02 Jun 2026
Photo by Hans Peter Traunig The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has allocated the 30 commercial licence authorisations for the 2026 bluefin tuna fishery following a ballot, after receiving 155 applications, more than five for every available place. The fishery, which is restricted to UK vessels of 12 metres and under using low-impact rod and reel gear, […]
13 Jan 2026
Photo by Jack B The UK Government remains largely off track to meet its environmental ambitions and legal obligations, with progress slowing compared to the previous year, according to the Office for Environmental Protection’s latest annual progress report published on 16 January. The OEP concludes that whilst there have been some areas of improvement, very substantial […]
25 Nov 2025
Photo by Simon Spring Following decades of sovereignty disputes and forced displacement, the government of Mauritius has announced plans to maintain a ban on commercial fishing across an area of the Indian Ocean larger than France, whilst establishing a groundbreaking marine protected area that explicitly incorporates cultural considerations and traditional fishing practices. The Chagos Archipelago Marine […]
25 Nov 2025
Photo by Tanya Barrow The Scottish Government has launched a public consultation on 11 proposed joint UK fisheries management plans for demersal fish stocks, marking a significant step in delivering sustainable management of Scotland’s valuable whitefish fisheries. The plans cover eleven different demersal fish stocks, species that live and feed on or near the […]
18 Nov 2025
Photo by Tom Brown The UK government has been warned that its flagship post-Brexit fisheries law is “failing” to deliver on promises of revitalised fish stocks and thriving coastal communities. MPs, environmentalists and some inshore fishermen argue the Fisheries Act, introduced after the UK left the EU’s fisheries policy, continues to allow overfishing and inadequately distributes […]
16 Feb 2021
Researchers and fishermen working in the Lyme Bay Marine Protected Area have demonstrated for the first time, negative effects of pot fishing on both the benthic epibiota and the fishery, and that this effect is dependent on pot density. After 4 years, lower numbers of some key Reef Builders were observed in units subjected to […]
11 Aug 2020
Eastern Atlantic bluefin tuna was on the verge of collapse less than two decades ago but is now considered to be sufficiently recovered and well managed for a small Japanese company to receive accreditation by the Marine Stewardship Council Click here The assessment process started in 2018 and has been subject to formal objections from […]
