29 Sep 2020

The Government response to Greenpeace’s action at Dogger Bank – Defra Posted by: Defra Press Office Defra – The Government’s response to the Greenpeace Action   23rd September 2020 ‘There is coverage in The Times, Daily Telegraph, The Herald and Channel 4 News (00:48) of the ongoing Greenpeace action at Dogger Bank Special Area of Conservation (SAC), where yesterday Greenpeace […]

12 May 2020

There have been a spate of recent papers on the effect of LEDs in reducing bycatch with research showing very strong effects to none in shallow water with sea duck and gill nets. It would appear that the ambient light regime of where the gear is deployed is a key factor in this. In the […]

18 Nov 2019

This is one of the subjects that will be discussed at Coastal Futures 2020 The lack of official movement on attempts to re-impose a 3  mile limit on inshore trawling continue to draw attraction. Innovations in vessel tracking and ‘citizen’ monitoring of fishing highlight the issues. This subject was recently the subject of a Channel […]

27 Aug 2019

The Conservative Environment Network Manifesto – 2019 ‘THE DECLARATION AS MEMBERS OF THE CONSERVATIVE ENVIRONMENT NETWORK ( 41 named MPs ) PARLIAMENTARY CAUCUS, We recognise the gravity of the global environmental crisis, and our duty to preserve and restore our planet for future generations. We agree that by working with nature, rather than against it, […]

18 Feb 2019

Defra ‘Fisheries Minister George Eustice announced yesterday that EU vessels will no longer be able to carry out electric pulse fishing in UK waters after Brexit. Meanwhile Europeans reach a complex deal that sees the Dutch pulse fishing fleet reduced. Pulse trawling is a controversial fishing method that uses electrical signals to drive flat fish, such as […]

03 May 2016

Save Scottish Seas: Most eyes are on the UK’s EU ‘in-or-out’ referendum, but meanwhile our MEPs are considering important fisheries decisions; namely whether we act now to place urgent limits on deep sea bottom-trawling. Over the next few weeks (or possibly months), European representatives should – after years of negotiation and political delays – decide how best to […]

24 Mar 2016

Recent scientific work outlines the severe consequences the practice of bottom trawling has on loose sediment on the ocean floor. Bottom trawling is a widespread industrial fishing practice that involves dragging heavy nets, large metal doors and chains over the seafloor to catch fish. Although previous studies documented the direct impacts of bottom trawling on […]