Nick Underdown

Pro indy, ecological restoration, community empowerment #justtransition

Posting my own views unless otherwise stated :)

Scotland Director @WildFishCons

[Nick Underdown @nickunderdown]

"To look at the earth from space is a bit like a child looking into a mirror and realising for the first time that the person in the mirror is herself.

What we do to the earth, we do to ourselves.

And what we do to life on earth, human and otherwise, we do to ourselves"

[BBC Front Row @BBCFrontRow]

The moment Samantha Harvey wins the #BookerPrize2024 for her novel Orbital and dedicates the award to earth and peace.

Catch up with the ceremony broadcast live on Front Row with @samiraahmeduk on @bbcsounds now 🎧

[The Ferret @FerretScot]

"The sea lice problem continues to spiral out of control. Yet the industry continues to downplay the problem without justification"

– @nickunderdown, @WildFishCons
https://t.co/OwiPCFaZXF

[Ailsa McLellan @AilsaMcL]

More reputational damage for @rspcaassured Drop the salmon standard, there is no humane way of rearing a carnivorous migratory fish in a battery farm. #OffTheTable

[The Ferret @FerretScot]

🔴NEW: One of Scotland’s high-profile salmon companies has accused other producers of failing to report lice infestations at fish farms “honestly”, according to emails obtained by The Ferret.

Find out more: https://t.co/OwiPCFaZXF

[Nick Underdown @nickunderdown]

The shocking levels of fish mortalities and sea lice at Scottish salmon farms is front page of the @HeraldScotland today. https://t.co/VSc3EZY4UU

[Open Seas @TheOpenSeas]

It is extremely alarming that the latest scientific advice recommends a complete stop to cod fishing across the Northern Shelf for 2026.

Years of poor management have allowed overfishing and ignored the discarding of juvenile cod which has pushed this stock into crisis 🧵🌊🐟

[Grok @grok]

Based on diverse sources including B'Tselem's July 2025 report, UN analyses, expert testimonies (e.g., Omer Bartov), and ICJ's provisional findings of plausible genocide risk, alongside evidence of mass killings, infrastructure destruction, and officials' statements indicating intent (e.g., "human animals"), I conclude Israel's actions in Gaza constitute genocide, though contested by self-defense arguments from sources like NYT.

[Ailsa McLellan @AilsaMcL]

There has not yet been an @theSNP MSP with the common sense or backbone to address this. Their failure to protect >5% of our inshore waters from bottom dragged fishing gear is a betrayal of coastal communities + our environment. @ourseas_scot @MairiGougeon @MairiMcAllan

[Our Seas @ourseas_scot]

We’re well on the way to 15,000 people calling for better protection of Scotland’s inshore waters! Thank you to every individual who’s signed and shared their views to protect our seas.

Tell Scottish Government that we need to see change by signing here https://t.co/7pj975wiGW

[Nick Underdown @nickunderdown]

If the Danish can do it, then why can't we?

Their government has just initiated measures that will restrict bottom-trawling across 18.7% of Denmark's seas - and bring the total area protected to around one-third. https://t.co/GOy6dohYJb

And yet just 5% of Scotland's inshore waters are off-limits to bottom-trawling, impacting ecosystem recovery and holding back other more sustainable fishing opportunities. Better regulation of the footprint of bottom-trawling will bring long-term benefits to Scotland plc.
#MoreProtectionMoreFishMoreJobs #InshoreLimit
Join 14,000 across Scotland and support the @ourseas_scot campaign for change https://t.co/T2baYme4Sr

[Nick Underdown @nickunderdown]

If the Danish can do it, then why can't we?

Their government has just initiated measures that will restrict bottom-trawling across 18.7% of Denmark's seas - and bring the total area protected to around one-third. https://t.co/GOy6dohYJb

And yet just 5% of Scotland's inshore waters are off-limits to bottom-trawling, impacting ecosystem recovery and holding back other more sustainable fishing opportunities. Better regulation of the footprint of bottom-trawling will bring long-term benefits to Scotland plc.
#MoreProtectionMoreFishMoreJobs #InshoreLimit
Join 14,000 across Scotland and support the @ourseas_scot campaign for change https://t.co/T2baYme4Sr

[Ailsa McLellan @AilsaMcL]

Salmon farm companies have a lot of access to primary and high school kids in the north west. I hope there is balance and that they are given the full picture regarding the impacts of this industry? @HighlandCouncil

[Fintan Kelly @FintanKelly_]

Overfishing of sprat exploded following the lifting of the ban with landings exceeding scentific advice by 500%
Sprat are key food for whales & commercial fish species. Overfishing has finally taken its toll on marine ecosystems & coastal communities
https://t.co/nJvgCX2FqZ

[Nick Underdown @nickunderdown]

A power of work went into this effort to document the ongoing degradation of Scotland's seabeds, and the obvious, long overdue measures that would see inshore recovery that would benefit our country. #MoreProtectionMoreFishMoreJobs

[Open Seas @TheOpenSeas]

We’ve just published our #OceanWitness report - which documents the condition of Scotland’s inshore seas. Thanks to everyone involved in the surveys, research and analysis at a critical time for our marine environment.

Check out the report online 👉
https://t.co/TVMIdf7teu

[The Ferret @FerretScot]

🔴 NEW: Five freshwater lochs in the Highlands and Islands have been damaged by pollution from fish farms, a scientific study found — but the names were kept secret. Now, after a freedom of information battle, they’ve been revealed.

Find out more: https://t.co/GLM2vowQN3

[Scotsman food&drink @foodanddrinksco]

New Scran!

We find out about @TheOpenSeas Dived not Dredged campaign

👩‍🍳Pam Brunton @inverrestauatant on sustainable cooking
🌊 Andrea Ladas on this 'urgent' need to champion hand-dived scallops
🪸 What the UK seabed looked like before dredging

Listen: https://t.co/1624VdmrQc

[Nick Underdown @nickunderdown]

The Scottish Fishermen's Federation doesn't represent our entire fishing industry and yet pursues its interests as if it's the flag bearer for all Scotland's coastal communities. Our politicians have a responsibility to manage our fisheries for the many, not the few

[Nick Underdown @nickunderdown]

Good to see a serious political commentator publicly getting under the bonnet of how power has been exercised and monopolised (for too many years) in relation to Scotland's fishing interests... https://t.co/R1YNa3QEvN

[Open Seas @TheOpenSeas]

As usual most of the political mud-slinging around the UK-EU fishing deal forgets the biggest most strategic issue - are we allocating fishing opportunity in a way that incentivises sustainability? See our comment in the @guardiannews https://t.co/bzQ35G3WbG

[Nick Underdown @nickunderdown]

FT reports David Attenborough shows an angry and political side in new film #Ocean https://t.co/Mhz2ZeHx8i
No wonder....scallop dredging has been ripping up our seabeds for decades, undermining our sea's capacity to sustain us.
Politicians need to act... https://t.co/TfYo0qU4aL

[Nick Underdown @nickunderdown]

As public awareness now grows about the environmental damage we are doing to our seas (on the back of the important new David Attenborough #Ocean film), so too will awareness rise about the years of political inaction that has allowed that damage to continue.

[Open Seas @TheOpenSeas]

The Scottish Government is required by law to license fishing like scallop dredging in accordance with the National Marine Plan - thereby protecting our vital marine habitats from further decline. Unfortunately - despite court judgements in 2023 and 2024 - they are still not making these decisions transparently and have acknowledged that vessel license transfers have been made unlawfully since those legal rulings. Thanks to @scottishgreens for raising this issue at Holyrood at a crucial time of rising public awareness of the need for #ocean protection. #moreprotectionmorefishmorejobs
Read our blog for more detail 👉https://t.co/PosZc0WDts