08 Sep 2026
Photo by Arnaud Mariat First Minister John Swinney used the Programme for Government 2026 to 2031, published on 1 September, to confirm plans to fold several of Scotland’s environmental regulators into a single body, prompting swift but carefully worded responses from the organisations affected, and sharper questions from MSPs and unions in the days since. […]
01 Sep 2026
Photo by Ray Harrington Atlantic bluefin tuna have recolonised the waters off north-east England for the first time in around 60 years, in a moment researchers are calling a genuine conservation success, albeit one with caveats. The milestone came in two stages: a historic catch off Whitby in mid-August, followed by a University of […]
18 Aug 2026
Photo by Michael Grant Scotland’s marine minister has confirmed that a consultation on new fishing restrictions across more than 160 inshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and sensitive habitats will launch “in the coming weeks”, with the consultation period extended to 16 weeks to allow fishing communities more time to respond. Jim Fairlie MSP, minister […]
30 Jun 2026
Photo by Paul Einerhand The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has confirmed it will publish a new dataset linking UK fishing landings to the exact locations where they were caught, in a pre-announcement covering the 2024 data year. The dataset, named the Landings Enriched Approach for Positional FISHeries data, or LEAPFISH, is provisionally due for release […]
09 Jun 2026
Photo by Diego Romeo The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has confirmed it is resuming the roll-out of its Inshore Vessel Monitoring System (I-VMS) programme, having reached an agreement with CLS UK Ltd, formerly known as Fulcrum Maritime Systems Ltd, to supply type-approved tracking devices to England’s entire under-12 metre fishing fleet. Fishermen affected by the collapse […]
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 […]
18 May 2026
Photo by Wim van ‘t Einde The Nederlandse Vissersbond (Dutch Fishermen’s Association) has reported that rising sea temperatures are driving a significant increase in squid abundance across the southern and central North Sea, presenting new commercial opportunities for Dutch fishermen – but also exposing gaps in how the fishery is managed. According to the […]
18 May 2026
Photo by Lance Anderson A new study has identified the specific genetic mutations that allowed the Atlantic herring to colonise the Baltic Sea thousands of years ago, findings that shed new light on evolution in action, and that their lead author says provide a compelling argument for much more restrictive industrial fishing of the […]
