18 Aug 2026
Photo by Bob Brewer Scotland’s seabirds remain in long-term decline, with average numbers now around half what they were in the 1980s, according to new statistics published by NatureScot on 13 August. A steep long-term fall The Scottish Biodiversity Indicator for Seabirds, which draws on data from the UK Seabird Monitoring Programme, assessed 19 of the 24 […]
04 Aug 2026
Photo by NOAA A major new scientific review has found that climate change is already driving large-scale shifts in the plankton communities that underpin UK marine food webs, with knock-on risks for fisheries, seabirds and the ocean’s ability to store carbon. A landmark rolling review The study, from the UK’s Marine Climate Change Impacts […]
01 Jul 2025
The long-running dispute over sandeel fishing in the North Sea has taken another turn, with the UK Government re-confirming its position that closures remain in place. The dispute over sandeel fishing in the North Sea marked the first time the UK and EU had been in court since Brexit in 2020, with the […]
04 May 2025
The sandeel Arbitration Tribunal has published its final ruling, which relates to decisions taken in March 2024 by the UK and Scottish Governments to close North Sea Waters to sandeel fishing. While the UK has succeeded in the majority of its arguments, the ruling has left several parties claiming victory. The dispute over sandeel fishing […]
25 Feb 2025
The dispute over sandeel fishing in the North Sea marks the first time the UK and EU have been to court since Brexit in 2020. The outcome of the case could be hugely significant for seabird populations along the east coast and for UK-EU trade relations. A tribunal under the post-Brexit Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) […]
21 Jan 2025
Back in early 2024 the UK and Scottish Governments introduced a ban on sandeel fishing in Scottish waters and English waters of the North Sea in a move conservationists hailed as critical for saving the UK’s globally important seabird colonies. Now a challenge from the EU on the ban is set to be heard in […]
19 Nov 2024
A coalition of UK and EU NGOs join together to support the closure of the UK sandeel fishery in the North Sea. The full statement: Seabirds are experiencing devastating declines. Just two months ago, five new species were added to the UK Red List of highest conservation concern. Puffins, which depend on sandeels for food, […]
28 Oct 2024
The European Union (EU) has decided to request the establishment of an arbitration tribunal under the dispute settlement mechanism of the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) concerning the United Kingdom’s decision to prohibit the fishing of sandeel. The arbitration tribunal would rule on the compatibility of the measure with the TCA. The ban has […]
