Artisanal Aeolian fishermen are steadily running out of fish. The once bountiful seas around the Sicilian archipelago have been overfished by large fishing boats with quota for pelagic fish like swordfish and bluefin tuna. 

In 2018, Blue Marine saw the designation of the first ever MPA in the Caspian Sea, Gizilagaj MPA, near the mouth of the Kura river. The MPA provides a sanctuary for subadult sturgeon and a diversity of Caspian marine creatures. 

Blue Marine’s conservation programme in Greece aims to create focussed marine protected areas for the recovery of fish stocks, protection of endangered species and preservation of carbon-trapping seagrass beds.  

Blue Marine’s conservation programme in Greece aims to create focussed marine protected areas for the recovery of fish stocks, protection of endangered species and preservation of carbon-trapping seagrass beds.  

Blue Marine’s mission is to see 30 per cent of the world’s ocean under protection by 2030 and the high seas, which make up over 63 per cent of the ocean, are vital to achieving this goal. 

The Maldives’ coral reefs are globally significant. The reef ecosystem is the seventh largest in the world and the fifth most biodiverse. 

Small-scale fisheries – with their low impact gear and strong community ties – dominate the Mediterranean Sea. They make up more than 80% of the fishing fleet but account for only 24% of the fish caught. 

The Balearic Island of Menorca was declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1993. The Biosphere is finally extending into the marine realm and is supported by a new MPA on the south of the island. 

The Namibian Islands’ Marine Protected Area is Africa’s second largest marine reserve.

Blue Marine is gathering evidence to justify the designation of a vast marine protected area in the Gulf of Peñas in Patagonia.