Mixed reaction to EU’s oceans plans
The European Commission has unveiled its European Ocean Pact but the package has met with a mixed response. The EU calls it a “comprehensive strategy to better protect the ocean, promote a thriving blue
Belgium sets ocean agenda as global report highlights alarming trends ahead of UNOC3
As the third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) begins in Nice, Belgium has outlined its positions on marine science, sustainable ocean policy, and high seas biodiversity protection. The conference opens against the backdrop
Flemish-led mangrove island in Ecuador shows rapid growth
Six months after Flemish dredging company Jan De Nul planted mangroves on a man-made island off the Ecuadorian coast, the project is showing remarkable success. Scientific monitoring now confirms that over 30,000
Aerial monitoring points to decline in pollution by ships in North Sea
Four cases of operational marine pollution from ships were documented last year in the North Sea by the Institute for Natural Sciences’ Coast Guard aerial monitoring programme, the institute announced on Wednesday.
EU Parliament votes to weaken wolf protection
The European Parliament has voted to downgrade the legal protection status of the wolf, paving the way for more liberalised population control measures by national governments. The decision moves the species from
Prolonged dry spell lowers water levels in Flanders and across Europe
Exceptionally dry conditions in March and April have led to a rapid drop in water levels and flows in both navigable and non-navigable rivers in Flanders. Similar dry conditions can be observed
The Lommel Sahara: a landscape of sand, forest and industrial history
Located just outside the city of Lommel in Limburg, the Sahara is a 193-hectare area characterised by pale sand, pine forest and a clear blue lake. Despite its name, the landscape is