Sea Fishing News

Read all of the latest news about angling, commercial fishing, conservation and other issues relating to the marine environment from the UK and beyond.

August 2025 News

Scottish salmon farm to go ahead: Scottish ministers have approved plans for a new type of salmon farm on the banks of Loch Long, near Arrochar, overturning a previous rejection by the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority. The farm will use a “semi-closed containment system,” designed to separate wild and farmed fish and reduce risks from sea lice and escapes. The proposal, first rejected in 2022, had also been advised against by an independent planning reporter. Under the approved design, salmon will be housed in membrane-enclosed containers with water pumped from a distance, minimising interaction with the surrounding ecosystem. Heather Reid, convener of the National Park Authority, said the board remained concerned about the “significant landscape, seascape and visual issues” and the potential impact on fragile wild salmon populations. “We continue to stand by our reasons for refusal,” she said, adding that the decision was “finely balanced” but ultimately overturned by ministers. Local campaign group Aff the Clyde described the decision as “very disappointing,” criticising the government for ignoring the advice of planning professionals, environmental experts, and local communities. Scottish Greens MSP Ariane Burgess called it a “devastating day for local nature and a betrayal of local people,” noting Loch Long’s role as a habitat for seals, otters, seabirds, and endangered Atlantic salmon. Mark Shotter, project director at Loch Long Salmon, welcomed the approval, highlighting £40 million of investment, job creation, and community funds. “This decision positions Scotland as forward-thinking and innovative, supporting rural communities and enhancing the aquaculture sector’s international competitiveness,” he said. Scottish government ministers confirmed the planning permission and stated their full reasoning is detailed in the official decision letter. The ruling is final, with no further appeal available. Read more by clicking here.

Ocean acidification could erode sharks’ teeth: Sharks may face a surprising new threat from climate change: tooth decay. A study by researchers at Heinrich Heine University in Germany has found that ocean acidification, driven by rising carbon dioxide levels, can damage shark teeth, potentially undermining their ability to hunt. Sharks continually replace their teeth, but the research suggests acidification could speed up decay faster than replacements can keep pace. This could affect feeding efficiency, threatening shark populations and disrupting wider marine ecosystems. The study placed 60 naturally shed teeth from blacktip reef sharks in seawater tanks set at current ocean pH levels (8.1) and at the projected 2300 level of 7.3. After eight weeks, teeth in the more acidic water showed roughly double the damage, including corroded roots and blunted serrations. Lead author Maximilian Baum said even moderate pH drops could harm sensitive species, especially those with slower tooth replacement rates. Acidification has already been shown to damage shells, corals and even sharks’ skin denticles. Experts caution that sharks may adapt by producing more teeth, and some corroded teeth might remain functional. But researchers warn that reducing CO2 emissions is critical to protect predators at the top of the food chain. Read more here.

Catch and release tuna championship set to boost Cornish economy: An international tuna catch-and-release championship in Falmouth is expected to provide a major economic boost for Cornwall, organisers say. The event, held from 4 to 6 September at Falmouth Harbour, will see anglers from around the world compete to catch Atlantic bluefin tuna, which can grow up to 10ft (3m) and weigh more than 1,000lbs (455kg). It is the second year the competition has been staged. Around thirty boats, each carrying several anglers, will take part, with a live leaderboard, entertainment and Q&A sessions open to the public. Organiser Tim Macpherson said visitors staying in local accommodation and dining in pubs and restaurants would bring “a big economic benefit” to the area. He stressed that fish welfare is central to the event, with all tuna tagged and released under strict protocols. “The uppermost in all of our minds is the welfare of the fish,” he said. Read more on the BBC News website here.

Starmer EU fishing surrender to cost £6 billion: Sir Keir Starmer’s Brexit reset deal could hand the EU up to £6 billion worth of British fish over the next twelve years, according to the Telegraph. The agreement, signed by Labour in May, guarantees EU vessels access to UK waters until 2038. A leaked Defra memo, released under freedom of information laws, shows EU boats landed between £400m and £500m of fish from British waters in 2023. Projected over the twelve years, that amounts to £6 billion. The Government disputes the figure, arguing that annual catches depend on quotas, fish stocks and market prices. Ministers stress that while access is guaranteed, the UK retains the right to negotiate how much fish Brussels can take each year. Nigel Farage, Reform UK leader, has pledged to scrap the deal if he becomes prime minister, calling it a “betrayal” of coastal communities. Former Conservative minister Sir John Redwood warned it would cost not only fish sales but also jobs and tax revenues. Mike Cohen, head of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations, said the £6 billion estimate was “fair and realistic”, pointing out that EU fleets have consistently landed around £500 million annually. He criticised the suggestion that reducing EU access would only marginally benefit UK fishers, arguing exclusion would strengthen sustainability and support Britain’s smaller inshore fleet. Downing Street defends the deal, saying it will add £9bn to the UK economy by 2040 by deepening trade with the EU in food, veterinary and energy sectors. Officials note the previous Brexit arrangements also allowed EU boats continued access beyond 2026. Despite government assurances, industry leaders and coastal MPs warn that the agreement undermines promises made during Brexit and risks long-term damage to Britain’s fishing communities. Click here to read more.

Public told to stay away from dolphin off Dorset coast: A lone dolphin in Lyme Bay, Dorset, is raising safety concerns after reports of aggressive behaviour towards swimmers. The bottlenose, nicknamed “Reggie,” was first spotted on 3 August, joining early morning bathers and has since drawn large crowds of paddle-boarders, kayakers and swimmers. Experts warn the animal, which appears to be living alone, could pose a danger. Witnesses say Reggie has “targeted women in wetsuits,” in one case pushing a swimmer underwater until a kayaker intervened. “The dolphin was basically drowning this woman – it jumped on her back four times,” said local kayaker Rhys Paterson, who has witnessed several similar incidents. The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) said it was “increasingly concerned” about the situation, citing multiple cases of possible marine disturbance shared on social media. “Never swim with, touch, feed, or approach dolphins. If a dolphin approaches you, calmly leave the area,” the MMO advised. Marine conservationists stress that bottlenose dolphins are large, powerful animals that can seriously injure people. They also face risks themselves when exposed to constant human attention. Reggie has already been photographed with propeller injuries, likely the result of close encounters with boats. Under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, it is illegal to intentionally or recklessly disturb dolphins, with offences punishable by unlimited fines or up to six months in prison. Conservation groups urge the public to observe the animal only from shore or at a safe distance. Read more here.

Tourist discovers ‘extinct’ jellyfish in rockpool: A tourist has rediscovered a species of jellyfish which was feared to be extinct while exploring rockpools on holiday. Neil Roberts was on South Uist in the Outer Hebrides when he found four small jellyfish-like creatures on an upturned rock. Having photographed the creatures, Mr Roberts knew they were a type of stalked jellyfish, but wanted to identify the exact species when he returned home. However, he was unable to do this as the only pictures he could find of the jellyfish he had seen were historic watercolour sketches and illustrations of the species Depastrum cyathiforme. This species had not been found along the British coastline since 1954, and the last sighting anywhere in the world was in France in 1976. Indeed, so long had passed since the last confirmed presence of the species that it was considered extinct by the scientific community. But experts have now confirmed that the creatures found by Mr Roberts are indeed Depastrum cyathiforme, meaning it is not extinct, and a return visit to the area by an editor of a nature magazine found further Depastrum cyathiforme jellyfish, showing there was a stable population on the island. Allen Collins, a jellyfish expert from the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC told the Guardian: “This is really a remarkable find, and I was so happy to learn about it. We can now be certain that this rarely encountered species persists. I am hoping that more individuals will soon be found” and Mr Roberts said he was “well chuffed” to have rediscovered the species. Read more here.

Jersey trawling area to be limited from September 2026: Politicians on Jersey have voted to designate almost a quarter of the island’s waters as a marine protected area, meaning destructive fishing practices such as trawling will be banned within them. Around 6.5 per cent of Jersey’s waters were already protected, but this will be increased to 23 per cent by September 2026. Low-impact commercial fishing methods, such as the setting of crab and lobster pots, static nets and recreational angling, will not be affected by the ban. A further 4 per cent of the island’s waters could be added to the protected marine area by 2030, pending further research. Click here to read more on the BBC News website.

Storm-damaged pier to get CCTV to deter trespassing: A storm-damaged pier in North East England is to be fitted with CCTV to deter illegal access, despite being a long-time and popular fishing mark. South Shields Pier in South Tyneside extends one mile out into the North Sea and, along with the North Pier in Tynemouth, protects the Tyne Estuary. It is a Grade II listed structure. While the pier has long been popular with anglers, it was closed to the public after Storm Babet damaged the lighthouse at the end of the pier in October 2023. The Port of Tyne, which is responsible for the maintenance of the pier, said that attempts to repair the pier had been constantly put back by trespassers and vandalism – the lighthouse windows have been damaged, fires have been started on the pier, and cables have been removed to steal the copper within them, which caused the lighthouse to be without power for months. An eight-metre-high post housing CCTV will now be fitted to the pier to deter trespassing after South Tyneside Council approved the plans. While the pier has been a popular fishing mark for decades, anglers have been warned to stay away, and with the new security measures in place, it is unknown if fishing will be permitted anywhere on the pier when it reopens. Read more by clicking here.

Fishermen claim that wind turbines are damaging the fishing industry: An article in the Telegraph this month claimed that the proliferation of wind farms around the UK coastline was putting the long-term survival of parts of the commercial fishing industry at risk. Since the first offshore wind turbines were installed in the North Sea off the coast of Blyth in the year 2000, thousands more have followed, and a larger wind farm is set to be built through a consortium of British and Norwegian energy companies in the Dogger Bank area of the North Sea. James Cole, head of the Whitby Commercial Fishermen’s Organisation, told the Telegraph that the construction of the wind farms was “hugely disruptive” and went on to say, “We can’t fish in areas where they are working, but this is the crab and lobster season which is the time when we earn most of our income. These foreign wind companies are just forcing British fishermen to move away from their traditional fishing grounds.” The Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Ed Miliband, has confirmed that the UK’s capacity to generate energy from offshore wind farms will be tripled by 2030, and increased even further by 2050, necessitating the construction of thousands of more turbines. These will include floating turbines, which can be established in areas where the sea is too deep for traditional turbines to be built. Elspeth Macdonald, chief executive of the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation, told the Telegraph that as each floating turbine would be connected to the seabed by “complex and extensive subsurface infrastructure” it would “make it impossible for mobile fishing gear – trawls etc. – to fish within the wind farms.” She went on to say that this would lead to fishing being displaced into less productive areas and there being more competition between fishermen. A spokesperson for the government said that they were working to ensure that the “seabed was strategically unlocked for offshore wind, while minimising the impact on fishing.” Read more by clicking here.

Wind turbines could lead to shellfish becoming too dangerous to eat: In a related story, Offshore wind farms, which are central to Britain’s clean energy transition, could release thousands of tonnes of metals into the ocean each year, raising potential risks for marine life and human health, new research suggests. A study published in Nature’s Ocean Sustainability by the University of Portsmouth estimates that European wind farms currently discharge 3,219 tonnes of aluminium, 1,148 tonnes of zinc and 1.9 tonnes of indium annually through turbine corrosion-protection systems. These materials, used to prevent rusting, gradually leach into surrounding waters. Scientists warn that concentrations of zinc already exceed river and industrial inputs from several European countries into the North Atlantic. With the UK planning to expand its offshore wind capacity from 13 gigawatts today to 100 gigawatts by 2050, metal inputs could increase by a factor of twelve. Professor Gordon Watson, who led the research, stressed that offshore wind remained “a vital part of our clean energy future” but said the impacts of metal release were poorly understood. “We are not saying stop building offshore wind farms,” he said. “But we must monitor them carefully as they expand.” The study highlights concerns about co-locating aquaculture projects such as oyster, mussel or seaweed farms near turbines. Metals can accumulate in these species, potentially pushing concentrations above safe levels for human consumption. For example, oysters exposed to high zinc levels could exceed an adult’s recommended weekly intake. Researchers are calling for more comprehensive monitoring of water and sediments around wind farms, the use of alternative corrosion-protection systems, and stronger guidelines for combining aquaculture with offshore energy projects. Prof Watson said: “There are solutions to address these issues, but we need to take steps now to mitigate risks. Our research provides a roadmap for policymakers and industry to act before unnecessary harm is caused.” Read more by clicking here.

Warning that warming UK waters are changing the fish we eat: The Independent warned that rapid changes to the temperature of UK seas will cause the species caught by British fishermen to change significantly in the coming years. Climate change is causing marine heatwaves and warmer seas, which have seen species such as sardines, jellyfish, anchovies, bluefin tuna and octopus to become much more common in the waters around the British Isles. However, cold water species such as cod, haddock and brown crab, which are highly important to commercial fishermen, are moving further north as they seek colder waters. Mike Roach, deputy chief executive of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations, told the Telegraph that this brought both “opportunities and challenges” as fishermen could target species such as bluefin tuna and octopus to offset the reduction in brown crabs and other cold water species. Professor John Pinnegar of Cefas (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science) said that UK fishermen would be likely to catch a lot more cephalopods – squid, cuttlefish and octopus instead of fish and crab and lobster. Read more by clicking here.

Foreign Secretary fishes without licence: The Foreign Secretary David Lammy has been criticised after he was photographed fishing with US Vice President JD Vance without a rod licence. The pair were pictured fishing in Chevening, Kent, during the vice president’s visit to the UK, but soon after the images were released, it became apparent that neither man had purchased a rod licence, a legal requirement when fishing on freshwater lakes and rivers in England. The UK government said that Lammy had retroactively purchased a licence, but under the current legislation, this is not sufficient to stay on the right side of the law, as a licence must be in place before going fishing. The incident is particularly embarrassing as the Environment Agency, which oversees the rod licensing system, announced a crackdown on people fishing without a licence earlier this year, and has claimed that they “would always prosecute” people fishing without a licence. Read more here.

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