Marine Conservation Society

Founded	1983 (1983)
Type	Charitable organisation
Registration no.	1004005 (England & Wales) SC037480 (Scotland)
Focus	Marine protected areas, sustainable seafood, beach and marine litter, cleaner bathing waters
Location	Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire
Area served	United Kingdom
Key people	Sandy Luk (CEO)
Revenue	£5.2million (2019)
Website	www.mcsuk.org

The Marine Conservation Society is a UK-based not-for-profit organization working with businesses, governments and communities to clean and protect oceans. Founded in 1983, the group claims to be working towards "cleaner, better-protected, healthier UK seas where nature flourishes and people thrive." The charity also works in UK Overseas Territories.^[1]

Efforts

The Clean Seas work as a team to reduce pollution on beaches and in oceans by encouraging change within the public, the industries and the governments. Reducing reliance on single-use plastic is one of their focal points, with a focus on the impact of PFAS or 'forever chemicals'.^[2]

The Fisheries and Aquaculture team encourages sustainable fishing methods. They work to stop overfishing and replace stock. Additionally, they promote the eating of sustainable seafood via the Good Fish Guide.^[3]

The Ocean Recovery works as a team with management authorities and local communities to manage marine protection projects and to protect oceans.^[4]

The Marine Conservation Society is a membership organization and relies on income from members, individual donations and corporate support. The charity is sometimes known by its initials MCS.

Campaigns

Beachwatch^[5] - the largest volunteer beach cleaning and litter survey in the UK has been running for over 25 years, involving almost 20,000 volunteer beach cleaners annually. The Great British Beach Clean is a national event which takes place every third weekend in September.^[6]

Stop Ocean Threads, which addresses clothing fiber pollution.^[7]

Don't bottle it Boris worked towards introducing a bottle return program within the UK.^[8]

Good Fish Guide - the guide (online, smartphone app and pocket paper version) includes the Marine Conservation Society "Fish to Eat" and "Fish to Avoid" lists and advice on choosing fish to eat from populations that aren't endangered or caught by means which may be considered habitat wrecking.^[3]

Timeline

Wig and Pen Club in Fleet Street

• 1975 – Bernard Eaton (editor of Diver magazine) proposed an "Underwater Conservation Year" with the help of such key figures as David Bellamy. The first meeting was held in the Wig and Pen Club in Fleet Street.
• 1977 – The first "Conservation Year" with the Prince of Wales as president. Hundreds of divers surveyed marine habitats.
• 1978 – The "Underwater Conservation Society" was established in Ross-on-Wye on the success of the "Conservation Year". Bob Earl was the new UCS Project coordinator.
• 1983 – Name changed to Marine Conservation Society and registered with the Charity Commission .
• 1986 – MCS start "Seasearch" with the Joint Nature Conservation Committee.
• 1987 – Published Golden List of Clean Beaches - now called the Good Beach Guide
• 1988 – Ross-on-Wye office burns down.
• 1993 – First Beachwatch weekend.
• 1998 – MCS wins protection for Basking sharks.
• 1999 – MCS starts lobbying for a review of marine nature conservation in UK.
• 1999 – MCS members magazine is first printed in color.
• 2000 – Office opened in Scotland.
• 2001 – Launches Adopt-a-turtle scheme.
• 2007 – MCS staff and supporters march on Parliament calling for a strong Marine Bill.
• 2008 – MCS celebrates Silver Jubilee.
• 2009 – Marine and Coastal Access Act passed.
• 2009 – Your Seas Your Voice Campaign launched.
• 2010 – Scottish Marine Act passed.
• 2011 – MCS' sustainable seafood advice was the cornerstone of Channel 4 Big Fish Fight series led by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.
• 2012 – Launches "Sea Champions" - national programme offering environmental volunteer opportunities in the UK.
• 2013 – MCS led 2,000 people in a march on Parliament to demand Marine Conservation Zones.
• 2016 - 23 additional Marine Conservation Zones designated in English waters bringing the total so far to 50.
• 2017 - Seasearch divers document damage in outer Loch Carron which becomes an emergency Marine Protected Area.^[9]
• 2018 - #StopthePlasticTide campaign launched on billboards up and down the country
• 2018 - MCS expressed concern over deaths of the creatures at Sea Life centres.^[10]
• 2019 - Sustainability of over 760 million seafood meals improved this year thanks to use of the Good Fish Guide.
• 2020 - Work starts on ground-breaking turtle management work in British Virgin Islands and Montserrat.

Awards

The Marine Conservation Society won the Coast Magazine "Best Green Marine Campaign Award" in 2011 for its Beachwatch project.^[12]

The charity's Great British Beach Clean project was shortlisted by the BBC Countryfile magazine "Awards for the Conservation Success of the Year" in 2018 and won the award.^[13]

References

External links

• Marine Conservation Society Website
• Seasearch