Research suggests that plastic debris has been present in the marine environment for at least 60 years (Avio et al. 2017). However, due to the recent increase in media coverage from documentaries, such as Blue Planet II, public interest in marine contaminants has intensified. It is now recognised that plastics are the most abundant form of marine litter, accounting towards 60-80% of all marine debris (Foekema et al. 2013). One of the predominant issues with the presence of plastic in the marine environment is from consumption by organisms and subsequent entry into the food web. Consumption of plastics can result in a variety of health issues in marine species, including problems with digestion and feeding (Fendall & Sewell, 2009; Rummel et al. 2016). As in the marine environment, it is possible for humans to ingest microplastics from seafood. The issue with the presence of plastics in marine fisheries to human health has been raised in research with some evidence indicating that plastics absorb toxins that are carcinogenic (Mozaffarian & Rimm, 2006; Seltenrich, 2015). However, the exact health risks are currently unclear and previous studies have highly recommended that further research is needed to determine the exact health issues that may…

The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) have updated their Good Fish Guide to advise people on which species of fish and shellfish are more sustainable sources of food. MCS believe it is time to swap the traditional UK Top Five consumed species (Cod, Tuna, Salmon, Haddock and Prawns) with local and more sustainable alternatives. Locally sourced means fresher fish, lower food miles and a boost for the local economy. The new and exciting species that have been added to the green rated ‘Best Choice’ list include Megrim, Turbot, Pollack, Lemon Sole and Queen Scallop from some sources. However, some fisheries for species such as Red Mullet, Wild Seabass and Atlantic Bigeye Tuna have moved onto the red ‘Avoid’ list. It is important to check the information about the fisheries and farming sources of each species as ratings do not apply to all sources for all species. For more information on the MCS Good Fish Guide check out this link.  

The Coastal Partnerships Network has organised a Coastal Challenge Summit with the aim to bring together a wide range of different organisations and networks working with coastal communities. This event will be held from 10am-4pm on 24th April 2018 at Europe House, Smith Square, London SW1P 3EU. Why now? Our coast and its communities face a range of complex challenges and opportunities. At a national level the current sectoral approach to the management, regeneration and promotion of our coasts is acting as a brake on the potential of coastal communities to thrive. In response to this, a variety of different groups and networks have formed, all with differences in focus but significant overlaps of interest. England’s first Coastal Challenge Summit will bring together the experience, influence, enterprise and ambition of Coastal Partnerships, Coastal Community Teams, Local Enterprise Partnerships and other coastal stakeholders to network and innovate in a ‘Challenge’ style event. English Coastal Challenge Summit Aims To explore and build opportunities for collaboration To address parallelism and duplication To start the process of developing 21st Century policies and actions for our coastal communities, industries and assets Who should attend? This event is aimed primarily at participants actively involved in Coastal Partnerships,…

The European Commission has published a stakeholder survey “Reducing marine litter: actions on single use plastics and abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear” as part of the follow up to their Plastics Strategy that looks at marine litter. A shift in consumer usage towards single-use plastic, combined with the difficulty in disposing this abundant material, has resulted in millions of tonnes of plastic ending up in the oceans and harming marine life. On top of this, an additional source of marine plastic waste comes from the fisheries and aquaculture sectors when fishing gear is lost or discarded. Marine plastic pollution has serious environmental and economical impacts, and it has been forecast that by 2050 there will be more plastics than fish in our oceans. Rising amounts of plastic waste and marine litter are among the key problems that the European Commission Action Plan for a Circular Economy (2015) seeks to address. The European Commission welcome any input to the consultation from stakeholders in the maritime sector. More information about the plastic waste strategy can be found on the European Commission website here.  

The Marine Management Organisation have organised two stakeholder engagement events for the North West: Whitehaven – Wednesday 7th February 2018 Liverpool – Thursday 8th February 2018 These events are an ideal opportunity to check the progress towards the development of the North West Marine Plan. Further details can be found here.  If you have any questions about these events, please contact [email protected].