20 Oct 2026
Photo by Dear Sunflower Fishermen, fisheries managers and scientists met at a Defra-hosted conference on 15 October to discuss the surge in octopus numbers off the south-west coast of England, and how regulators and industry should respond. Since 2021, landings of octopus by UK vessels into UK ports have risen by nearly 1,500%, from […]
15 Oct 2026
Photo description: A golf course green with sprinklers spraying water across the grass. A red flag marks the hole, standing against a backdrop of mature trees. Photo by Keith Tanner on Unsplash Non-essential use bans could ban certain businesses using mains water for irrigation and washing Three water companies, South East Water, Southern Water […]
13 Oct 2026
Photo credit: Adobe Stock The government’s floods resilience taskforce is being relaunched with drought added to its remit, and meets in its new form on 14 October. The Flood and Drought Resilience Taskforce, hosted by Floods and Drought Minister Emma Hardy, brings together more than 50 organisations including the Environment Agency, the Met Office, mayoral […]
13 Oct 2026
Photo credit: Adobe Stock Defra has confirmed a package of changes to marine licensing in England intended to simplify consent for lower-risk activities, support nature recovery and put the Marine Management Organisation’s licensing service on a sustainable financial footing. The government response, published on 7 October, follows a ten-week consultation that closed in August 2025 […]
08 Oct 2026
Photo by Jimmy Chang on Unsplash Iain Coucher has been reappointed as Chair of Ofwat for a second term beginning 1 October 2026, as announced by Defra and Ofwat on 6 October. His reappointment is explicitly time-limited to the transition period preceding the establishment of a new integrated water regulator, and will run no […]
01 Oct 2026
Image description: An evening portrait of the Palace of Westminster and Big Ben overlooking the Thames. Photo by Francesco Zivoli on Unsplash The Prime Minister announced on 29 September that the strengthened Water Bill will remove the current limits on Government ownership of shares in the major water and sewerage companies in England. The […]
29 Sep 2026
Photo by Barna Bozsanyi The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) has responded to a Northern Ireland government consultation on how compensation for harm to the marine environment from offshore wind farms should be managed. The watchdog welcomes the intention of the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) to tackle the nature and climate crises […]
29 Sep 2026
Photo by Dorian Mongel The UK government has committed to building a new research ship in British shipyards. The ship will lead a new national system for monitoring the UK’s seas, bringing marine surveys, data and technology together in one place to help manage fisheries and the marine environment more effectively. Chancellor John Healey pledged £115 […]
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