03 Feb 2026

Photo by Waldemar Brandt   The Scottish Government has published an updated Offshore Wind Policy Statement, raising its offshore wind ambition to up to 40 GW of new capacity by 2040, in addition to already operational or consented projects. The policy update, published on 28 January 2026, reaffirms Scotland’s commitment to delivering its existing project […]

03 Feb 2026

Photo by Ben Wicks   The Marine Management Organisation has granted a marine licence for a pioneering kelp restoration initiative led by Newcastle University and the Marine Biological Association aimed at reviving native kelp beds along England’s northeast coast. The Green Gravel Kelp Restoration Project will combat climate change and biodiversity loss by reintroducing juvenile […]

26 Jan 2026

Photo by Pascal van de Vendel   The UK government has published a national security assessment warning that global biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse pose a direct threat to the country’s security and prosperity, with some critical ecosystems potentially facing collapse within five years. The 14-page report, officially attributed to the Department for Environment, Food […]

26 Jan 2026

Photo by Yaopey Yong   Ten European countries signed a declaration in Hamburg on Monday committing to deliver 100 gigawatts of offshore wind power through large-scale joint projects in the North Sea by 2050, in a move that underscores the continent’s ongoing commitment to renewable energy despite recent criticism from US President Donald Trump. The […]

26 Jan 2026

Photo by Low Angle   The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion has published a comprehensive study examining the employment, skills and social implications of offshore renewable energy development in the European Union. The study, titled ‘Assessment of potential employment, skills and social implications of Offshore Renewable Energy development in the EU’, was released […]

26 Jan 2026

Photo by Igor Francetic   More than 100,000 whales, dolphins, porpoises and other marine species were reported in Scottish seas during 2025, making it a record year for marine megafauna sightings according to the Hebridean Whale & Dolphin Trust. Common dolphins, once considered rare summer visitors, made up more than 35 per cent of all […]

26 Jan 2026

Photo by Max Shirko   A prolonged data transmission failure affecting inshore vessel monitoring systems has left the Marine Management Organisation without live positional information from an unknown number of fishing vessels, five months after equipment supplier Succorfish stopped forwarding data amid an unresolved contract dispute. The issue, which began on 11 August 2025, continues […]

26 Jan 2026

Photo by Ricardo Resende   Fishermen in Alaska and Norway are reporting significant increases in cod catch rates using LED lights in fishing pots, with some vessels achieving catches two to three times higher than competitors using traditional baited traps alone. Frank Miles, who fishes out of Kodiak in southern Alaska, told Hook and Net magazine about […]