19 Feb 2026
Proposals include first ever designated bathing spot on River Thames Image description: The river Thames flowing under Tower Bridge, with heavy boat traffic. Photo by: Pietro de Grandi, Unsplash The government has proposed 13 new designated swimming locations, including the first ever official bathing spot in London’s River Thames. Achieving designated status means these locations will undergo regular water quality testing by […]
17 Feb 2026
Photo by Yilei (Jerry) Bao President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on 6 February reopening the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, the only marine national monument in the Atlantic Ocean, to commercial fishing, reversing protections restored by President Biden in 2021. The monument, designated by President Obama in 2016, covers 4,913 square miles […]
17 Feb 2026
Now officially open for contributions, MARINE Fund Cymru establishes a strategic framework for sustained investment dedicated to the ecological restoration and long-term resilience of the Wales’s seas and coast MARINE Fund Cymru to provide new route for long-term investment in the restoration and resilience of Wales’s marine and coastal environment. The fund was launched at […]
17 Feb 2026
Photo by Kat The UK government has opened consultations on the final four fisheries management plans (FMPs) required under the 2020 Fisheries Act, completing Defra’s programme to establish management frameworks for England’s key commercial stocks. The four proposed FMPs cover Celtic Sea and Western Channel demersal fisheries, Celtic Sea and Western Channel pelagic stocks, the wrasses complex, and seabream. All […]
17 Feb 2026
Photo by Towfiqu Barbhuiya Scotland will become the last of the four UK nations to ban the sale and supply of wet wipes containing plastic, with new regulations published by the Scottish Government setting an enforcement date of 11 August 2027. The move follows a UK-wide consultation in 2023, in which over 93% of respondents supported […]
17 Feb 2026
Photo by Chris Pagan Commercial shipping in the Baltic Sea is causing significantly greater physical disturbance to the seabed than previously recognised, according to new research published in Nature Communications. The study reveals that wake turbulence from large vessels is disrupting water stratification and causing seabed erosion of up to 1.5 metres over a decade in […]
17 Feb 2026
Photo by Silas Baisch The UK has moved a significant step closer to ratifying the landmark High Seas Treaty after the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Bill received royal assent on 12 February, becoming an Act of Parliament. However, the government confirmed that additional secondary legislation is still required before full ratification can be achieved. The […]
17 Feb 2026
Photo by Krzysztof Kowalik Marine protected areas can only achieve long-term effectiveness if climate considerations are deeply embedded in their design, management and governance, according to new research published in npj Ocean Sustainability. The study identifies critical scientific, governance and socio-economic dimensions required for making MPAs “climate-ready” as ocean warming and other climate impacts intensify. Drawing […]
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