A small fishing trawler seen from a birds-eye-view over a deep blue ocean.

Marine management

We drive improvements to protect the ocean from damaging commercial practices.

We advocate, lobby and campaign to safeguard our seas – from calling for bans on destructive fishing practices to improving sustainability in aquaculture, we give the ocean a voice. We drive improvements in fishing and farming practices to help minimise damage to vulnerable habitats and species, whilst our Good Fish Guide encourages consumers and businesses to make more sustainable seafood choices.

Marine Planning

Our seas are under pressure from every direction. As well as overfishing, the rapid expansion of offshore wind farms is also a threat. While renewable energy is vital to tackling the climate crisis, it must not be at the expense of nature and the resilience of our marine ecosystems. We’re calling on all governments of the UK to deliver a joined-up, ecosystem-based approach to planning, considering all the pressures on the sea together rather than in isolation.

Our marine planning work

A wind farm out at sea shows around 6 turbines in the foreground with more in the far distance under a bright blue sky.

Wind farm | Image credit: Nicholas Doherty, Unsplash

Marine Protected Areas

We’re at the forefront of holding governments to account including making sure Marine Protected Areas aren’t just protected on paper, but managed in practice too. We are urging the UK governments to safeguard these vulnerable areas from damaging activities like bottom trawling and to act to save our precious seas.

Learn about marine protected areas

Split between an underwater/surface view, a majestic whale shark with characteristic spotted skin swims close to a fishing vessel.

A whale shark next to a fishing vessel | Image credit: Toby Matthews, Ocean Image Bank

Fisheries and aquaculture

We work with communities, governments and the fishing industry to ensure fishing practices become sustainable and environmentally responsible – operating within science-based catch limits. We’re supporting a transition to well-managed, low-impact fishing and an end to all practices that damage marine habitats and species, including a phase-out of bottom-towed gear, starting with the most damaging activities in the most vulnerable areas.

We’re driving improvements in the sustainability of the UK’s commercial aquaculture (fish farming) alongside innovative regenerative aquaculture projects – and we’re the only UK eNGO doing so.

Our work on responsible fishing

A fishing boat in shown in the distance with a bright pink buoy-type device reading 'ghost fishing UK' in the foreground.

A boat with a campaigning sign from Ghost Fishing UK in the foreground | Image credit: Christine Grosar

Our work in the UKOTs

The UK Overseas Territories are home to countless species including sharks, penguins, whales and seabirds that are found in habitats including coastal mangroves, deep sea mounts, polar seas and the world’s largest coral atoll.

For over 20 years, we’ve been working in the Caribbean UK Overseas Territories of Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat and Turks and Caicos Islands.

Our key focus is to help support our Caribbean UKOT partners in significantly improving the management of their existing marine protected area (MPA) networks. We often use the community voice method to amplify local voices.

Dive into our work overseas