The UK Government recently held a consultation for 6 weeks between 15th October and 26th November 2014, reviewing the licensing regime in England to identify potential burdens on both industry and the government. Collectively the Marine Management Organisation and industry representatives generated a series of proposals and amendments to simplify the licensing procedure and reduce […]
Maritime Affairs & Fisheries has produced its E-newsletter for February 2015. The content of the newsletter includes the following: Council measures to recover sea bass from impacts of recreational fishing, Sustainable fisheries identified within the East Atlantic, North Sea and Baltic Sea, the Seafood Expo Global (Brussels) to improve consumer information and fishery governance, registration […]
Natural England are working on the development of recommendations to combine and extend Morecambe Bay and Duddon Estuary Special Protected Area (SPA) to create a single designated area. Both sites host internationally important breeding and non-breeding water birds listed under the Birds Directive such as the little tern Stemula albifrons and sandwich tern Sterna sandvicensis. The […]
A Site Improvement Plan (SIP) for the Solway Firth has been published by Natural England as part of the Improvement Programme for England’s Natura 2000 Sites (IPENS), a LIFE funded project. The plan provides a high level overview of current and potential future issues affecting the health of Natura 2000 features in the Solway Firth […]
Solway has recently been selected as a suitable case study for the Celtic Seas Partnership Project. Solway is one of three case studies identified as best practice for cross-border management of the marine environment. The Celtic Seas Partnership Project promotes the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), which requires co-ordinated and collaborative sustainable […]
CEBR (Centre for Economics and Business Research) has published a new report which documents the economic potential for tidal lagoon power. Tidal Lagoon Power Ltd has proposed the development of six tidal lagoons throughout the UK which could ultimately contribute £27 billion to the economy. The development would create new employment opportunities, produce cleaner energy and […]
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has updated the “Coastal Concordat” for England for 2014. The Coastal Concordat comprises of an agreement between the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department for Communities and Local Government, the Department for Transport, the Marine Management Organisation, the Environment Agency, Natural England and the Local […]
The Solent Forum has issued its newsletter for winter 2013/14. The newsletter provides news items relating to the Solent Disturbance and Mitigation (SDMP) project, DEFRA’s newly published Concordat, the Coastal Communities Adapting to Change (CCATCH) project, The Green Blue Guide to Pump Out Systems, consent changes for navigational dredging activities, the Marine Navigation Act, Maritime […]
The Scottish Government has permitted the development of four offshore wind farms within the Scottish territory of the North Sea. Offshore wind farms will include Seagreen Alpha and Bravo, Inch Cape, and Neart na Goaithe which will collectively generate 2,284 megawatts and power up to 1.4 million homes. The Scottish Government is aiming to generate […]
The Welsh Wildlife Trust needs your help to report sightings of the Chinese Mitten Crab (Eriocheir sinensis). The Chinese Mitten Crab is classified within the 100 world’s invasive species which pose an array of problems ecologically and economically. They are invasive pests within the River Dee and its banks, they damage fishing gear and they […]