All UK fishing licences contain a condition that requires vessels to demonstrate a genuine economic link with the UK. The economic link condition applies to landings of quota species and is assessed on a yearly basis.

From 1 May 2018 we will be changing the current assessment period of 1 April to 31 March to 01 January to 31 December (the ‘calendar year’). This is to bring the assessment period in line with the yearly monitoring of quota uptake and to help those vessel owners who are required to comply with this condition to manage their quota for the year.

This change will also ensure that the English inshore fleet will benefit earlier in the year from quota donations made in fulfillment of the economic link condition. This gives the English fleet a greater opportunity to use the quota in what can be seasonal fisheries.

The way in which vessel owners must demonstrate an economic link with the UK will not be changed and are listed below by:

• landing over 50% by weight of their catch (which are subject to EU quotas) into UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man ports.
• demonstrating that at least 50% of the total crew man days at sea were accounted for by crew normally resident in UK coastal areas.
• providing proof that routine expenditure in the UK on goods and services for the vessel was equal to either: i) 50% of the value of quota stocks landed net of crew wages, or ii) 50% of the vessel’s total operating expenditure for the year, net of crew wages.
• donating quota to the English under-10m fleet equivalent to a value representing 10% of the value of catch landed overseas.
• any combination of the above methods agreed by the MMO.

The change to the assessment period is not expected to affect the ability of vessel owners to comply with the economic link condition.

We want to know what you think about our guidance on proportionate and effective use of fixed penalties for littering and related offences. This guidance applies to England only.

The guidance is relevant for other environmental fixed penalty powers such as for abandoned vehicles, fly-tipping, parking, and offences related to domestic waste bins.

We committed in the Litter Strategy for England to publish improved guidance to promote proportionate and responsible enforcement. We intend to put this guidance into the Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse. Land managers in England have to have regard to this code.

The Commonwealth Marine Economies (CME) Programme aims to support the sustainable growth of Commonwealth Small Island Developing States (SIDS) within the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean regions.

The Programme will provide marine data and capacity building in all in scope SIDS. Specific outputs in the second year of the programme in the Caribbean will be:

1. In St Vincent & the Grenadines work in year 1 will be expanded to provide high quality seabed habitat maps. In addition to new work in Belize, Guyana, and Jamaica.
2. Ocean acidification sensors will be installed in Dominica, providing real-time observations of coastal water acidity and temperature.
3. A solar-powered tide gauge will be installed in Belize with a satellite-linked data transmission system that will be connected to the IOC’s Tsunami Early Warning System.
4. A sustainable Fisheries programme will be developed in the Caribbean SIDS, continuing Year 1 activity to progress Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) accreditation to valuable fisheries.
5. Work will continue to support future aquaculture development in the Caribbean
6. A containerised marine environmental laboratory is being manufactured to provide regional access to state of the art marine sensors and technology.
7. Regional data management training workshops will be held in both the Pacific and Caribbean, to help improve the efficiency, use and economic return on national and regional marine data collection.
8. Hydrographic Action Plans for in scope SIDS providing an analysis of scientific data and existing local capacity to manage their marine environment, and a commitment from each government to use these in national economic development planning.
9. Marine Environmental Action Plans and a commitment from each government to use these in national development planning. These plans will provide an analysis of environmental, scientific and sustainability priorities, and an assessment of the oceans management capacity of each country.

This call for evidence seeks views and information on all aspects of animal welfare in transport.

Once the UK has left the EU, we would like the welfare in transport regulatory regime to reflect scientific and veterinary knowledge. This evidence will help us determine how we’ll meet the commitment to take early steps to control the export of live farm animal for slaughter.

The Environment Agency publish permits that they issue under the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED).

This decision includes the permit and decision document for:

• Operator name: Horsley Brook Farms Ltd
• Installation name: Tamworth Road Poultry Farm
• Permit number: EPR/HP3531YL/A001