23 Jun 2026
Photo by Denys Nevozhai The UK has committed £13.9 million to international programmes tackling ocean protection, coastal resilience and plastic pollution, with Marine Minister Emma Hardy announcing the funding at the eleventh Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa, Kenya. The money is channelled through the Blue Planet Fund, the UK’s flagship ocean financing vehicle, which marks its fifth anniversary this […]
16 Jun 2026
Photo credit: Nicola / Adobe Stock The Caribbean island of Montserrat has joined the Blue Belt Programme, the UK Government’s flagship international marine conservation initiative, making it the eleventh UK Overseas Territory to enter the scheme and the fourth from the Caribbean. The announcement was made on 8 June, World Ocean Day, as the programme also marked its tenth anniversary. Known as the “Emerald Isle […]
07 Oct 2025
Photo by Simon Spring UNESCO designated Raja Ampat as a biosphere reserve on 27 September 2025, making the Indonesian archipelago one of the few places on Earth with dual UNESCO recognition for both geological heritage and biodiversity. The designation comes as a new report reveals that nickel mining concessions covering 22,000 hectares overlap with coral reefs and marine […]
12 Aug 2025
Photo by Luke McKeown A federal judge in Hawaii has overturned the Trump administration’s attempt to allow commercial fishing in the Pacific Islands Heritage marine national monument, ruling that commercial fishing remains illegal in the federally protected area in the central Pacific Ocean. Judge Micah WJ Smith’s Friday decision reverses an April letter from […]