18 Nov 2025
Photo by Tom Brown The UK government has been warned that its flagship post-Brexit fisheries law is “failing” to deliver on promises of revitalised fish stocks and thriving coastal communities. MPs, environmentalists and some inshore fishermen argue the Fisheries Act, introduced after the UK left the EU’s fisheries policy, continues to allow overfishing and inadequately distributes […]
30 Sep 2025
Photo by Ricardo Resende Industry rejects scientific advice as catastrophic The International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) has recommended zero catch quotas for all cod stocks in the Northern Shelf for 2026, prompting strong responses from fishing industry representatives who warn the advice could devastate fleets across Scotland and England. Mike […]
05 Aug 2025
Photo of Les Philpott (sourced from https://www.gov.uk/government/people/les-philpott) Les Philpott has been appointed as the new Chair of the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), the UK government announced on July 30. His three-year term will begin on August 7, 2025. Philpott currently serves as Chair of the Government Actuary’s Department, Lead Non-Executive Board Member at the […]
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 […]
07 Jul 2025
Photo of Oil and Gas Platform by Dean Brierley Increasing oil and gas production in the North Sea makes little difference to the UK’s energy import levels, according to Energy Minister Michael Shanks. Speaking to the Scottish Affairs Committee, Shanks said that most domestically produced fossil fuels are traded on global markets rather than […]
17 Dec 2024
The UK Government has launched its awaited Clean Power Action Plan, with a focus on a massive ramping up renewables. The 136-page plan sees wind and solar – in particular offshore wind – becoming the backbone of the British electricity system. It says record amounts of new renewable capacity will need to be delivered, alongside reforms to […]
17 Dec 2024
The Environmental Audit Committee of the UK Parliament is seeking views on the Government’s delivery of its environmental obligations under international marine treaties and the Government’s strategy for marine planning and protection. The United Nations’ (UN) 14th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) relates to the planet’s largest ecosystem, which refers to life below water. The 14th […]
