ship Arctic Sunrise. It aims to create a barrier making […]
Saving the Whales Again: Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the International Whaling Commission’s global ban on commercial whaling and looking ahead. Lucy Babey, Head of Science and Conservation, Deputy Director, at ORCA and Chair of the Link Marine Mammals Group, reflects on the 40th anniversary of the International Whaling Commission’s global ban on commercial whaling. […]