17 Dec 2024

Climate change, invasive non-native species such as brown rat, food shortages and other pressures are contributing to the dramatic declines seen in seabird numbers. Almost two thirds of Scotland’s seabird species have declined over the last 20 years, with eight including the Arctic tern, kittiwake and black-headed gull declining by more than 50%. The draft […]

17 Dec 2024

The Environmental Audit Committee of the UK Parliament is seeking views on the Government’s delivery of its environmental obligations under international marine treaties and the Government’s strategy for marine planning and protection. The United Nations’ (UN) 14th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) relates to the planet’s largest ecosystem, which refers to life below water. The 14th […]

11 Dec 2024

The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) has launched a new inquiry to examine flood resilience in England as homes and businesses recover from more flooding misery in recent weeks. At the end of November, Storm Bert flooded in excess of 100 homes and over the weekend, Storm Darragh triggered over 200 flood warnings […]

11 Dec 2024

An investigation by the Guardian suggests EU countries will share laboratory capacity but UK rules mean products cannot be tested abroad. It claims that the safety of tap water in the UK could be at risk because water companies are unable to use products to clean it, industry insiders have said, as all the laboratories […]

11 Dec 2024

Europe’s water is under pressure from pollution, over-use, habitat degradation and increasing impacts of climate change. Improving the resilience and health of Europe’s lakes, rivers and groundwaters is an urgent priority to secure good-quality water for people and nature.   Photo credit: David Ruh   ‘EEA Signals 2024 – Towards healthy and resilient waters in […]

11 Dec 2024

Concerns about PFAS pollution have increased in many European countries but comprehensive monitoring data are often limited. A European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing ‘PFAS pollution in European waters’, shows that most monitored rivers, transitional and coastal waters and a large part of lakes in Europe are polluted with at least one of the many extremely […]

11 Dec 2024

The BBC reports that water companies are planning to build a pipeline network to move treated sewage away from conservation areas and into rivers, lakes and seas which do not have the same legal protection.   Photo credit: Gavin Young   The work will be funded by customers and the water regulator, Ofwat, has provisionally […]

11 Dec 2024

Following a successful prosecution by the Environment Agency, Anglian Water has been fined £300,000 for illegally discharging sewage into a watercourse that feeds into the Broads Special Area of Conservation in Norfolk. On 5 December 2024, Anglian Water Services Limited was sentenced at Basildon Magistrates Court to pay a fine of £300,000, alongside £21,896.56 in […]