The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published guidance on the Nature Restoration Fund. The guidance covers how Natural England should secure conservation measures under Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs) and how the overall improvement test under the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 should be applied. It states that Natural England’s approach should support the development of nature services markets and the supplier base, subject to statutory requirements. The overall improvement test applies when Natural England prepares an EDP and when the Secretary of State considers whether to make one. An EDP may only be made if the Secretary of State considers that the test has been met. This requires the positive effects of conservation measures to materially outweigh the negative effects of EDP development by the EDP end date, with that balance maintained for as long as the negative effects continue.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has published its Pollinator Action Plan for 2021–2024, setting out the national strategy for collaborating with valued partners to address the needs of pollinators. The plan aims to help Defra look after important pollinator habitats and understand more about how to help pollinators as well as improve their health. The plan additionally aims to ensure that people are aware of the importance of pollinators and what can be done to help look after them.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published the Secretary of State (SoS) for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed’s determination of fishing opportunities for British fishing boats for specific fish stocks and groups of fish stocks, covering the period from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025. This determination, made under section 23 of the Fisheries Act 2020, establishes quotas for the maximum quantity of sea fish that may be caught and the maximum number of days British vessels may operate at sea in UK, EU, Norwegian, and international waters. This new determination revokes any previously determined fishing opportunities for the same period that have not yet expired.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has published the consultation outcome for the UK Marine Strategy Part One update 2025. This document includes a summary of responses and a government response. The consultation, which ran from 20 June 2025 to 15 August 2025, sought views on the UK's updated assessment of Good Environmental Status (GES) for UK seas, as well as on the proposed objectives, targets, and indicators for the next six-year cycle. Defra received 31 responses from a diverse group that included environmental non-governmental organisations, marine industries, commercial fisheries, the energy sector, marine researchers and members of the public. In addition to the consultation outcome, Defra has published the updated Marine Strategy Part One document. This framework sets out the strategy for achieving GES in UK seas over the next six years. It includes updated assessments of the state of UK seas, high-level objectives for GES and detailed targets and indicators for measuring progress.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee have published the UK Overseas Territories biodiversity strategy. Developed in partnership with Overseas Territories Governments and Administrations, the strategy sets out the UK approach to conserve, protect, and restore biodiversity across the territories. It covers 14 territories—including St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha; the Turks and Caicos Islands; Anguilla; Bermuda; the British Antarctic Territory; the British Indian Ocean Territory; the British Virgin Islands; the Cayman Islands; the Falkland Islands; Gibraltar; Montserrat; and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has decided to amend Annex 17 of UK REACH to restrict hazardous substances in tattoo inks and permanent make-up, following evidence from the Health and Safety Executive that these substances pose unacceptable risks to human health, including carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, and pigment migration. The restriction prohibits placing on the market and use of inks containing specified substances above defined limits, applies stricter concentration thresholds than originally proposed, introduces additional labelling requirements for pH regulators and allergens, and removes derogations for 19 pigments. A two-year transition period for placing on the market and three years for use will apply, with detailed conditions and substance-specific limits set out in a new Appendix 13.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published its Waste Crime Action Plan, which sets out how it intends to tackle waste crime in England through prevention, enforcement and remediation. The plan responds to rising illegal waste activity, including fly‑tipping, illegal waste sites and Landfill Tax evasion, and outlines actions to strengthen regulation, improve intelligence, increase prosecution rates and support clean‑up efforts. It explains that waste crime costs the English economy £1 billion each year and that 20% of waste is estimated to be illegally managed, leading to environmental harm, threats to public safety and financial losses to legitimate businesses.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published three grant determinations detailing additional and new funding allocations made in 2024 and 2025 to local authorities in England to support weekly food waste collections. The first set of grant determination letters was issued to local authorities in February 2024.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published the agreed record of the annual fisheries consultations between the UK and the Faroe Islands for 2025, securing over 2,000 tonnes of fishing opportunities in Faroese waters, valued at £5m. This bilateral agreement sets conditions for the exchange of fishing quotas between both parties and includes provisions for control and enforcement. It also marks the conclusion of the UK's 2025 fisheries negotiations, bringing the total fishing opportunities secured for the UK fleet to 750,000 tonnes, worth up to £960m.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published the agreed record of annual fisheries consultations between the UK and Norway for 2025. This bilateral agreement sets the conditions for access and reciprocal exchange of fishing quotas between the two countries. Additionally, it outlines control and enforcement provisions, establishing a framework for operational co-operation. The agreement aims to regulate fishing activities and maintain sustainable practices in shared waters.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published the agreed record of the annual consultations between the UK, EU, and Norway regarding jointly managed fish stocks in the North Sea for 2025. The document outlines the outcomes of these discussions, which aim to promote the sustainable management of six key fish stocks: cod, haddock, saithe, whiting, plaice, and herring.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has published its report, setting out the 15 Nutrient Management Expert Group (NMEG) recommendations for the policy approach to pollution from nutrients in agriculture. The government response sets out the approach to tackling agricultural nutrient pollution through regulation, advice, tools to support farmers, grants, incentives and international collaboration.