07 June 2023

Press Release

For immediate release

Green is the new blue: Celebrating the fabulously fertile seas of the UK and their green underwater forests this World Oceans Day (8 June)

The world's oceans and seas have absorbed around 90% of human-induced heat from climate change in the last few decades.
This World Oceans Day we recognise the potential of UK seas with their carbon-absorbing habitats - such as seagrass meadows, kept and saltmarsh.
To shine a spotlight on the richness of UK seas, WWF is working with Câr-y-Môr ("For the Love of the Sea") seaweed farm in Wales

The world’s oceans and UK’s seas are at the heart of a system that helps to regulate our climate, however water around the globe has already absorbed around 90% of the extra heat caused by increased greenhouse gas emissions from human activity in the last few decades.[1]

This World Oceans Day, WWF is delving deeper into the globally important waters that frame our isles, which have the potential to absorb and store significant amounts of carbon, with habitats such as seagrass and saltmarsh absorbing carbon more efficiently than rainforests per unit area. Our waters provide a home for a variety of species, from whales, sharks and turtles to seafloor wonders including starfish, sponges, corals, scallops and hermit crabs. Seagrass meadows, kelp forests and saltmarshes serve as both nurseries and a safe haven.

The UK’s seas should be some of the most productive and biodiverse on our planet. But UK nature is in crisis and it is now in the bottom 10% globally when it comes to nature depletion. Warming oceans, unsustainable fishing practices – such as overfishing, bycatch of marine wildlife and damages to seabed habitats – and a lack of action to protect our seas are destroying our marine ecosystems.

Simon Walmsley, Marine Chief Advisor, WWF-UK, says:

“We need to make urgent changes to reduce the increasing demands on our seas, ensure nature thrives and turn the tide to give our seas a real chance to recover. UK seas could become some of the most productive waters on our planet: not only good for nature and climate, but good for our health and livelihoods too.

“We must act now by fishing more sustainably, planning the use of our seas better, tackling climate change and protecting these important places for nature, to save the waters that surround our wild isles.”

For the love of the sea

One pioneering project that is leading the way when it comes to sustainable aquaculture is Welsh seaweed farm Câr-y-Môr (which translates as “For the Love of the Sea”), based off the St David’s Peninsula. Founded in August 2019 by regenerative ocean farmer Owen Haines, his daughter Megan Haines, and wider family, Câr-y-Môr has created underwater seaweed gardens that can regenerate marine ecosystems.

Câr-y-Môr is a community-owned business with three ocean farm sites, that grow kelp alongside scallops and oysters, while being monitored for biodiversity. Câr-y-Môr uses no fertiliser, pesticides, or freshwater, and the farmed seaweed is used to create products ranging from cakes to biodegradable plant pots.

WWF is working with the Câr-y-Môr team to support the growth of the project which improves biodiversity, provides products for use in food, and supports sustainable local community livelihoods. If successful, the project will be scaled up and provide a template for small producers in coastal communities across the UK.

Co-founder of Câr-y-Môr, Megan Haines, said:

“Regenerative ocean farming is the coolest form of food production I’ve ever seen or heard of. It requires no land, no water, no chemicals, no fertilizers and no feed.

“It is already clear that our project is supporting the local marine ecosystem as you can see all these other species coming towards the farm in search of habitat and food. We may not have resolved climate change, but we are already seeing the power of regeneration.”

Catch-22

As part of their Save our Wild Isles campaign, the National Trust, RSPB and WWF are calling on businesses to put nature at the heart of every boardroom decision as businesses have a major impact on the natural world both in the UK and globally through their value chains.

The charities have released a short film, produced by Silverback Films, aimed at UK businesses in the marine sector. Catch-22 reveals the devastating loss of nature in our marine environment and explores actions employees and businesses can take to reduce their impact.

To protect and restore our oceans we must take advantage of new technologies that allow for low-impact fishing, put sustainable quotas in place, strengthen and extend our Marine Protected Areas, and work with nature to lock away carbon.

Dr Bryce Stewart, Marine Ecologist at the University of York, who features in the film, said:

“Until fairly recently there was this concept of an inexhaustible sea. Now we know differently. The amount of fish that fishing boats are catching, per unit effort, for most species is much lower than 70 years ago.

"But when we set sustainable fishing quotas, we can get it right, as with bluefin tuna which have recovered and spread across the Mediterranean and back into the UK and Ireland. And businesses can have an immediate positive impact by making sustainable choices.”

As the demand on our seas continues to grow, every one of us can play a part in ensuring we use them sustainably and in harmony with nature. If we can do this, then not only will they teem with wildlife, but they will also provide us with sustainable food sources and renewable energy, help us tackle climate change, and be a source of health and wellbeing for generations to come.

WWF-UK also supports work globally to influence government decision-makers, industries and consumers to enhance coastal community wellbeing and give our planet’s oceans a healthier future, from tropical mangroves and coral reefs to the polar regions. For example, WWF-UK is working with Coral Reef Rescue Initiative to safeguard the world’s most climate resilient and restorative coral reefs and the benefits they provide against the impacts of climate change and other threats.

Read more about WWF’s work on Oceans at www.wwf.org.uk/where-we-work/oceans

ENDS

Download images of Câr-Y-Môr seaweed project here

Watch the Save Our Wild Isles marine business film Catch-22 here

NOTES TO EDITORS

[1] - climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/ocean-warming/
UK seas facts:
- The UK's seas and coastal habitats cover over 885,000 sq km.
- Scotland's sea area is six time larger than its land area.
- Wales' seas cover 32,000 sq km and include seagrass meadows, saltmarshes and mixed seaweed habitat.
- The UK's coastal ecosystems can provide over £6 billion worth of flood protection.
- Saltmarshes can help reduce the height of waves by up to 20%. The UK has lost over 85% of its saltmarshes.
- The UK has lost up to 92% of its seagrass in the last century. If current trends continue the UK could lose nearly half of its remaining seagrass beds by 2040.
- Losing coastal ecosystems and fisheries would cost the UK £15 billion per year by 2050.