Weekly round-up: Stories you may have missed

26 October 2025

News image — Jersey Water restarted its desalination plant to help boost supplies

Getty Images Water coming out of a silver-coloured shower head with white and black tiles behind — Jersey Water restarted its desalination plant to help boost supplies

The need to conserve water, calls to lower the age at which riding an e-bike is legal and plans for new homes to have to have a parking space are among the stories you may have missed this week.

Here are five pieces from the Channel Islands from the past seven days.

Jersey cows help boost milk yields in Nepal

Jersey Valleys Project, Heifer Two men are crouched down beside a tethered brown cow which is being inspected in Nepal. One of the men is wearing a white coat and white latex gloves. — The project hopes to improve yields and milk quality in Nepal

Jersey cows are helping Nepalese farmers improve the quality of their milk in a scheme described as a "real success story".

Genetic material is being sent to the country so cows there can be cross-bred to help improve milk yields in a project supported by Jersey Overseas Aid, Project Heifer and the Royal Agricultural Society.

Sara Peeters, from Heifer Netherlands, who has been visiting farms in Jersey, said the project would help improve the lives of Nepal's farmers who would be able to offer "better milk at higher prices".

Call to lower legal age for e-bike riders

A blue bike being charged leaning against a wall. — In Guernsey you have to be 14 or older to ride an electronic bike

The president of Guernsey's Environment and Infrastructure Committee says he wants to see the age children can ride electric bikes (e-bikes) on the roads lowered.

Currently, the minimum legal age to ride an e-bike is 14 years old.

Deputy Adrian Gabriel said he would like to see it lowered to either 12 years old, or the age at which children go to secondary school.

Call to shorten showers as water reserves dip

PA Media The image shows a close-up of a metal tap with water dripping from it. The water is flowing heavily. — Water storage has fallen 5% in the past two weeks

People in Jersey are being urged to take urgent action to reduce their water use as reservoir levels continue to fall following months of dry weather.

With rainfall 30% lower than last year and 20% below the five-year average, the island's total water storage dropped to 57% of capacity, said Jersey Water.

The utility restarted its desalination plant to help boost supplies and asked residents to make small changes such as shortening showers to avoid restrictions.

Every new home set to have a parking space

Getty Images Several parking spaces, with the same markings in each one - three arrows coloured red, yellow and light blue — Deputy Steve Luce said the rule would put pressure on the development industry because of the extra expenditure required

Jersey politicians have voted to approve plans that would mean every new home that is built will have a parking space where practically possible.

The plans were put forward by Constable Simon Crowcroft who argued that current planning guidance was biased against providing parking spaces for new homes in St Helier.

Environment Minister Deputy Steve Luce described the plans as disastrous arguing they would make homes more expensive.

Downturn 'deeper than what we've ever, ever seen'

Guernsey's fish quay - A pier with a number of small fishing boats in the sea. — The number of small fishing boats registered in Guernsey continued to decline

Guernsey's fishing industry is facing a downturn "deeper than what we've ever, ever seen", according to a veteran fisherman.

Mick Guille, who has spent decades working in the industry, said the scale of the downturn was unlike anything he or his peers had experienced.

"We've gone through highs and lows... but no-one has seen fishing as drastic as what it is at the moment," he said

Follow BBC Guernsey on X and Facebook. Follow BBC Jersey on X and Facebook. Send your story ideas to [email protected].