BITE BACK - Marine Conservation Society

Written by staff reporter Monday, 06 October 2008 00:00

But it’s not just rubbish that’s changing the nature of our seas. Special underwater sites are being ruined by the ever more desperate need to trawl every inch of seafloor, and few places of refuge for our most breathtaking sea life are left.

Decades of overfishing are also consigning some of our amazing marine life such as common skate and cod to the history list. How on earth is the Marine Conservation Society going to turn things around?

It’s all about influence, bringing the message to those who govern and those who matter. The MCS has taken the call for marine reserves to the highest level of the government, with the backing of BSAC and 100,000 public voices (Dive was there – see the May 2008 issue). Just recently, the MCS has published its list of sustainable seafood, the Good Fish Guide – if you eat, buy or sell fish, you’ll have heard about it.

And the tide of rubbish? Well, we’re doing our best with our targeted villains – plastic waste and sewage – and the more people we can get involved in the Campaign for Clean Seas, the better. So it’s also about involving divers – getting them into underwater clean-ups, Seasearch surveys or kitting up on Parliament Square.

The Marine Conservation Society is also about giving a voice to the silent throng of life beneath the waves. This dynamic group has actually been operational since the 1970s, and as the MCS in name since 1983. It’s our silver jubilee this year, and we’re looking to celebrate 25 years of groundbreaking work to protect our sea life with lots of publicity, getting the voice of the sea through to a land-living public.

The MCS wants to collect divers’ opinions on what our seas mean to you (which dive site, simply, should be a nature reserve? Ever met a mermaid? Did you get married underwater?) and your impressions of how they may have changed in your lifetime – see below for how to contribute to the Sea&Me gallery of stories and photos.

The MCS is not a giant whale of a charity, but more like a streamlined blue shark or intelligent dolphin. And we pack a punch well above our weight. To keep doing this, we need your support. The MCS is making big waves, and we need your help. Go on, get really involved and give the MCS your time and money!

DIVE RECOMMENDS
• Join the MCS, take part in Sea&Me, and sign up for the online e-newsletter at www.mcsuk.org
• Organise a sponsored Coastal Challenge – Dive Zone in landlocked Wiltshire raised over £3,000 for the MCS this year with a 24-hour dive!
• Take part in an underwater clean-up on 20–21 September
• Do Seasearch training, so that any dive can be a Seasearch dive
• See www.seasearch.org.uk, call 01989 566017 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it