It’s official - we do like to be beside the seaside!

3rd August 2007

Whether it’s somewhere to enjoy the holidays or a resource for the food we eat, the results of a survey by the Wildlife Trusts show just how much we have come to depend on our marine environment.  More than 1,200 people from across the UK, including 100 from the south west, took part in the telephone survey commissioned by the Wildlife Trusts to examine public attitudes to our seas.

When asked to choose from a list of six options, a day at the seaside topped the poll as people’s favourite leisure activity taking 38% of the vote.  90% of respondents saw the sea as an important food source, but more than three-quarters felt that there are fewer fish in the sea than 20 years ago.  Respondents were very supportive of marine conservation and, on average, thought that 56% of our seas should be protected in Marine Reserves – conservation areas where all damaging activities are banned.  

Commenting on the results of the survey, Joana Doyle, Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s Marine Conservation officer, said, “Clearly, the people in the south west place great value on our seas and believe that they should be protected.  People in the south west of England thought that 23% of the UK’s sea area is already protected in Marine Reserves.  In reality, the figure is less than 0.001%.  We need new laws to protect our seas and marine life now”.

• Survey results - PDF file - 743kb

The UK’s seas are extraordinarily rich in wildlife, home to more than 44,000 animal and plant species from intricate corals to the giant basking sharks recently spotted off the Cornish coast.  However our seas are poorly protected compared to terrestrial habitats and are under increasing pressure from offshore activities and as climate change alters marine ecosystems.  The Wildlife Trusts have collectively been campaigning for many years for a Marine Bill to deliver better protection for our marine wildlife.  One of the key demands of the Wildlife Trusts’ campaign for a Marine Bill is the creation of ‘Highly Protected Marine Reserves’, where all fishing and other damaging activities are prohibited. 

Lisa Browning, Marine Development Manager for the Wildlife Trust adds:   “Like climate change, the destruction of marine wildlife is an urgent global issue and the UK Government must take a lead by protecting our own seas. We cannot delay marine legislation any longer - the urgency to protect marine biodiversity is unquestionable.” 

“The Marine Bill is the key piece of legislation that will enable the Government to deliver urgently needed protection for our marine wildlife in the UK.  The Marine Bill must be included in the 2007 Queen’s Speech and it must deliver Highly Protected Marine Reserves”.

The Wildlife Trusts have devised an innovative way of gathering petition signatures to support their campaign for a Marine Bill – the Petition Fish. 

Joana explains, “The Petition Fish are large, brightly coloured templates, representing 4 fish found in UK waters (cod, triggerfish, wrasse and flatfish).  To support the petition, you sign a scale and attach it to the fish.  In October all the Petition Fishes will be collected together and this ‘shoal’ of 200 Petition Fish will be taken to the Houses of Parliament by the Wildlife Trusts as a public show of support for a Marine Bill to protect our seas.  Thousands of people and over 100 MPs have already pledged their support by signing Petition Fish scales.  It’s a simple way for people to get involved and to help save our seas.  We will have the Petition Fish at all of our Marine Fortnight events between the 4th and 19th August for people to sign and pledge their support for the Marine Bill”.

To find out about Marine Fortnight events in Cornwall visit Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s website the events pages at www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk.  For events in other parts of the country, and information on the Marine Bill visit the marine and coastline pages of the Wildlife Trusts website at www.wildlifetrusts.org.