01 Apr 2025
A conservation group is challenging the UK government in a London court over dozens of North Sea oil and gas exploration licenses that it says could put marine protected areas and climate stability at risk. Oceana UK said licenses granted by the previous Conservative government in May 2024 were unlawful as they don’t account for […]
19 Nov 2024
Oceana UK has called for a legally binding deadline to end overfishing and a radically new approach to boost ocean health and coastal economies. In 2023 Oceana UK released a report showing half of the UK’s key fish populations were either overfished or critically low. Recent polling of the public revealed 82% of respondents were […]
07 Oct 2024
The annual update from Wildlife and Countryside Link (WCL) into progress in England on the target to protect 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030 (the “30×30 target”) has been published. Campaigners are calling for a rapid rescue package for nature – including designating more English waters as Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs). The annual […]
27 Aug 2024
The UK’s decision to issue new oil and gas exploration licences is being challenged in court by Oceana UK, which argues ministers unlawfully failed to consider the impact on marine life. Oceana UK has moved forward with its legal challenge over fossil fuel exploration licences issued in May 2024 as part of the North Sea […]
15 Jul 2024
New Oceana analysis has found that fishing vessels are venturing further to remote locations and staying at sea longer in search of valuable catch, like tuna or squid. Oceana’s investigation found nearly 3,000 fishing vessels spent over six months at sea during 2023, with some vessels avoiding port for more than two years. Lengthy fishing […]
08 Jul 2024
Nearly 9 in 10 citizens (86%) surveyed across seven EU countries expect their political leaders to prioritise the protection of marine biodiversity, according to the results of national polls conducted by Sapience. The study further identifies that, to protect the ocean, citizens consider safeguarding endangered marine species, marine habitats, and stopping overfishing to be essential or important […]
25 Jun 2024
The marine conservation campaign group, Oceana, is preparing to take the UK government to court, claiming the decision to issue North Sea oil and gas licences without taking into account their impact on the environment was unlawful. The decision to issue the new licences was unlawful on several grounds, says the charity, including a failure to consider the […]
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 […]
