The European Environment Agency (EEA) has produced two reports which demonstarte how indicators and environmental accounting can be used as tools to assist in more effective policy and decsion making. The report discusses how these tools can help set environmental priorities relating to climate change, resource efficiency and ecosystem resilience. Indicators and accounting tools have shown promose in recent years […]

The ISMF Steering Group is pleased to announce that the third Irish Sea Maritime Forum Annual Conference will take place on Wednesday 2nd July 2014 at the Rum Warehouse, Stanley Dock, Liverpool. The theme of this year’s conference is Blue Growth, a strategic initiative by the European Union to support sustainable growth in marine and […]

Keep Britain Tidy has today (20th May) announced national winners of the Seaside Awards, with thirteen beaches in North West England achieving the standards required. These are (from north to south): St Bees, Silecroft and Haverigg, Cumbria (managed by Copeland Borough Council) Morecambe North and Morecambe South (managed by Lancaster City Council) Ferry Beach and Rossall Beaches, […]

Closes 10th June Defra are consulting on reforms of the regulatory system to control small sewage discharges from septic tanks and small sewage treatment plants in England. The consultation proposes a new approach to regulating domestic wastewater systems where the discharges are small, for example systems serving individual or small groups of properties. The new […]

This call for evidence closes on 1 August 2014 12:00am  Defra is calling for evidence on how each Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority (IFCA) has worked to meet its duties. This evidence will be used in drawing up a report on the conduct and operation of IFCAs which the Secretary of State must lay before […]

This consultation closes on 30th May 2014 Defra and the Welsh Government are seeking views on their draft updated guidance to the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales on river basin planning. The guidance includes a description of how the two Government Agencies will be expected to use the new and updated standards in classifying […]

This consultation closes at 1 July 2014 4:00pm The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is consulting on the draft Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships) and Motor Fuel (Composition and Content)(Amendment) Regulations 2014 implementing EU Directive 2012/33/EU on the sulphur content of marine fuel. They are seeking views from industry on the Government’s proposals […]

Cumbria Coastal Access Monthly Update: May 2014  This update provides local and regional representatives and other interested stakeholders with a brief summary on progress for each of the coastal stretches Natural England is working on in Cumbria including the recently ‘commenced’ coastal access rights from Allonby to Whitehaven and developments on the next stretch from […]

Defra has published the summary of responses and the outcome of their consultation on the de-designation of the Roanhead and Askam in Furness bathing waters. Outcome: both Askam in Furness and Roanhead will be removed from the list of bathing waters with effect from the 2014 bathing season on the grounds of concerns about public […]

‘Welcome to Morecambe Bay’, a new, bespoke customer-service training course, is taking place for the first time in Cumbria on Tuesday 13 May at the Forum in Barrow with further courses taking place over the next 12 months.  The one-day training course combines customer care with product knowledge so that visitors get the best possible […]