Our campaign
Less than 1% of our seas is fully protected from damaging activities. Good science says that between 10% and 40% of marine habitats should be fully protected.
What do we want?
1. MCS is campaigning for laws that will make it possible to fully protect some parts of our seas.
2. With these laws in place MCS will campaign for 30% of our seas to be fully protected.
Recent campaign highlights
May 2009: MCS Your Seas Your Voice promoted on BBC Springwatch.
May 2009: MCS and other NGOs take part in a mass lobby of the House of Commons.
May 2009: Countryside Council for Wales funds MCS to promote the need for highly protected marine sites in Wales.
April 2009: A Scottish Marine Bill is introduced to the Scottish Parliament for Scottish inshore waters, including powers to set up marine protected areas.
April 2009: The first no-take marine reserve in the North Sea is announced to the south of Flamborough Head.
April 2009: MCS visits the Channel Islands (Guernsey and Jersey) to promote marine protected areas with Finding Sanctuary manager Tom Hooper.
February 2009: Co-op asks customers to support marine reserves, and gets 298,000 votes in one week.
November 2008: MCS joins forces with the Co-operative Group to campaign for marine reserves.
November 2008: UK government debates the Marine Bill in Parliament.
September 2008: Scottish Government protects Lamlash Bay as a no-take zone.
July 2008: Scottish Government launches Scottish Marine Bill consultation.
June 2008: Government stops damaging fishing in Lyme Bay, southern Devon / Dorset.
April 2008: MCS and British Sub Aqua Club divers deliver the petition to MP for Biodiversity, Joan Ruddock at the House of Commons.
April 2008: 101,713 signatures calling for Marine Reserves Now received from UK public aquaria.
March 2008: Government protects Fal Bay in Cornwall from damaging fishing after a year-long MCS campaign.
March-June 2007: Marine Reserves Now gets support from celebrities and members of the public.
April 2007: UK aquaria start gathering petition signatures in support of our Marine Reserves Now campaign objectives.
March 2007: MCS launches Marine Reserves Now campaign with Kate Humble at the
dive show with partners the British Sub Aqua Club
