Protecting seas in the European Union
Blue Marine is working in Brussels and around Europe to use marine protected areas (MPAs) and fisheries laws – and case-study experience from our own projects – to help restore our conjoined seas.
All Projects
Discover the global projects we’re involved in, the focus of our conservation efforts, and the expert teams that inspire our strategies for change.
Guernsey: Marine protection in the Channel Islands
The island of Guernsey in the English Channel has striking coastal landscapes and is rich in biodiversity. To safeguard its waters for future generations, Blue Marine is proposing a comprehensive vision for protection and sustainable use.
High Seas: Protection beyond national jurisdictions
It makes up two–thirds of the ocean, and a treaty to protect it is slowly being ratified. But Blue Marine already has the High Seas in its sights, with a plan to safeguard the Walvis Ridge off Namibia.
Securing effective protection of the Italian sea
Italian waters are among the Mediterranean’s most biodiverse. Many of the 14,000 marine species found here are unique to Italy. Our work has linked together seven disparate marine protected areas (MPAs) to offer all of them a haven.
A marine park for Jersey
The Channel Island is home to some of the richest shallow marine habitats in the British Isles. Our work here has helped persuade the government to commit to protecting 30 per cent of its waters.
A just transition for UK fishing
To achieve the equitable and sustainable use of marine resources, dredging and trawling must be stopped within our MPAs. We believe this should be done in a way that brings industry and sea users along in the process.
Lyme Bay: Our model for sustainable fishing
The model Blue Marine helped develop in Lyme Bay is now the gold standard for managing marine protected areas. A win-win that benefits both small-scale fishers and the environment, its positive effects continue to be felt around the world.
Ensuring resilient reefs in the Maldives
The reef ecosystem of the island nation is the seventh largest in the world and the most extensive in the Indian Ocean. Blue Marine is working with our locally affiliated NGO to make the reefs more resistant to climate change.
A plan to protect 200,000 sq km in Mexico
Industrial fishing is destroying the exceptional biodiversity of the seas along the Baja Peninsular in north-western Mexico. Our goal is to safeguard these waters with ‘Dos Mares’ – a marine protected area on a scale unprecedented in this region.
Aquaculture and sustainable fishing in Mozambique
At Jangamo Bay on the wildlife-rich eastern coast of Africa, we are working with partners to help designate a marine protected area, to eliminate net fishing, and empower local women to cultivate mussels.
Our campaign for National Marine Parks in Britain
England’s existing National Parks protect nature and put £4 billion into the economy. With 30,000km of coastline to choose from, it’s time the UK brought the same benefits to its waters by declaring public parks at sea.
The Ocean Awards
The Ocean Awards recognise individuals, community groups, organisations and businesses that have made significant contributions to the marine environment.
Saving the sharks and rays of the Mediterranean Sea
Despite being protected, sharks and rays are being drastically overfished through-out the Mediterranean. Blue Marine are working with partners to develop area-based elasmobranch protections in the Strait of Sicily and improve compliance with existing fisheries restrictions.
Menorca: protecting a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve
In the marine protected area designated by the Balearic Island, Blue Marine works with local partners to monitor illegal fishing and reduce pollution.
Migratory pathways of whales
The migration and aggregation patterns of whales can often cross the path of international shipping – with disastrous results. Now a series of initiatives is promoting safer transport routes to avoid cetacean habitats.
Namibia: Rebooting Africa's second-largest MPA
We are working with local partners to deliver lasting protection for whales, dolphins and African penguins across the 9,500 sq km of NIMPA – the Namibian Islands Marine Protected Area.
Protecting manatees in Panama and Costa Rica
At Jangamo Bay on the wildlife-rich eastern coast of Africa, we are working with partners to help designate a marine protected area, to eliminate net fishing, and empower local women to cultivate mussels.
Mangrove restoration in the Philippines
Our target on this collaboration is 25,000 trees planted in the first year, as we try to turn abandoned aquaculture ponds back into healthy mangrove forests – and encourage the Philippines to push for 30 x 30.