Defra has launched a new consultation on the second tranche of sites to be considered as marine conservation zones (MCZs).

A serious pollution incident on an 8km stretch of the Grand Union Canal has now been dealt with, the threat to a Site of Special Scientific Interest has been averted and thousands of fish have been saved.

Yorkshire Water is leading a project group which has started pioneering work in South Yorkshire to reinvigorate wildlife in a section of the River Dearne catchment by using clever engineering to transform the water’s flow.

Previously unrecorded hazel dormice have been found at a Southern Water site in Brede, East Sussex.

The Environment Agency, working as part of the Crane Valley Partnership to restore the river’s vitality following major sewage spills in 2011 and 2013, released 2000 chub, 2000 dace, 2000 roach and 1500 barbel into the river last week.

Environment Agency maintenance teams are more than half way through a 6-week programme, removing the invasive non-native species (INNS) Floating Pennywort to try to stop it spreading further.

The world is on track to meet a 2020 target on the expansion of protected areas, but more work is still needed, according to a new United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report.