Marine Conservation

Blue Marine Foundation is a trailblazing charity on a mission to restore the ocean to health by tackling one of the world's biggest environmental problems - overfishing. The ocean is in crisis, with marine life under threat from climate change, acidification, pollution, and invasive species. Overfishing compounds these threats, stripping the ocean of life and reducing its capacity to produce oxygen, absorb carbon dioxide, and regulate the climate. Blue Marine aims to protect at least 30% of the world's ocean by 2030 and ensure the other 70% is managed responsibly.

How they do it

Blue Marine takes a multi-faceted approach to ocean conservation. They work top-down with governments to improve the governance of our seas and secure marine protected areas. Simultaneously, they work bottom-up with local communities at the front line of ocean conservation, developing models of sustainable fishing that benefit marine life, fishers, and communities. By restoring vital habitats, they revive and protect vulnerable species while sequestering carbon. Blue Marine also tackles unsustainable fishing head-on by highlighting poor practices and developing solutions.

Recent achievements

• In 2019, with support from Blue Marine, 100% of the waters around Ascension Island were designated as a marine reserve, creating the largest fully protected marine reserve in the Atlantic, an area nearly the size of France.
• In 2022, following legal intervention by Blue Marine, the UK government adopted new byelaws banning bottom trawling in four offshore MPAs, including the Dogger Bank SAC.
• Blue Marine formed part of a ten-partner collaboration in 2023 to launch the Solent Seascape Project - the first whole ecosystem restoration project in the UK.
• In 2023, the UK government u-turned to support a moratorium on deep sea mining following a Blue Marine media and policy campaign.

In numbers

• Secured commitments to protect over 4 million square kilometers of ocean
• 21 project locations worldwide
• Operates across 31 countries, 5 continents, and 28 marine protected areas

Affected lives

Blue Marine works closely with local communities and partners across the globe, recognising the importance of their knowledge and expertise in marine conservation. In the Maldives, Blue Marine has supported the creation of six MPAs on Laamu Atoll, protecting vital spawning sites and a manta ray cleaning station. In Lyme Bay, UK, the charity has helped establish a model of sustainable fishing that benefits both marine life and local fishers. In Ascension Island, Blue Marine played a crucial role in designating 100% of the island's waters as a marine reserve, safeguarding an area nearly the size of France. By fostering deep connections between these communities and their marine environments, Blue Marine builds collaborative engagement and generates support for improved ocean stewardship. The charity's projects are designed to benefit those who depend on the ocean the most, while increasing a sense of community ownership. Through this approach, Blue Marine paves a path of fair and equitable conservation that ensures all voices are heard.

Team

Blue Marine boasts a diverse and accomplished team, with backgrounds in the private sector and a wealth of experience in the third sector. The executive team is well-connected and determined, seizing opportunities as they arise to get things done. The Board is dynamic and well-diversified in terms of age and gender, bringing a range of perspectives to the table. This talented group of individuals is united by their passion for ocean conservation and their commitment to restoring the ocean to health for everyone.

SAS started as a group of outraged surfers and swimmers campaigning to protect our oceans from sewage pollution. But over the years it's grown into a nationwide movement of eco-activists working to clean up our oceans and rivers.

By pushing for better environmental legislation and by putting pressure on politicians, SAS has drastically improved the quality of UK waters - 99% of designated bathing waters around the UK are now classified as "sufficiently hygienic", up from 27% in 1990.

Furthermore, the charity is dedicated to empowering local communities to take action. Through organised beach and river cleans, and by encouraging people to demand change from local politicians, they're making a difference on a much larger scale. There are now over 700 communities across the country that are working towards becoming plastic-free.

Why we think they're great

Although this charity has evolved significantly since its inception in the 90s, its passion, character and optimism are all still there. These are real people making a real difference and that's inspiring.