Tag Archives: conservation

Marine Wildlife Bycatch Mitigation Initiative

Defra has published a policy paper setting out its ambitions and a series of actions to reduce and, where possible, eliminate accidental capture and entanglement of sensitive marine species in fishing gear in UK waters. Sensitive marine species include seabirds, cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises), and sharks, skates and rays. Bycatch monitoring programmes in the

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Closed – IFCA General Member Vacancies

Closed – Closing date 31st January 2022 The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has several current and upcoming general member vacancies in the ten regional Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities across England. They are seeking to appoint to fill current vacancies and to create a reserve list for upcoming vacancies. These are voluntary roles which require

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Closed – Consultation: Best Practice Guidance for Developing Compensatory Measures in Relation to Marine Protected Areas

Consultation closes 11:45pm on 30 September 2021 DEFRA is seeking views on best practice guidance for developing compensatory measures in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), a future approach to strategic compensation, and how net gain and compensation can work together to deliver the best outcomes for the marine environment. The guidance has been developed as a

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Government Response to the Highly Protected Marine Areas Review

The Government has – on 8th June 2021 – published its response to the Highly Protected Marine Areas Review which they had previously commissioned former Environment and Fisheries Minister Richard Benyon to undertake to examine whether and how the strongest protections for areas of sea, known as Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs), could be introduced. 

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Opportunities to get involved with inshore fisheries and conservation management

The Marine Management Organisation is advertising for new voluntary members for the North Western, North Eastern, Sussex, Southern and Cornwall Fisheries and Inshore Conservation Authorities (IFCA). The North Western IFCA is looking for three new members, particularly those with experience and interest in commercial or recreational fishing, the marine environment or other relevant interest and experience.

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Great Winter Nurdle Hunt 3rd to 5th February 2017

Nurdles, also known as mermaids tears, are tiny little pellets of pre-production plastic and can be found washed up on beaches around the UK. It is thought that these nurdles make it into the sea due to mismanagement in factories which make their way into waterways as well as nurdles being accidentally distributed during transit. Nurdles are

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MCS Great British Beach Clean Findings Announced

Results from the Marine Conservation Society’s Great British Beach Clean (GBBC)  have been announced. The GBBC is a four day event each September where just less than 6,000 volunteers helped clean 364 beaches around the UK in 2016. At each beach clean volunteers surveyed the type and abundance of litter collected. In 2016 268,384 pieces

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Living Waters for Wales Update by NRW

Natural Resources Wales has recently produced their firth Water Framework Directive update. The newsletter is filled with examples of projects which are delivering a better water environment for the people, environment and businesses of Wales. The newsletter includes: River Basin Management Plan Update Water Watch Wales The restoration of afforested deep peat on the Welsh Government Woodland

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Open: Inquiry into the Future of the Natural Environment after the EU Referendum

The Environmental Audit Committee has launched an inquiry into the Future of the Natural Environment after the EU Referendum. Issues include the future of funding for biodiversity and agri-environment schemes, the likely changes in the devolved administration, and the role that managed rewilding can play in conservation and restoration. The inquiry is still currently open and

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State of Nature Report 2016 Published

The updated State of Nature Report has been published with the RSPB as a key partner in the report. 50 wildlife organisations have worked together to produce the report which provides a progress report for the UKs native wildlife. Key findings from the report are summarised here: Between 1970 and 2013, 56% of species declined,

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