Scotland’s iconic marine species and habitats will be better protected following the designation of 30 Marine Protected Areas. Scottish Government ‘Sites will protect a range of habitats and species including flameshell beds, feather stars, the common skate and ocean quahog, a large mollusc which can live for centuries. They will also protect sandeels – a […]
MPs have cast doubt on the Government’s commitment to protect sea life in Marine Conservation Zones (MCZ) after less than a quarter of the recommended sites were designated and inadequate enforcement provisions put in place. Report: Marine Protected Areas Report: Marine Protected Areas (PDF) Inquiry: Marine Protected Areas Environmental Audit Committee Committee Chair Chair […]
In 1998 Daniel Pauly and co-workers published a paper in Science describing the concept of fishing down the food chain using FAO landings data. Recent and forthcoming publication of papers using ICES landings data demonstrate that fishing down the food chain in UK waters is now a reality and that its impacts are wide ranging […]
Callum Roberts ‘ 0.000001 – one hundred thousandth – is a number so small that to most people it seems like nothing at all. Yet four and a half years since the Marine Act of 2009 came into force – legislation that was heralded as the saviour of UK seas – this is the sum […]
On the final day of the Global Oceans Action Summit Dutch Minister for Agriculture Sharon Dijksma has called for action to restore the health of the world’s oceans. “It takes courage to see beyond borders and act together to achieve healthier oceans and food security. Action is required, and this is the message I gave […]
Joan Edwards Blog ‘Whilst ‘ecological coherence’ is a term that appears throughout various legislation and policy documents, and trips off the tongue of many working in the field of marine policy, we must ask ourselves what we actually mean by this? To put it in context, it is used in reference to how we wish […]
‘Natural England has commissioned APEM to do new research to help assess the sensitivity of marine birds, fish and mammals to a range of pressures commonly resulting from human activity in the marine environment. Natural England is committed to providing conservation advice to support management of all English Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Often MPAs are […]
Today the Shark Trust launches its No Limits? campaign in response to the crisis posed by unlimited and escalating shark fishing pressure. With no catch limits set for many shark species, landings have soared over the past decade, placing huge pressure on shark populations. The Trust’s No Limits? campaign highlights the urgent need to introduce […]