Blog

Twenty three new Marine Conservation Zones announced. Is this enough?

Published on: 17 January 2016

Wildlife and Countryside Link’s Marine Working Group has been campaigning for a network of Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) for 15 years. First we ran an intense campaign to secure the legislation needed in the form of the UK Marine Act 2009. And since then we have been campaigning and lobbying to get the MCZs designated and ultimately well managed.

Marine planning needs to be more ambitious in 2016

Published on: 12 January 2016

In November 2015, the Government laid before Parliament a report that you may have missed. No fanfare, no announcements, not a sniff of media coverage. The report sets out progress in delivering marine planning in English waters, six years since the Marine and Coastal Access Act came into force. Given that the marine environment has had no system of strategic planning at all, this is kind of a big deal (for some of us!)

Link Members Sign Up for Environmental Justice

Published on: 22 December 2015

The UK has always enjoyed a respected track-record when it comes to consulting the public. Up until five years ago, the case for legislative proposals (and amendments) would be supported by statistical data, an informed narrative, or both. You may have noticed that consultation periods are now considerably shorter (and sometimes dispensed with altogether), but perhaps more worryingly, there appears to be an emerging trend for far-reaching and detrimental change to be advanced in the absence of seemingly any evidential basis.

National Wildlife Crime Unit Threatened with Extinction

Published on: 17 December 2015

Based in Scotland, the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) is a world leading police unit dedicated to supporting wildlife crime investigations, which has been absolutely critical in the fight against international wildlife trafficking and domestic wildlife crime. However, Government funding for the small but incredibly effective unit runs out in March 2016.

Welcome to Link’s exciting new website

Published on: 7 December 2015

Created in response to members’ need for a new, more effective web site, and in line with Link’s ambitious new strategy, the new site provides a wide range of visitors with a clear understanding of Wildlife and Countryside Link’s work.