14 May 2024
A record number of swimming spots in England have been designated as bathing sites, the UK government has confirmed. There has been widespread coverage, including in BBC, ITV, The Guardian, Independent and Sky, of the government’s announcement that 27 new bathing water sites will be designated across England. The decision follows a public consultation last year. The Environment Agency […]
14 May 2024
The UK government has announced a package of new technologies are to be deployed on fishing vessels from this summer to help tackle the risk of over-fishing. Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) technologies involving camera, gear sensors, and GPS units are to be deployed to make sure catches are accurately recorded and fish are not unlawfully […]
16 Apr 2024
Two reports have been released from the UK government which outline the economic and sustainability outcomes of the annual negotiations for UK fishing opportunities. The ‘Assessing the sustainability of fisheries catch limits negotiated by the UK for 2024’ report from the government’s Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) details the assessment of negotiated […]
10 Apr 2024
Up to £11 million in water company fines and penalties will be reinvested back into a new Water Restoration Fund (WRF), Environment Secretary Steve Barclay announced this week. All water company environmental fines and penalties since April 2022 have been ringfenced to directly improve the water environment. The Water Restoration Fund will offer grant funding […]
26 Mar 2024
A new byelaw protecting an area of almost 4000 square km of seas from damaging fishing activity is now in force in English waters. The byelaw prohibits the use of bottom towed gear in specific areas within 13 English offshore MPAs that contain valuable reef and rocky habitats. The implementation of the byelaw comes days […]
19 Mar 2024
The Office for Environmental Protection is investigating the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) Secretary of State (SoS) and Natural England over possible failures to comply with environmental law in relation to Special Protection Areas (SPAs) for wild birds, it has announced. The investigation will seek to determine whether Defra SoS and Natural […]
13 Mar 2024
The government has announced that fast-tracked investment of £180m over the next 12 months is expected to prevent more than 8,000 sewage spills polluting English waterways. According to Defra, it follows the Secretary of State directing water and sewage companies last December to measurably reduce sewage spills over the next year by accelerating commitments and delivering new […]
09 Mar 2024
Marine and coastal sociocultural values review – Research wanted Ecologos Research, in collaboration with Plymouth Marine Laboratory, is currently undertaking a structured review of social and cultural values of UK marine and coastal ecosystems as part of Defra’s Marine Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment (mNCEA) programme. We would like to invite you to submit […]
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