Marine Life & Conservation
A golden opportunity or a broken promise? Government’s chance to secure future health of UK’s struggling seas
Marine Conservation Society calls for ambitious policy as Fisheries Bill returns to the Commons
The new Fisheries Bill is a prime opportunity for the UK Government to put in place policies which support the future health of the UK’s seas. The Marine Conservation Society is urging politicians and policymakers to put sustainability and science at the forefront of future fisheries management and retain the inclusion of key amendments in the Fisheries Bill as it returns to the House of Commons on 1st September 2020.
The charity believes crucial amendments in two areas of the Bill must remain: environmental sustainability as the prime objective of the Bill, and a commitment to rolling out Remote Electronic Monitoring with cameras (REM) on all vessels fishing in UK waters.
The Marine Conservation Society’s recent campaign, ‘Say No to Red Rated Seafood’, garnered over 13,000 signatures from the public who want unsustainable, ‘red rated’ seafood to become a thing of the past. The petition calls on UK government and business to improve the fate of unsustainable fisheries for the future health of UK seas, the Fisheries Bill is a golden opportunity to do just that.
The charity’s 2018 campaign ‘May Not Contain Fish’ further shows the public’s support for ambitious and sustainable legislation. Almost 19,000 people responded to the UK Government’s consultation on post-Brexit fisheries management and called for sustainability to be at the heart of new legislation. The UK Fisheries Bill is an opportunity to develop legislation which responds to the public’s call for a sustainable future for the UK’s fisheries and delivers on government promises.
In a survey conducted by Rakuten, 75% of UK respondents agreed or strongly agreed with the statement “Protecting the health of the environment should be a priority for governments and the public”. In a landscape shaped by the environmental impacts of the Coronavirus pandemic, the public wants to see government committed to putting the health of the environment first.
A truly green recovery from the pandemic will secure a healthy environment for future generations, bringing economic benefits with it. The recovery of fish stocks to healthy levels would increase the value of fish landings significantly, resulting in an estimated 5,000 new jobs. Healthy seas full of life bring with them economic gain for those reliant upon the UK’s blue resources for employment and income. Ensuring the Fisheries Bill is led by sustainability is the first step towards a fruitful green and blue recovery.
Sandy Luk, CEO of the Marine Conservation Society: “Undeniably, our seas are struggling and the UK public wants solutions. Governments have failed to meet 2020 deadlines to end overfishing and so we can no longer accept “business as usual’ and short-term thinking from our leaders. The new Fisheries Bill, with these important amendments, would mark the start of progressive new management that would finally allow the recovery of our important fisheries resources.
“The Fisheries Bill is a prime opportunity for governments to show their commitment to a healthy and well-protected ocean for the future. Without sustainability as the prime objective, the UK Government will miss its chance to achieve its promise of truly sustainable fisheries.”
The Fisheries Bill will return to the House of Commons on 1st September 2020 for its Second Reading stage.
To keep up to date and learn more about the Marine Conservation Society’s key asks, please visit www.mcsuk.org.
After a two-year tour of UK art galleries, community spaces and aquariums, the Shark Trust’s acclaimed Oceanic31 exhibition takes its final bow at the Royal Geographical Society later this month. And the unique collection of artwork, depicting 31 species of oceanic sharks and rays, donated by 31 artists, is now open for bids from art lovers and shark enthusiasts. The online auction, launched today, will close on the 7th December at 8pm (BST). The money raised will support the Shark Trust Oceanics Programme.
People can now bid on 27 of the artworks by visiting this website:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
It is a chance to own a beautiful piece of original art and to support the Shark Trust. The timing of the auction also means that these would make a very special Christmas gift for any shark-lover.
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- Bigeye Thresher Shark by Janina Rossiter
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- Carcharodon carcharias by Jimmy Higgs
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- Croc VR 2030 by Tom Mead
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- Oceanic Whitetip by ATM
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- Silky Street by ScapaJoe
The diversity of pieces mirrors that of the sharks and rays they represent. You can bid on paintings, digital creations, sculptures, mixed media and more. You can pick your favourite artist or species of shark. Or you can select the perfect artwork to make a statement in your home or office. Whichever you choose, you will be supporting the work to protect these amazing animals.
One of the pieces of art has been selected to be auctioned live by Steve Backshall at the For the Love of Sharks event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 29th November. In addition to this, two further pieces will be raffled at this event, giving people a chance to win an incredible piece of shark art. For the Love of Sharks is the Shark Trust’s flagship evening. A night to celebrate sharks. Steve Backshall is the headline speaker at this event that will see other prominent shark advocates join him on stage.
Tickets for the event can be snapped up here:
https://thesharktrust.org.uk/Event/flos24
Those that would like to see the Oceanic 31 exhibition have one final chance. It is being displayed at the Pavilion at the Royal Geographic Society from 26th November until the 7th December. Entry is free.
Find out more here:
https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/oceanic-31
Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, Said “This exhibition has given us the opportunity to reach out to a new audience. And inspire more people with the wonderful sharks and rays on which our Big Shark Pledge campaign is based. We are immensely grateful to the 31 artists who have worked so hard to create these works.”
Bid for your favourite Oceanic 31 artwork here:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
Banner Image: Smooth Hammerhead by Alicia Hayden
Until 28 November, prizes worth a massive £10,000 – including experiences, products and tuition – feature in a line-up of items that can be won for £5 in an online prize draw to celebrate Bite-Back Shark & Marine Conservation’s 20th anniversary and help generate crucial funds for the future.
Top of the list of prizes is the chance to spend time with adventurer and wildlife expert Steve Backshall, a workout session with Nat Geo star Aldo Kane, a kayaking trip alongside white-water expert and diver Sal Montgomery and a Zoom call with ‘shark whisperer’ Cristina Zenato.
On top of that, some of the most admired companies in the diving and scuba industry have been quick to support the charity with fabulous prizes that make the £5 ticket price worth more than just a flutter.
Master Liveaboards, BSAC, Midlands Diving Chamber, Go Freediving and Blue Shark Snorkel have all generously donated experience prizes, while celebrated photographer Alex Mustard has donated a print and artists Scott Gleed and Olivier Leger have donated a sculpture and illustration to help boost the fundraising pot.
Fourth Element has donated Ocean Positive gear and LA watch company Nodus has gifted the charity a stunning dive watch. For land lovers, the charity has included a five star London hotel stay at Bankside Hotel plus a family visit to Longleat Safari Park in the roster of prizes.
Campaign director for Bite-Back, Graham Buckingham, said: “We’ve been overwhelmed with support from companies and individuals that we truly admire and who have supported us on our 20 year journey and we’re truly grateful to them all. While we feel incredibly proud of our achievements over the past two decades – and we are super excited about the next chapter – this prize draw isn’t a vanity project. It represents a real lifeline to our work and important advancements in the global protection of sharks. So we hope divers, dive clubs and even bargain hunters grab some tickets to make this a massive success.”
The charity hopes that the prize draw will generate crucial funds to launch a brand new, ground-breaking, campaign to enrol the public and increase support for the protection of sharks around the world.
To enter the competition visit www.bite-back.com/prizedraw. The prize winners will be announced on 1 December 2024.
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