The Wildlife Trusts’ Marine Campaign

The Seas off the coast of the UK should be thriving with marine life, from tiny plants and animals to the large marine mammals such as whales, however due to years of neglect and abuse they retain little of their original biological diversity.

Our Seas are in trouble and if there is going to be any hope for the future of our seas we need to act NOW.

Thanks to the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 now is the time to help us do something.

Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust is working in collaboration with eleven other Wildlife Trusts around the UK to help protect our seas, join us now to see how you can help. Please sign our petition or sign a scale of our Petition Fish at a Wildlife Trust event near you

"Living Seas"

What picture does this phrase conjure up in your mind? A rocky reef bursting with brightly coloured fish, corals and sponges? A boat trip in the company of leaping dolphins and playful seals? Fishermen hauling nets brimming with big, tasty fish? Living Seas are all these things and more. We urgently need your help to bring back the UK's Living Seas.

We have joined with eleven Wildlife Trusts located across the east coast of England and aim to make the concept of 'Living Seas' a reality through the North Sea MPA project.

The Living Seas is the Wildlife Trusts' vision for the future of the UK’s seas. Within Living Seas, marine wildlife thrives, from the depths of the ocean to the coastal shallows.

Marine wildlife in decline.

Much of our marine wildlife is in decline. Two species of whale and dolphin have gone extinct in UK waters in the last 400 years and basking shark numbers have declined by 95%. Commercial species are also under pressure; in 2009, the EU Commission declared that 88% of marine fish stocks were overexploited.

It is shocking to think that despite these declines, less than 0.001% of our seas are fully protected from damaging activities. If they are to recover and thrive; if they are to continue to provide us with the resources we depend on, we need to do better. Our seas do still have the potential to recover but only if we protect our marine habitats and species properly and manage this natural resource sustainably.

How can you help!

Part of the solution to this problem is to create a network of marine protected areas in order to protect all of our diverse habitats and species (not just those in need of protection).

On 12th November 2009 the new Marine and Coastal Access Act was passed in Parliament. It will pave the way for increased protection for marine wildlife through the creation of Marine Protection Areas and it will also establish an uninterrupted coastal path around England and Wales.

Help us convince the Government that protecting our marine environment should be a priority. Please sign our petition or sign a scale of our Petition Fish at a Wildlife Trust event near you.

Petition Fish is The Wildlife Trusts' new campaign to put pressure on the UK, Scottish and Welsh Governments to create Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) - sanctuaries for our sea life.

Meet Bernard the Gurnard - he is the new face and voice of The Wildlife Trusts’ Petition Fish campaign.