6 ways you can protect the oceanPeople used to think that the oceans were so big that we would never change them, and so used them to their fullest - dumping rubbish, starting ‘land reclamation’, taking aggregate, fishing, laying power lines, more fishing… but the truth is that our actions have had huge consequences for the health of our oceans, the life within them, and their ability to support us. Take 3 deep breaths - 2 of those breaths were provided by the ocean. Sometimes it can be hard to feel connected to the ocean when you live in a city, you're busy at work or you're stuck inside because of a global pandemic, but the ocean is linked to everything that we do and your actions at home can still have a huge effect on the life in our seas. Globally, over three billion people depend on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods. Our oceans are under increasing pressure from overfishing, pollution and climate change and the impact are visible across the world. So what can you do to protect the oceans?1. Move away from single-use plastics. Single-use plastics are one of the biggest sources of marine debris. There are so many simple switches you can make in all aspects of your life. Having a reusable water bottle, not using plastic bags, buying toilet roll in paper wrappers, using bars of soap and shampoo instead of bottles… the list is pretty much endless… search #lifewithoutplastic and #zerowasteliving for inspiration, but remember little actions make a difference, you shouldn't feel bad for not changing everything and not immediately switching to reusable toilet roll (Seriously. Google it.) 2. Choose sustainable seafood. You should be going local and seasonal - yes fish have seasons too! We want to avoid breeding seasons for different fish around the year and where possible support local business. No more tuna - most tuna is endangered. No more prawns - it's about 80% bycatch and a lot of dead seahorses. You can also look for sustainable seafood, good fish guide, but take this with a pinch of salt (or a dash of seawater), the evidence and guidelines are always being updated - wild vs farmed salmon is a good example and we heard rumours of a sustainable tuna label which personally we 100% disagree with. https://www.mcsuk.org/goodfishguide/search 3. Sustainable Fashion & your washing Sustainable fashion has taken off in the UK in the past 5 years, there are loads of amazing small businesses out there creating clothing that's organic, traceable, sustainable, recycled, circular…. You name it and we’ll send you the link to someone that's doing it! One of the best ways to support sustainable fashion is to buy quality pieces that you know will last. If you don’t have the budget for that there are always amazing bargains to be found in vintage stores and charity shops! When picking your clothing think about what it's made of, it's best to choose natural fibres (like cotton) where possible as synthetic material breaks down over time, and in the wash, releasing microfibres into the water - and ultimately our oceans. We’re not saying you should go and bin your favourite fleece - but look at getting a Cora Ball or Microfiber-catching wash bag to simply collect the microfibers in your wash before they get into the water system 4. Learn about chemicals! We’re not talking about school science, we're talking about the chemicals that you use in everyday life. Your washing up liquid, your shampoo, your suncream ;) Take a moment to look at the ingredients list and find out what those chemicals are, so many chemicals are approved for use in cleaning products or cosmetics by the European Commission but are quite simply really bad for the environment. There are lots of sustainable swaps of all sorts of products, from toilet cleaner to toothpaste, which have less environmental impact and still keep everything clean. 5. Leave no trace! You’ve probably heard someone say ‘take only photos, leave only footprints’ at some point when you've visited a nice beach or a tourist spot. The principle behind this is simple right? But what about that cute shell you found or that pretty rock (is it only us who thinks rocks are pretty?) You should really leave those too! Empty shells provide habitats for all sorts of creatures from houses for Hermit Crabs, to hiding places for juvenile fish, to material for tube building worms, and as they break down they create sand for your favourite beach! The other part of leaving no trace is simple too, take your rubbish home with you! 6. Be an ocean advocate Spread the love - share ocean facts, share your experiences, take time to connect with nature, enjoy yourself and tell everyone about how great it is! If you have a little more time on your hands and you'd like to meet some like-minded people why not volunteer for one of the amazing marine conservation charities around the UK.
Let us know what you get up to & have a Great World Oceans Day!
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