» Reserves



Coral reefs – can the Honduran reefs survive over-fishing, climate change and pollution?

The Guardian reports, 27th December 2017: “I’m like one of those old-school gangsters,” says Ralston Brooks, a park ranger on the island of Roatán off the coast of Honduras. “If you’re going to do it, do it. Pop a cap.” The 37-year-old boat captain says he faces regular death threats from local fishermen because of […]

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Antarctica: Greenpeace and EU to campaign for “largest marine protected area on Earth”

Greenpeace Press Release, 27th October 2017: Greenpeace has launched a global campaign for an Antarctic Sanctuary, covering 1.8 million square kilometres of ocean, to protect whales, penguins and other wildlife. Following a failure to agree strong marine protection in the East Antarctic [Footnote1], Greenpeace has called for governments to show “greater vision and ambition” in […]

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Pacific Remote Islands MPA under threat

Sciencemag.org reports, 21st September 2017: Marine scientists are warning that if the Trump administration rescinds fishing protections around eight Pacific islands, the United States will lose one of its best laboratories for measuring how a warming climate affects marine life. A proposal from Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, leaked to The Washington Post, argues […]

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UN lays groundwork for an Ocean Treaty

The High Seas Alliance, an alliance of 32 NGOs and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), reports 21st July 2017: “States meeting at the United Nations in New York today took an important step towards launching negotiations for a new treaty to protect the biodiversitybiodiversity Biological diversity in an environment as indicated […]

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Marine Reserves: “protected should mean truly protected”, says marine scientist

National Geographic reports, 13th June 2017: New analysis of previous studies shows that biomassbiomass The amount of living matter. This is therefore a different measure to numbers of organisms. So, for example, there is much more biomass in 1 elephant than there is in 1000 fleas and there may be more biomass in 100 large […]

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New archaeological surveys being conducted on Goodwin Sands, Kent

A south-western strip of the southern half of the Goodwin Sands, offshore from Dover and Deal, is the subject of an application to the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) by the Dover Harbour Board to dredge 3.75 million tonnes of sand to use as infill material in a reconstruction project for the Port of Dover. The […]

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C.O.A.S.T. offers a UK election marine agenda which the politicians largely failed to debate

 The Community of Arran Seabed Trust asks in its June Newsletter: Do our politicians care about coastal communities and healthy seas? Time to embrace sustainable alternatives: Little has been said during the election about one of the biggest issues facing coastal communities — the health of the marine environment. Ironically, only Donald Trump has succeeded in putting […]

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Parliament concerned by UK Government’s handling of MCZs and MPAs

The House of Commons’ Environmental Audit Committee published its report Marine Protected Areas Revisited on 25th April 2017, advising that: The Marine Protected Areas Revisited report has found Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are not being effectively managed, and the Government needs to do more to protect vulnerable marine habitats, features and species once a site […]

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Marinet makes submission to Welsh Government’s MPA public inquiry

Marinet has responded, February 2017, to the formal questionnaire issued by the Welsh Assembly aimed at enquiring about the effectiveness of management of marine protected areas (MPAs) in Wales. Marinet’s full response can be seen here. The objectives of the Welsh Assembly inquiry are: To assess the management of Welsh marine protected areas with a […]

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George Monbiot presents the case for marine reserves with no fishing

George Monbiot writes, The Guardian 4th February 2017: I believe we possess a ghost psyche: a set of capacities that helped secure our survival in more dangerous times, but that now are vestigial. I picture this as a seam of intense emotion, buried so deeply in our minds that we can seldom find it. I […]

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Marine Protected Areas can be a reinvigorating force, says C.O.A.S.T.

The Community of Arran Seabed Trust (C.O.A.S.T.) reports 1st February 2017: When underwater photographer Richard Shucksmith visited us a few months ago he was impressed with Arran’s sea life, but even more with local people’s knowledge and support of Arran’s No Take Zone (NTZ) and Marine Protected Area (MPA): “Getting ready for a dive on […]

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N. Ireland Government announces four new Marine Conservation Zones

The Northern Ireland Government’s Dept. of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs has announced: Following a public consultation between December 2015 and March 2016, the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) Marine and Fisheries Division in Northern Ireland has designated four new Marine Conservation Zones (MCZsMCZ Marine Conservation Zone). The new MCZs are intended […]

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Marinet suggests that new discharge permits for Bradwell, Essex, would be unlawful

Marinet has made a submission, dated 4th December 2016, to the Environment Agency in connection with the public consultation on whether Magnox Limited, the owner of the decommissioned nuclear power station at Bradwell, Essex, should be allowed to discharge waste radioactivity, heavy metals and nitrates from its existing and new pipeline into the Blackwater estuary. […]

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Defra proposes a “tranche three” of MCZs, as Marinet questions their value

CMS Marine and Coastal News reports, 21st November 2016: The Government’s scientific advisors have provided proposals on where a final set of Marine Conservation Zones (MCZsMCZ Marine Conservation Zone) are needed around England. Leading marine conservation charities, the Marine Conservation Society and The Wildlife Trusts are excited about the plans, which are a positive step […]

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Scallop dredging in Cardigan Bay SAC to recommence, amidst continued opposition

The Welsh Assembly Government has announced, 31st October 2016: The Cabinet Secretary for the Environment and Rural Affairs, Lesley Griffiths, has announced new management measures for the Scallop fishery in Cardigan Bay following an extensive consultation. The consultation followed a two-year programme of wide-ranging research by Bangor University, in collaboration with the fishing industry, within the […]

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Fair Isle’s seas gain MPA status

Shetland News reports, 26th October 2016: The community of Fair Isle is rejoicing after a campaign lasting around quarter of a century has finally resulted in the waters around the island being designated as a marine protection area (MPA). Scottish environment secretary Roseanna Cunningham made the announcement at the Marine Conservation Society’s annual conference in […]

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Agreement on Antarctic marine park signed

The Guardian reports, 28th October 2016: More than 1.5m sq km of the Ross Sea around Antarctica will be protected under the deal brokered between 24 countries and the European Union. It means 1.1m sq km of it — an area about the size of France and Spain combined — will be set aside as […]

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Marinet submission to Environmental Audit Committee: Are MCZs being effectively delivered?

Marinet has submitted evidence, October 2016, to the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee’s Inquiry into the delivery of MPAs (Marine Protected Areas). Marinet’s evidence may be seen in full here. A summary of the evidence submitted is as follows: The Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 (MCCA) was poorly drafted by Government and is […]

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Will Russia agree to an international marine reserve in the Ross Sea and Antarctica?

The Guardian reports, 17th October 2016: An international agreement to protect some of Antarctica’s unique and pristine marine ecosystems could be reached within a fortnight, with scientists and conservationists hopeful of a breakthrough after five years of failed negotiations. Delegates from 24 nations and the European Union gathered in Hobart on Monday to commence two […]

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UK announces intention to protect 4 million km2 of oceans

UK Press Release, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 15th September 2016: Foreign Office Minister, Sir Alan Duncan, will today announce plans to double the area of ocean under marine protection around the UK Overseas Territories to around four million square kilometres — greater than the landmass of India. This will involve the permanent closure of an […]

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