And on this special day, our Greenpeace friend, Willie Mackenzie reminds us why turtles are awesome!

“When I heard it was World Turtle Day, I hatched a plan. I know that to an international audience ‘turtle’ covers  a multitude of reptile species, but rather than getting all Queens’ English-y over what is a tortoise, a terrapin or a turtle, I thought this was a good opportunity to focus in on the seven amazing species that roam our oceans – the sea turtles…”

Read Willie’s full blog: ‘Turtle recall’ at Greenpeace UK

© Greenpeace. An Olive Ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) swims in the open blue ocean of the Pacific.

Chelsea Bradbury, Marine Reserves Coalition

Has litter become socially acceptable? When asked what the threats to marine life are, a string of damaging activities may be listed before marine litter is even considered, yet it is currently one of the biggest threats facing the health of our ocean. Plastic litter is a huge problem as it never biodegrades and instead breaks down into tiny particles. Plastic bottles can stay intact for 450 years! This means that marine litter affects wildlife big and small. Millions of seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals die each year through entanglement or ingestion of marine litter. In 2002 a minke whale washed up on a French coast with 800g of plastic bags in its stomach (including British supermarket bags) and 94% of birds surveyed in the North Sea had ingested small plastic particles.

Marine litter – Egypt

The majority of marine litter consists of rubbish from land based sources which we can prevent. Marine litter around the UK has recently been brought to the attention of the media through beach cleaning events run by the Marine Conservation Society and Marks & Spencer. In one week in April, an abundance of volunteers nationwide helped to remove 4,000 bags full of litter off 300km of UK coastline. Some unusual items, such as a receipt from Norway and a HM prison toothbrush, highlighted the persistency of marine litter.

Only 15% of all marine litter washes up onto our beaches, but this is enough to convince us that it is not acceptable. The remaining 85% of rubbish is hidden from view yet still wreaking havoc to marine life. It is estimated that 70% of the litter that enters the sea ends up on the seabed, either smothering bottom-dwelling animals, or being dragged along by the currents and tearing up the fragile seabed.

In keeping with the theme that litter clean-ups are becoming fashionable, a new Guinness World Record was set for the longest underwater clean-up on April 13, which leads me to conclude that the tide is turning and we are starting to take responsibility for our actions (hopefully).

To get involved in a beach clean near you visit http://www.mcsuk.org/beachwatch/

Still not convinced you’re the beach cleaning type? Take a look at other ways you can help http://www.mcsuk.org/what_we_do/Clean+seas+and+beaches/Campaigns+and+policy/Campaigns+and+policy

Further Reading

1. WDCS. UK – Marine Litter. http://www.wdcs.org/submissions_bin/uk_marine_litter.pdf
2. UNEP. Marine Litter. http://www.unep.org/regionalseas/marinelitter/about/distribution/default.asp
3. Guinness World Records. Volunteer divers help set longest underwater clean-up record in Malaysia. http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2013/4/volunteer-divers-help-set-longest-underwater-clean-up-record-in-malaysia-48190/

Sue Scott, Pew Global Ocean Legacy

Pew’s Global Ocean Legacy is collaborating with the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) on their current research expedition to Tristan da Cunha archipelago, in the remote South Atlantic Ocean. Tristan da Cunha is about 2,400 kilometers (1,500 miles) from the nearest human settlement, making it the remotest inhabited island on Earth.

The BAS research vessel RRS James Clark Ross will be carry out deep sea research in the waters around the archipelago. It is the most important research expedition that has ever occurred around the islands at these depths. The data collected by the expedition will enable us to develop a greater understanding of the need to better protect these waters.

Sue Scott, a marine biologist, is currently on the RRS James Clark Ross. Sue will be reporting on her experiences on the expedition. Take a virtual journey with her as she discovers more about the incredible biodiversity of the Tristan da Cunha archipelago.

Read’s Sue’s blog from Tristan da Cunha

Lundy Island

May’s marine reserve is the ‘Lundy Marine Conservation Zone’, off the coast of North Devon. First established as a voluntary marine nature reserve in 1971, in 2010 Lundy Island received ‘Marine Conservation Zone’ status – the first area in the UK.

Find out more about Lundy’s MCZ

Basking shark; Cetorhinus maximus

The world’s second largest fish is once again in the UK’s coastal waters  and the basking shark season has officially begun, so grab your binoculars and  head out to see these gentle giants. The first basking shark of the season was  spotted off the Cornish coast, measuring a whopping 8m long – which is  relatively small seeing as these sharks can grow to 12m! As the long-awaited  sunshine of spring arrives, basking shark sightings are now rolling in.

Lured in by an abundance of plankton in surface waters as sea temperatures rise, the basking shark can be sighted in UK coastal waters from April  to October, with the peak months for sightings being May to July. The best  areas to see a basking shark are at one of the three identified hotspots: south-west  England, Isle of Man and the Sea of the Hebrides in Scotland. The greatest  numbers of basking shark sightings are recorded in south-west England, which is  thought to be an important nursery area for smaller sharks (‘small’ still being 4-6m!), and the largest sharks are frequently sighted off the Isle of Man and  off the Isles of Canna and Tiree in the Sea of the Hebrides.

Basking shark hotspots around the UK, highlighted in dark pink (Bloomfield & Solandt, 2006)

But where do these charismatic giants spend the rest of their time? It  was once thought that basking sharks hibernated during the winter (like  hedgehogs) off the continental slope. However, developments in scientific methods and tagging studies have revealed that basking sharks actually spend  winter periods travelling to depths of up to 1,000m in search of feeding  ‘hotspots’. This diving range is greater than that known for any plankton-feeding whales, giving basking sharks a significant advantage over their  mammalian competitors. Studies also show that, although migrating to deeper  waters, some basking sharks remain on the UK’s continental shelf over the  winter months. So although we may not be able to see them, they are still there  in our waters!

Record your basking shark sightings with:

• The Marine Conservation Society: http://www.mcsuk.org/sightings/baskingshark.php and;
• The Shark Trust: http://www.sharktrust.org/en/sightingform

Further Reading:

1. http://baskingsharkproject.blogspot.co.uk/
2. http://elementaltours.co.uk/first-basking-shark-of-2013/
3. Doyle et al. 2005. Marine Conservation Society Basking Shark Watch Report 1987-2004. Marine Conservation Society, Ross-on-Wye, UK
4. Parker & Boeseman, 1954 [online] Available at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1954.tb01487.x/pdf
5. Sims et al.¸2003 [online] Available at http://www.digital-westcountry.com/Artefact/Real%20Papers/baskingSharksMigration.pdf
6. Panigada et al., 1999 [online] Available at http://cetaceanalliance.org/download/literature/Panigada_etal_1999.pdf

© Jonathan Hall. Development control in St Helena is strong, one of only 3 Territories currently rated as such

The RSPB and the Foundation for International Environmental Law & Development (FIELD) have completed the first-ever analysis of environmental protection legislation and policy across all 14 UK Overseas Territories. The analysis revealed that there are important areas of good practice, but that many Overseas Territories still have significant gaps in their environmental governance which urgently need to be addressed.

Good Practice:

• Gibraltar is the Overseas Territory that best demonstrates good practice across the board
• The British Virgin Islands has notable good practice in its site protections
• St Helena has notable good practice in its development control mechanisms

Priorities for Improvement:

• 9 UK Overseas Territories don’t have strong networks of terrestrial protected areas
• 4 Territories don’t have any marine protected areas
• 5 Territories have no requirements for EIAs before permitting major developments
• At least 5 major environment bills, which would fill in many of the most pressing gaps in their environmental governance, have stalled in OT legislatures
• Increased input and strategically-focused support from the UK Government is essential if the UK’s most exotic wildlife is to be saved for future generations

For further information and to download the report, visit the RSPB’s website: www.rspb.org.uk/overseasterritories

© Anne Sheppard

Last week saw the third birthday of the world’s largest fully-protected marine reserve – the British Indian Ocean Territory marine protected area (otherwise known as the Chagos Marine Reserve).

Our friends at the Chagos Conservation Trust have put together some of the best images from the latest scientific expedition to this remarkable archipelago. They show why we’re all working to protect this globally important environment, and the stunning wildlife that thrives there.

View the full story at the Chagos Conservation Trust

Government is letting marine protection plans flounder

The Marine Reserves Coalition welcomes the Marine Science Report, published yesterday (11 April) by the House of Commons Science & Technology Committee. The cross-Party group of MPs has said that the creation of Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) is vital to protect biodiversity in UK waters and should not be stalled by government for fear of judicial review.

The Marine Reserves Coalition has long been calling for the selection and designation of MCZs to be based on best available evidence and we agree with the Report’s recommendation that, “The selection process should not be stalled by an unattainable threshold for certainty.”

The Committee’s Chair, Andrew Miller MP reflects our own views in his statement that, “Properly managed Marine Conservation Zones will protect marine life the UK’s coastal waters and ensure the fishing industry has a sustainable long- term future.”

A lack of understanding about the need for MCZs and the effects they may have on people has been apparent to us throughout the MCZ process and we agree that, “People need to understand what Marine Conservation Zones mean for their lifestyles and livelihoods.”

We hope the Environment Minister, Richard Benyon MP takes note of the report, shows renewed commitment to MCZs and outlines a clear timetable for delivery of the entire network.

Read the full Committee Report here.

Related posts:

Opportunity to protect English waters

In the UK

The recommended 127 MCZs

The Marine Reserves Coalition has today responded to the Government’s consultation on proposals for the designation of Marine Conservation Zones in English waters.

Read what we had to say here.

Marine Reserves Coalition member, Willie Mackenzie – Oceans Campaigner at Greenpeace UK – on the Margaris Abel Tasman Supertrawler:

“Over in Australia, our colleagues have just seen off an unwanted supertrawler, the Margiris. This monster of a boat has been sent packing after an unprecedented campaign by Greenpeace, local fishermen and NGOs, which resulted in the government banished it from fishing in Australian waters.”

Read Willie’s full blog at Greenpeace UK

Related posts: Fish are wildlife