January 26th, 2018 New research looking at inland freshwater fish farming may help reduce disease risks and potential impacts on the marine ecosystem, the team behind the project has said. Lead by researchers from NUI Galway and the Athlone Institute of Technology, the project will examine the potential use of Read more…
January 22nd, 2018 The current rate of coral bleaching is happening faster than in any other era in history, a new study published this month has found. According to the study in the journal Science, the frequency of the bleaching is undermining the capacity of coral reefs to recover and Read more…
January 17th, 2018 The Government must support the straightforward and progressive policies in the Green Party’s Waste Reduction Bill to tackle our escalating plastic problem, the Oireachtas Environment Committee heard today. Speaking before the Committee this afternoon, Mindy O’Brien, the Coordinator of VOICE – a leading environmental charity focused on Read more…
January 16th, 2017 The European Parliament voted today to ban the controversial practice of electric pulse fishing in European waters. Earlier today, MEPs voted 402 to 232 in favour of prohibiting electric pulse fishing. The practice involves dragging an electrified net across the sea floor which stuns marine species in Read more…
January 15th, 2017 An NGO alliance has called on the European Commission to withdraw all proposals in support of electric fishing as MEPs prepare to vote on restoring a blanket ban on the controversial practice. In a joint letter to the Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Karmenu Vella, 17 Read more…
December 13th, 2017 The European Council has set 2018 quotas for the main commercial fish stocks in the Atlantic and the North Sea following protracted negotiations into the early hours of this morning. After a record-breaking forty-seven hours of debate, the Council announced that 53 fish stocks will be set Read more…
December 12th, 2017 The Government has given final approval for a contentious large-scale kelp harvesting project in Bantry Bay despite strong opposition from local residents. The license granted to Tralee-based biotechnology company BioAtlantis covers an area of 1,822 acres along the Beara and Sheep’s Head peninsulas. It is set to be Read more…
November 20th, 2017 Environmental groups have called for the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to ban the “destructive” practice of pair-trawling in Irish coastal waters. The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) last week warned that it has received reports that “destructive pair trawling is underway in shallow bays and Read more…
November 1st, 2017 Almost ten per cent of whales, dolphins, and porpoises examined as part of a new Irish study were found to have plastics in their digestive tracts. The study published in Environmental Pollution found that 8.5 per cent (45 individuals) of Irish cetaceans tested had marine debris in Read more…
November 1st, 2017 The shipping industry ignored calls for immediate action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions during an International Maritime Organisation (IMO) meeting last week, according to a leading environmental NGO. The IMO – the UN body responsible for regulating the shipping sector – met in London last week to Read more…
