Regional News

Events: Helping the UK Seafood Sector be Ready for Brexit

NW Coastal Forum

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, in partnership with Seafish and the Marine Management Organisation, is hosting a series of events across England to help seafood traders, processors and businesses prepare for Brexit by understanding the changes that lie ahead. These events are open to people and businesses involved in the processing and […]

New MMO Byelaw: West of Walney MCZ Bottom Towed Fishing Gear Byelaw

NW Coastal Forum

The Marine Management Organisation’s West of Walney Marine Conservation Zone (Specified Area) Bottom Towed Fishing Gear Byelaw 2018 was signed off by Defra on 4th June 2019. The Byelaw came into force on 4th July 2019.  The purpose of this byelaw is to protect habitats and communities in the specified area, as stated in the […]

Coastal Access Update – June 2019

NW Coastal Forum

Natural England has produced their June update on progress in developing the English Coast Path on the North West’s coast. There is a lot more detail in this month’s update but a brief summary of status of each section is: Stretch 1: Allonby to Whitehaven (35 km) – ‘OPEN’ Stretch 2: Whitehaven to Silecroft (51 […]

Government announces completion of UK ‘Blue Belt’

NW Coastal Forum

Defra has announced the designation of the third tranche of Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs). The latest designations of 41 new MCZs brings the overall total of MCZs in English waters to 91. In addition, new features have been added to 12 existing MCZs. The Government has announced that this essentially completes the UK ‘Blue Belt’ […]

North West Marine Plan Posters – for Fishing, Recreation and Communities

NW Coastal Forum

The North West Coastal Forum has produced 4 posters about marine planning giving information about opportunities to help to influence and shape the new North West Marine Plan which is currently being developed by the Marine Management Organisation. Each A4 poster has been developed with a different target audience in mind. They are free to download and […]

England Coastal Path – North West Update, January 2019

NW Coastal Forum

Natural England has produced their January update on progress in developing the English Coast Path on the North West’s coast. There is a lot more detail in this month’s update but a brief summary of status of each section is: Stretch 1: Allonby to Whitehaven – OPEN Stretch 2: Whitehaven to Silecroft (51 km) – […]

Marine Planning Iteration 3 On-line Engagement and Workshops

NW Coastal Forum

The next round of formal marine planning engagement by the Marine Management Organisation on the developing North West Marine Plan (and others) starts in January 2019. The on-line engagement opens on 21st January and runs until 29th March. It will be supplemented by a series of regional workshops and you are urged to book your […]

Bathing water results for 2018

NW Coastal Forum

The 2018 bathing water results are out and classifications for the North West’s 30 designated bathing waters (including 4 inland) are given below. A new classification for bathing water quality was brought in 4 years ago. The new classifications are much tougher than the previous system of classification but 97.9% of bathing waters in England […]