Legal warning after rise in seahorse disturbances
Conservationists are warning people to be aware of the laws protecting seahorses in the UK, as warmer weather leads to an increase in disturbances. Seahorses are legally protected and anyone intending to seek them out or photograph them must have a licence. The Marine Management Organisation is stepping up efforts to inform people of the law after an increase in reported incidents, both accidental and deliberate.
- ▪Seahorses are legally protected in the UK and anyone intending to seek them out or photograph them must have a licence.
- ▪The Marine Management Organisation has seen an increase in incidents where people have unintentionally encountered seahorses whilst in the water, or whilst crabbing.
- ▪Intentionally disturbing seahorses without a wildlife licence could result in enforcement action, and applies to all divers, snorkellers, and TV and film production companies.
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| Original publisher | BBC News — Science |
| Canonical URL | https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm2g1rlkv9ko?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss |
| Publication time | Thu, 06 Aug 2026 11:14:27 GMT |
| Retrieval time | 2026-08-06T11:15:47.602Z |
| Last seen | 2026-08-06T11:15:47.602Z |
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| Summary | WeSearch · cerebras-chat (WeSearch summarizer) |
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| Cluster | uU1hKydA_Vzx · 1 stories |
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| Ranking reason | Story pages are not engagement-ranked. Hub feeds use recency, with optional source-diversified chronological ordering (cap consecutive stories per source). No personalized ranking. |
| Publisher visit | Yes — open original |
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Legal warning after rise in seahorse disturbancesImage source, The Seahorse TrustImage caption, A licence is required to dive or snorkel to find seahorses, which are protected by lawByRos TappendenSouth of EnglandPublishedJust nowWarmer weather is leading to an increase in "vulnerable and fragile" seahorses being disturbed, conservationists have said.Seahorses are legally protected in the UK and anyone intending to seek them out or photograph them must have a licence.The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) said it was stepping up efforts to inform people of the law after an increase in reported incidents, both accidental and deliberate.Educational activities are being focused around Poole Harbour and Studland Bay in Dorset and Torbay in Devon, where some of the most significant…
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