29 Sep 2026
Photo by Ludovic Gauthier The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has published new guidance setting out how it assesses and manages activities in marine protected areas (MPAs) within 12 nautical miles of the English coast. It has found that more than half of England’s inshore MPAs may be vulnerable to recreational and other non-licensable activities. The guidance, […]
29 Sep 2026
Photo by Annie Spratt Scientists have carried out an unprecedented assessment of the seabed around the Isles of Scilly, revealing complex mosaics of sediments that support a wide range of habitat-building species. The research, led by the University of Plymouth, suggests that the frameworks used to classify and protect sediment habitats around the UK may […]
30 Jun 2026
Photo by Markus Spiske Greenpeace UK has announced plans to create new underwater boulder barriers in UK Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), a decade after the Brexit vote and five years after the Fisheries Act 2020 gave ministers full powers to protect them. As Afloat.ie reported, the charity argues those powers have gone largely unused, with destructive industrial […]
07 Apr 2026
Photo Richard Bell Almost 40% of England’s seas are designated as marine protected areas. Their stated purpose, according to the government, is to protect and recover rare, threatened and important marine ecosystems from damage caused by human activities. Yet in the four years to 2024, trawlers using vast nets, including those that scour the […]
22 Jul 2025
Photo by Makabera A massive global study has revealed that some of the most important parts of the ocean for the world’s largest marine animals—whales, sharks, turtles, and seabirds—are still largely unprotected. Despite years of conservation efforts, only a small fraction of their critical habitats are currently safeguarded by marine protected areas (MPAs). The […]
01 Jul 2025
New detailed assessments of marine protected areas (MPA) in Wales show which habitats and species are doing well in Welsh waters, but highlight the need for more action to improve habitat, biodiversity and water quality, according to Natural Resources Wales (NRW). A total of 85 features designated across 17 marine special areas of […]
10 Jun 2025
Photo: Fishing boat by Paul Einerhand The UK Government has announced a major proposal to ban bottom trawling in 41 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) across English waters. If implemented, it would expand existing ban on bottom trawling from 18,000 km² to 30,000 km², of the UK’s offshore areas, covering nearly a quarter of the […]
25 Feb 2025
A group of twenty scientists have written to the Secretary of State, Steve Reed MP, to urge the UK government to ban the use of bottom-towed fishing gear within marine protected areas (MPAs) on a whole-site basis. The academics say in their letter that ‘while the UK has designated more than 30% of […]
