Category: "news"
Online Support for Rural Flood Resilience
Have you heard about the new flood resilience hub launched by the Rural Flood Resilience Partnership? The Rural Flood Resilience Partnership, established in 2024, brings together six national organisations: the Environment Agency, National Farmers’ Union (NFU), Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE), Association of Drainage Authorities (ADA), Country Land and Business... read more »
Good News on Marine Recovery
Five years after a ban on bottom trawling along the Sussex coast, scientists, fishers and conservationists are reporting the first meaningful signs of seabed recovery — with mussel beds stretching more than a kilometre and increasing numbers of black sea bream detected in underwater surveys. The Sussex Kelp Recovery Project (SKRP),... read more »
Water Voles
Natural England has just released a new publication, the Definition of Favourable Condition for European Water Vole. Water voles can be found along rivers, streams and ditches, around ponds and lakes, and in marshes, reedbeds and areas of wet moorland. You know you have water voles when you see signs,... read more »
Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction
The Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Bill has received Royal Assent, and is now an Act. The BBNJ Agreement—sometimes called the High Seas Treaty—is a landmark international agreement that will, for the first time, create a legal mechanism to establish protected zones waters in areas not subject to any nation's... read more »
Natural England new corporate strategy
Natural England launched a new strategy for growth, health and security at the end of 2025. The strategy highlights climate change as a growing risk to marine ecosystems and seafood supply. It commits to ecosystem‑based management of seas, restoring habitats to improve resilience and supporting nature‑friendly fisheries to enhance... read more »
Rights of rivers recognised
Southampton City Council and Test Valley Borough Council have passed motions formally recognising the Rights of Rivers. The motions draw inspiration from the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Rivers, which outlines key rights such as the right to flow freely, the right to be free from pollution, and... read more »
Surge in Sea Temperatures
The recent surge in the sea temperatures around the coast has driven huge changes in marine ecosystems. The UK’s seas have experienced their warmest start to any year since records began, with average surface temperatures in the seven months to the end of July more than 0.2°C higher... read more »
Sussex Bay Blueprint
Sussex Bay is developing a 'Strategic Blueprint for Sussex Bay', a forward looking plan designed to enhance our marine and coastal environments. This blueprint will take a seascape approach, recognising Sussex Bay as a dynamic mosaic of interconnected habitats shaped by natural processes and human activities. The blueprint will outline... read more »
Independent Water Commission Report
The Independent Water Commission, chaired by Sir Jon Cunliffe, has reviewed the water sector regulatory system in England and Wales the results of which can be found in the: Independent Water Commission Final report The final report follows the commission’s wide-ranging call for evidence and the earlier interim report. This report... read more »
OEP review on Local Nature Recovery Strategies
In its latest report, the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) sets out that Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) form a crucial part of the picture in helping government strike the balance between its growth ambitions and its environmental commitments, as they drive delivery of nature recovery action and inform... read more »