Category Archives: Marine
Government Refuses to Budge on Highly Protected Marine Conservation Zones
The UK Marine Bill continued its passage through Parliament yesterday with the first debates on clauses in the Bill taking place in the House of Commons Committee stage. The Bill entered the Committee Stage on 29 June with a first … Continue reading
Marine Bill through next stage of the Commons
A quick update to let you know that the Marine Bill had its second reading in the House of Commons yesterday. The second reading debate is unusual as it is not the time for detailed changes to be made to … Continue reading
Quiet Progress on the Marine Bill
Amidst all the high drama of UK politics over the last week, it was very easy to miss a significant environmental legislative milestone. However, on Monday 8th June, the UK Marine Bill achieved its third reading in the House of … Continue reading
Climate Change killing Mediterranean Sea Life
Today is the inaugural UN-designated ‘World Oceans Day’, intended to highlight the value of our oceans and the parlous state many of them have fallen into. The theme this year is ‘One Ocean, One Climate, One Future’, and we therefore … Continue reading
Science Academies Aiming to Raise the Profile of Ocean Acidification
The Royal Society has managed the impressive feat of co-ordinating with 69 other science academies from around the world to write a formal Inter-Academy Panel statement on ocean acidification. The statement is to be launched this week in a very … Continue reading
A Victory for Marine Science in the House of Lords
The Marine & Coastal Access Bill, potentially the most important and far-reaching marine legislation ever passed in the UK, is continuing its slow but methodical progress through the House of Lords, where it is currently at report stage (the penultimate … Continue reading
Conservationists Applaud New Scottish Marine Bill
The Scottish Government this morning launched a Marine Bill for Scotland’s seas, setting out measures to restrict damaging activities in the interests of marine conservation and preserving ecosystem services in Scotland’s inshore waters. The measures, which conservationists view as more … Continue reading
£11m Ocean Acidification Study Announced
The Natural Environment Research Council and Defra will jointly fund an £11m study to examine the effect of ocean acidification on marine ecosystems, it has been announced. The focus of the study will be the Atlantic, Antarctic and Arctic oceans. … Continue reading
European Commission Launches New Effort to Reform the Common Fisheries Policy
The European Commission today launched its next attempt to reform the much-maligned Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). The last round of reform was only completed in 2002, but as the EU itself acknowledges in today’s Green Paper, many of Europe’s fish … Continue reading
‘Save the Albatross’ Campaign a Remarkable Success
The outlook for endangered albatross species has dramatically improved, thanks to the success of an international conservation programme implemented by the RSPB and Birdlife International. The Albatross Task Force (ATF) was established in 2006 in order to reduce the number … Continue reading