Great British Oceans campaign issues mission statement

We provide here the Statement, February 2015, issued by the Great British Oceans campaign (Marine Reserves Coalition) in support of the creation of marine reserves in the UK Overseas Territories of the Pitcairn Islands, Ascension Island, and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.

“The UK has the fifth largest area of ocean in the world under its jurisdiction when its Overseas Territories (UKOTs) are taken into account. Over 94% of the UK’s unique biodiversitybiodiversity Biological diversity in an environment as indicated by numbers of different species of plants and animals. is found in the UKOTs, which support a large number of rare and threatened species and habitats found nowhere else on Earth. It makes good economic and environmental sense for the UK to work with its Territories to establish effective networks of marine protected areas throughout all waters under UK jurisdiction.

“We the undersigned are calling on the British government to protect over 1.75 million km² of the world’s oceans by creating large‐scale and fully‐protected marine reserves in three of the UKOTs — the Pitcairn Islands, Ascension Island, and South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands.

Pitcairn Islands (834,000km²).

“With unanimous support from the local community and Pitcairn Island Council, a marine reserve in Pitcairn would offer protection to some of the most pristine waters and coral reefs on earth, providing international recognition and connecting this Territory to global marine science and tourism.

Ascension Island (443,000km²)

“A green turtle mecca and one of the last remaining hotspots for Atlantic megafauna such astuna, marlin and shark. Ascension’s waters offer a rare opportunity for large‐scale marine

protection in the tropical Atlantic.

South Sandwich Islands (530,000 km²)

“Uninhabited by humans, the volcanic South Sandwich Islands host huge concentrations of wildlife, including vast penguin colonies and significant whale populations.

“The UK Government can fully protect these areas from all extractive and damaging activity today. This would make a globally significant contribution to ocean conservation, leaving a historic legacy for people and wildlife at very little cost.”

This statement has been co-ordinated by the Marine Reserves Coalition and the RSPB and is supported by the following organisations and individuals:

Non‐governmental organisations and groups:

The Marine Reserves Coalition is a group of five UK‐based organisations, working collaboratively on the designation of large‐scale marine reserves. Members include BLUE Marine Foundation, Greenpeace UK, Marine Conservation Society, Pew Charitable Trusts, Zoological Society of London.
www.marinereservescoalition.org/

    1. A Focus on Nature

    2. A Rocha

    3. Army Ornithological Society

    4. BIAZA

    5. Birdlife International

    6. Blue Marine Foundation

    7. Blue Ventures

    8. Chagos Conservation Trust

    9. Coral Restoration Foundation Europe

    10. Coral Restoration Foundation International

    11. Environmental Investigation Agency

    12. Faunafauna The animals characteristic of a region, period, or special environment and Flora International

    13. Fin Fighters UK

    14. Fish Fight

    15. Galapagos Conservation Trust

    16. Greenpeace UK

    17. International National Trusts

    18. International Union for the Conservation of Nature

    19. Linnean Society

    20. Marine Conservation Institute

    21. Marine Conservation Society

    22. Mission Blue

    23. National Geographic Society

    24. National Marine Aquarium

    25. New Economics Foundation

    26. Oceana

    27. Oceans 5

    28. Pangea

    29. Pew Charitable Trusts

    30. Plymouth University Marine Institute

    31. Project Seahorse

    32. Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

    33. Selfridges Project Ocean

    34. Shark and Coral Conservation Trust

    35. Shark Trust

    36. The Blackfish

    37. The Deep

    38. The Waitt Foundation

    39. The Waitt Institute

    40. Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust

    41. World Animal Protection

    42. Zoological Society of London

    Individuals:

    43. Professor Martin J. Attrill Marine Institute, Plymouth University

    44. Professor Jonathan Baillie Director of Conservation, Zoological Society of London

    45. Dr Courtney Couch Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, Hawaii University

    46. Mr David Curnick University College London

    47. Dr Andrew Davies School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University

    48. Professor Terry Dawson University of Dundee

    49. Dr Nick Dulvy Canada Research Chair in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation,

    Simon Fraser University

    50. Dr Sylvia Earle Mission Blue

    51. Professor Graham Edgar University of Tasmania

    52. Dr Lucy Gilliam Exxpedition

    53. Dr Nicholas Graham James Cook University

    54. Dr Matthew Gollock Zoological Society of London

    55. Dr Al Harris Director, Blue Ventures

    56. Dr Nicholas Hill Zoological Society of London

    57. Mr Robert Irving Sea‐Scope

    58. Dr Elin Kelsey The Cairns Institute, James Cook University

    59. Dr Heather Koldewey Head of Global Programmes, Zoological Society of London

    60. Professor Dan Laffoley Vice Chair, World Commission on Protected Areas

    61. Dr Tom Letessier Zoological Society of London, Chagos Consortium

    62. Dr Carl Lundin Director, IUCN Global Marine and Polar Programme

    63. Professor Jessica Meeuwig University of Western Australia

    64. Dr Mark Mulligan Kings College London

    65. Professor Ken Norris Director of Science, Zoological Society of London

    66. Professor Elliott Norse Marine Conservation Institute

    67. Dr Daniel Pauly University of British Columbia

    68. Dr Jurgenne Primavera Pew Fellow in Marine Conservation

    69. Mr Peter Raines MBE Coral Restoration International

    70. Professor Callum Roberts University of York

    71. Professor Alex Rogers Oxford University

    72. Dr Enric Sala National Geographic

    73. Professor Charles Sheppard University of Warwick

    74. Dr Michelle Taylor Oxford University

    75. Mr David Tickler University of Western Australia

    76. Professor Amanda Vincent University of British Columbia

    77. Dr Elizabeth Widman University of Warwick/Chagos Conservation Trust

    78. Dr Elizabeth Wood Marine Conservation Society

    79. Professor Rosie Woodroffe Senior Research Fellow, Zoological Society of London

    80. Dr Chris Yesson Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London

    81. Ms Gillian Anderson Actress

    82. Mr Mark Avery Writer, wildlife expert and conservationist

    83. Ms Helena Bonham Carter Actress

    84. Dr Arlo Brady Managing Director, Freuds

    85. Mr Colin Chester Ascension Island Fishing Charter

    86. Ms Julie Christie Actress

    87. Mr Charles Clover Writer

    88. Mr George Duffield Film maker & philanthropist

    89. Mr Hugh Fearnley‐Whittingstall Writer and broadcaster

    90. Mr Tony Juniper Campaigner, writer, sustainability adviser and environmentalist

    91. Mr Stuart McPherson Naturalist and explorer

    92. Mr George Monbiot Writer

    93. Ms Tamsin Omond Environmental activist

    94. Mr Chris Packham Naturalist and TV presenter

    95. Ms Anne Pitcher Managing Director, Selfridges

    96. Mr Jonathan Porritt Environmentalist and writer

    97. Mr Lewis Pugh Ocean advocate, maritime lawyer and pioneer swimmer

    98. Mr Nicky Rohl Fishlove

    99. Mr Paul Rose Explorer and BBC presenter

    100. Ms Greta Scacchi Actress

    101. Mr Nigel Stansfield Vice President & Chief Innovations Officer, Interface Inc.

    102. Ms Zoe Wanamaker Actress

    103. Mr Wieste van der Werf Founder, The Blackfish

    104. Ms Alannah Weston Deputy Chairman, Selfridges Group

    105. Ms Olivia Williams Actress

    106. Ms Elisabeth Whitebread Ocean Optimism

    Source: Marine Oceans Coalition, February 2015. For further details, see www.greatbritishoceans.org/great-british-oceans-statement-feb-2015.pdf


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