Pollution-free seas for people and wildlife

Pollution of the sea takes many forms. Toxic chemicals, sewage, crude oil, radioactive waste, agricultural fertilisers, animal waste, storm run-off from our city streets, and millions of tonnes of litter all threaten our seas and shoreline. Pollution can contaminate the fish we eat, the water in which we swim, the beaches we visit, and the fantastic marine life we see every day around the British coast.

The North Sea was once considered to be the most contaminated sea in Europe. New environmental laws have helped, but the United Nations still classes land based pollution as one of the four major threats faced by the World's oceans today.

Pollution of the sea affects us all, and for over 20 years MCS has campaigned in the UK for clean seas and beaches, encouraging everyone to take an active role to prevent further damage. We lobby the Government and national industries on your behalf, work hard to involve and inform the public, and use the latest scientific research and old fashioned common sense to campaign for a better environment.

MCS has campaigned on pollution issues for over two decades. For information on our key campaigns and the key pollutants affecting our seas and marine life select from the list to the right.