The governments of the UK are falling even further behind in their duty to recover our seas
Just a week after we joined ocean leaders gathering in Nice to agree on the way forward for global ocean protection, all four governments in the UK have published the latest assessment of how our own patch of the global ocean is doing; it makes for sobering reading.
Six years after the last Summary of Progress Toward Good Environmental Status report, the state of our marine environment has not improved; in fact, it could be said to be worse. In 2018 only four of the 15 targets for ocean health were met and in 2024, that dropped to just two. This is a clear call to governments across the UK to take immediate and decisive action to recover the health of our seas – for the sake of our people, our planet and our future.
A table showing a summary of progress toward Good Environmental Status
In 2024, only the targets for eutrophication (the accumulation of nutrients in the water that causes an increase in plant and algae growth, which can deplete the water’s oxygen levels) and changes in hydrographical conditions (changes to the water’s physical and chemical features caused by human activities and climate change; for example, coastal erosion and rising sea temperature) were met.
We must recover, restore and conserve our vital marine ecosystems. We need ecosystem-based marine planning with a requirement to enhance the health of nature at its core. This should prioritise which activity should take place in which area and identify valuable spaces to set aside for active restoration or in which to reduce human pressures, such as damaging fishing.
Alongside this, we need a just transition plan to support the fishing industry to move away from these practices, such as current use of bottom-towed fishing gear, with incentives to adopt lower impact, more sustainable practices.
Although the UK Government recently announced that it will consult on fisheries management measures for Marine Protected Areas (MPA) in offshore English waters, we still await the Scottish Government’s proposals for fisheries measures in Scotland’s offshore MPAs and a consultation on the remaining inshore sites that lack them. Introducing these measures is essential for the UK to achieve Good Environmental Status and meet these targets.
A starfish found around Shetland Islands, Scotland
Credit: Martin Stevens
We also need to ban so-called ‘forever chemicals’, or PFAS (per and polyfluoralkyl substances) to protect our beloved species from their impacts. Economic interventions, such as introducing the long-awaited Deposit Return Schemes, could prevent tonnes of plastics and litter entering our seas. Transforming the management of water and sewage could stop pollutants such as microplastics and chemicals from damaging coastal ecosystems.
At the Marine Conservation Society, we will continue to push all the governments of the UK to address all these concerns to fulfil their domestic and international obligations and address the triple climate, nature and pollution crises that are harming our ocean. We couldn’t agree more with David Attenborough that “if we save the sea, we save our world”. We hope our governments are listening.
