The government is proposing to extend the ban on destructive bottom trawling in vulnerable areas of English seas - the fishing method involves dragging large nets along the sea floor.

MPs on the cross-party House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) are calling on the Government to ban damaging activities such as bottom trawling in certain protected areas of England’s waters, in a report published today.

A new report from Oceana UK published today is warning that the true extent of oil pollution, which has devastating impacts on marine life, has been masked by an opaque and misleading reporting system.

Governments meeting at the United Nations in New York reached agreement late on Saturday evening on key substantive issues for a new Treaty to protect High Seas marine life - the new Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) treaty will enable the establishment of large-scale marine protected areas on the high seas.

Human pressure on the world's ocean accelerated sharply at the start of the 21st century and shows no sign of slowing, according to a comprehensive new analysis on the state of the ocean by the Stockholm Resilience Centre.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove is today setting out plans to create more than 40 new Marine Conservation Zones across the UK – safeguarding almost 12,000 square kilometres of marine habitats and marking the most significant expansion of the UK’s ‘Blue Belt’ of protected areas to date.

The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee has expressed its disappointment with the Government's lack of ambition on designated Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and unwillingness to provide adequate investment for the gathering of further evidence for the vulnerable areas.

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office has announced plans to create a ‘Blue Belt’ of marine protection around the United Kingdom and around its Overseas Territories.