08 Apr 2025
Image description: A survey boat passing in front of a row of offshore wind turbines. Image by Bente Jønsson / Pixabay. UK fisheries being ‘squeezed’ out Evidence presented to the recent Environmental Audit Committee revealed increasing concern from Members of Parliament and industry observers over the cumulative impact of UK government marine policy on […]
25 Mar 2025
Two major new studies, both released today, have together demonstrated significant impacts of bottom trawling and demonstrate the feasibility of a transition away from trawling. Image description: Two trawling boats side by side at sea. Image by günter from Pixabay Trawling costs up to €11bn a year: Firstly, the study by National Geographic […]
18 Feb 2025
Scuba diving is an incredibly popular sport, with an estimated 33 million dives taking place every year. However, just 15% of dive sites are fully protected from fishing and other destructive activities. New peer-reviewed research has posited that better safeguarding of recreational dive spots, which cover less than 1% of the ocean, could unleash scuba […]
19 Nov 2024
Friends of the Earth Germany, Bund für Umwelt- und Naturschutz Deutschland (BUND) filed a lawsuit against the German government to end bottom trawling, which is taking place in the Dogger Bank European Marine Protected Area. BUND – a member of Brussels-based marine NGO Seas At Risk, which is supporting the lawsuit – had already lodged an […]
22 Oct 2024
The Azores Islands, part of Portugal, have approved the creation of the largest marine protected area (MPA) in the North Atlantic, covering nearly 287,000 square kilometres. The network, called the Azores Marine Protected Area (RAMPA), designates 15% of Azorean waters as fully protected and another 15% as highly protected, restricting or banning fishing and other […]
28 May 2024
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO), in collaboration with other UK governmental bodies, is responsible for managing marine non-licensable activities (mNLA) to further the conservation objectives of England’s inshore marine protected areas within 0-12 nautical miles (nm). mNLA activities encompass a range of recreational pursuits, from sailing and motorboating to diving and snorkelling. This excludes fishing […]
23 Apr 2024
The Irish Government has confirmed the establishment of Ireland’s first Marine National Park – Páírc Náisiúnta na Mara, Ciarraí. The new park, which is in Co. Kerry, will unite some of Europe’s most ecologically valuable places in celebration of nature across 70,000 acres of lands and seas. It brings together new acquisitions by the National […]
14 Feb 2023
The Red Rocks and Longay Marine Protected Area (MPA), in the Inner Sound of Skye will be permanently designated from 9 February 2023, protecting a flapper skate egg-laying site of national importance from various activities. These include certain types of fishing, recreational sea angling, marine deposit sites/waste disposal, aquaculture, marine infrastructure and anchoring, amongst others. […]
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