22 Feb 2022

For the past two weeks we have covered the news of the outcome of the investigation into the deaths of crabs and lobster in the North East of England. The BBC now reports that the government is investigating after new accounts of dead crabs and lobsters along the North East coast. Defra is to “undertake additional […]

15 Feb 2022

The UK has secured exchanges of opportunities valued at around £5.5 million for the fishing industry through the annual negotiations with the Faroe Islands, providing certainty for the industry on quota for this year. The agreement will allow UK and Faroe vessels to fish in an area of each country’s waters. This year, the UK fishing […]

15 Feb 2022

An area of the River Thames in Oxford and a coastal area in the Isle of Wight have been put forward for bathing water status. Two popular swimming areas in the Isle of Wight and the River Thames in Oxford could become new bathing water sites under plans set out in consultations. Designated bathing waters are coastal or inland […]

10 Feb 2022

https://www.ciwem.org/news/tackling-sewage-borne-litter Guest blog by Dr Peter Matthews, past president of CIWEM and former chair of Natural Resources Wales Government is currently calling for evidence on commonly littered and problematic plastic items. In line with its stated commitment to eliminate avoidable plastic waste by 2042 it is consulting on bans on a range of single-use plastics. It wants […]

10 Feb 2022

Defra: ‘Water body buffering standard of the Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot Find out about the standard for water body buffering, what land is eligible and how much you can get paid. The water body buffering standard is for farmers piloting the Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme. Water body buffers are strips of grassland you plant next to […]

08 Feb 2022

Defra and partner agencies have completed a thorough investigation of the cause of dead crabs and lobsters which were found washed up on the North East coast between October and December 2021. Following significant testing and modelling to rule out possible causes, Defra and partner agencies consider that the deaths of the crabs and lobsters […]

02 Feb 2022

https://www.water.org.uk/news-item/water-uk-response-to-the-strategic-policy-statement/ Defra ‘Ofwat must ensure that England’s water industry is doing more to protect the environment, the Government has announced today (2 February) as it set out its priorities for the regulator over the next five years. The new Strategic Policy Statement (SPS), which will be set by the Government and formally laid in Parliament […]