Oceana - our chosen charity
An international organisation that was established in 2001 to work exclusively to protect and restore the oceans on a global scale. Since its founding, Oceana has won more than 275 victories and protected nearly 4 million square miles of ocean.
"The ocean is home to a staggering array of life and its depths are Earth’s last true unexplored frontier. It stabilises our climate and keeps our planet habitable. It gives us air to breathe, food to eat and boosts our mental health. We must protect these astounding underwater worlds, for future generations, and the planet itself." credit: Oceana
Oceana has offices in North America, Central America, South America, Europe and Asia; educating and lobbying for policy change backed by scientifically gathered information.
Here in the UK, Oceana have an office not far from Emily's own studio by the sea. An example of a current campaign is the work they are doing to ban bottom trawling in UK Marine Protected Areas (MPA's):
"Bottom trawlers and dredgers drag heavy metal gear and nets – that can be as large as a football field and weigh several tonnes – across the seafloor, scooping up all sea life and often severely damaging marine habitats. A ban on bottom trawling and dredging in all our Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), as well as within three nautical miles of the coast, is essential to restore and protect UK marine ecosystems and safeguard coastal economies." credit: Oceana campaigns
“We are calling on UK and Scottish Ministers to commit to ban bottom trawling in our Marine Protected Areas, rather than licensing it. If they cannot protect this small portion of our seas, what hope do we have for the rest of our ocean? With the ecological and climate emergency we are in, swifter action is needed and the UK, along with all G7 countries, should lead the way to ensure Marine Protected Areas are truly protected.” credit: Melissa Moore, head of UK policy at Oceana in Europe.
In place of Black Friday we are proud to be donating 10% of retail sales taken on 24th & 25th November to Oceana.
Visit Oceana and discover more about their ongoing mission to protect and restore the world’s oceans.
Photography by James Bannister
