Category Archives: policy

‘Dive in to Marine Protected Areas’ – Guest Post by Jess Mead

Jess Mead is a keen diver and Marine Biology graduate currently working for the National Marine Aquarium, coordinating the Community Seagrass Initiative in Weymouth, Dorset. She was previously a Marine Conservation Trainee at Dorset Wildlife Trust working at the Kimmeridge Marine Centre and before that she volunteered on various conservation projects across the world. You canContinueContinue reading “‘Dive in to Marine Protected Areas’ – Guest Post by Jess Mead”

Is countryside stewardship bad for wildlife?

Anybody who has had to trawl through the new countryside stewardship package, as I have this last fortnight, will know quite how much of a task it is. Hundreds of pages of options are available, which has good and bad sides to it. Fundamentally I think it is an effective package, enabling most possibilities inContinueContinue reading “Is countryside stewardship bad for wildlife?”

Universal Basic Income a Farm Subsidy Solution?

N.b This post was originally published in Countrysquire Magazine. With the signing of Article 50 imminent, land management subsidies will surely form at least part of the pre-Brexit debates. I have seen several articles published in the past few weeks in various papers, magazine and blogs discussing the concepts of both automation and universal basicContinueContinue reading “Universal Basic Income a Farm Subsidy Solution?”

Conservation 21: the ‘new’ conservation strategy for the 21st century

Last month, Natural England published their new strategy (available here). In essence, many of the things included within it have been said before, either by them or by the environmental NGOs. However, it comes as a breath of fresh air to see everything in a single NE document, and one that gives us a clueContinueContinue reading “Conservation 21: the ‘new’ conservation strategy for the 21st century”

Scottish Farmers, Brexit and Subsidies

Scotland’s population is about 5.4 million people, or 8% of the UK total. However, Scottish farmers receive 18% of the UK’s overall common agricultural policy funding, including 85% of the less favoured area payments. They face the prospect of immense uncertainty and a huge shake up of the industry over the coming years. At the topContinueContinue reading “Scottish Farmers, Brexit and Subsidies”