The UK government has announced it will use £140 million of its £2.6 billion six year flood defence programme to protect over 31,000 homes and businesses from flood risk. In conjunction with the programme, 47 brand new schemes have been given the go ahead as part of the long term investment programme to reduce flood […]
As a requirement of the Marine and Coastal Act 2009, The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs published a report in March 2015 reviewing the conduct and operations of ten English Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities (IFCA’S) over a four year period (2010 to 2014). The report presents the legislative context in which IFCA […]
The European Environment Agency (EEA) has recently published a report entitled “The European Environment –State and Outlook 2015”. The synthesis report provides a look into future implementation of European environmental policy between 2015 -2010, and summarises the European environment’s (terrestrial and marine) state, trends and prospects. For more information follow the link here.
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 […]
The Welsh Government has designated its first Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) in the waters around Skomer Island off the coast of Pembrokeshire. Skomer Island was originally designated as a Marine Nature Reserve in 1990 but this designation is automatically altered to an MCZ due to the commencement of provisions in the Marine and Coastal Access Act […]
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) commissinoed NIRAS Consulting Limited, supported by AMEC, to develop a consistent approach to the identification and consideration of cumulative effects that could be applied at the strategic level across all relevant MMO functions. They were asked to look at cumulative effects of marine activities across the strategic, regional and individual project level. The […]
The Solent Forum has issued its newsletter for winter 2014/2015. The content includes a wide range of news from around the Solent as well as relevant national news and items on the work of the Solent Forum itself. It introduces the new Solent Forum Chairman, Peter Barham and covers issues such as development of the South Marine Plan […]
On the 11th December 2014 the draft National Marine Plan for Scottish waters was submitted to Scottish Parliament. The plan will be critically examined during a 40 day period by parliament and Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment Committee (RACCE). The plan covers Scotland’s inshore and offshore waters, with the primary aim to manage human […]