02 Jun 2026

Photo by Craig Thomas   Millions of fish deaths at Scottish salmon farms have been made public after the government’s Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) was ordered to release its inspection reports following a ruling by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). APHA had refused to disclose the reports, arguing that publication would “likely result in […]

02 Jun 2026

Photo by Georg Eiermann   A coalition of offshore wind developers, vessel operators and technology providers has published a position paper calling on government and regulators to remove the barriers preventing offshore vessel charging from moving beyond demonstration into widespread commercial use. Offshore charging, where support vessels draw renewable electricity directly from wind farms rather than running […]

02 Jun 2026

Photo by Hans Peter Traunig   The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has allocated the 30 commercial licence authorisations for the 2026 bluefin tuna fishery following a ballot, after receiving 155 applications, more than five for every available place. The fishery, which is restricted to UK vessels of 12 metres and under using low-impact rod and reel gear, […]

02 Jun 2026

Photo by Annie Spratt   Cornwall’s inshore fisheries regulator is proposing an emergency byelaw to restrict octopus potting by larger vessels, as concern mounts over the impact of an unprecedented population bloom on the region’s crab and lobster fisheries. Cornwall IFCA announced on 26 May that its members will consider the measure at a quarterly meeting […]

02 Jun 2026

Photo by Wayne Gourley   Around 200 dead sharks have washed up on a beach in Carmarthenshire in what conservationists believe was likely a discarded or abandoned catch, raising fresh concerns about bycatch practices and unregulated gear disposal in Welsh waters. The net was discovered on 24 May at Pembrey Beach, also known as Cefn […]

02 Jun 2026

Photo by Rau Ling   Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has launched a 12-week consultation on proposed fisheries management measures for three offshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Irish Sea, with restrictions on bottom trawling for nephrops among the measures under consideration. The three sites, the Pisces Reef Complex Special Area […]

26 May 2026

Photo by Low Angle   New legislation came into force on 21 May, reforming the rules governing how offshore wind developers compensate for unavoidable impacts on protected marine sites. The changes, introduced jointly by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, amend the Conservation of Habitats and […]