The Marine Conservation Society is the UK’s leading marine charity. We work to ensure our seas are healthy, pollution free and protected.

Our seas are under immense pressure: too many fish are being taken out, too much rubbish is being thrown in and too little is being done to protect our precious wildlife. Our vision is for seas full of life where nature flourishes and people thrive.

Infographic

Over time, one plastic bottle bobbing along in the ocean can break down in to hundreds of tiny plastic pieces

Infographic

To the shelf limits, Scotland has 61% of UK waters, of which 23% are now in existing or new ‘marine protected areas’

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© Jack Versiani Holt

Discover our wildlife
and report your sightings
Use our guide to find out more about our marine wildlife and where it lives.


Explore our seas
Straws
© mcs

The final straw
We challenge YOU to refuse the straw!


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Good Fish Guide

Good Fish Guide
The latest advice, top tips and recipes for buying and cooking fish that is sustainably sourced.


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Our Latest…

Clothes Shopping

News Fast fashion – cheap on the pocket but costing the earth

Clare Fischer 22 Jun 2018

Disposable clothing and its effect on the environment is to be the subject of a House of Commons inquiry. Clothes bought cheaply and worn only a few times, can release toxic chemicals during production, plastic fibres in the wash and then end up in landfill.

Read More

Fish Market

News Seafood mislabeling threatens fish stocks

Clare Fischer 22 Jun 2018

A new study has identified widespread mislabeling of seafood products after DNA-testing was carried out across the world – scientists say it’s threatening fish stocks. The same study also found poor trading practices and neglect of endangered species.

Read More

Coul Links Aerial

News Scottish Government urged to step in to save Coul Links

Clare Fischer 21 Jun 2018

Plans for a golf course at one of Scotland’s most important dune habitats have been passed by the local council despite a campaign against the development at Coul Links by a coalition of environmental groups including MCS. The group is calling on the Scottish Government to step in and save the dunes from permanent damage.

Read More

Crawfish

News Sark gives full protection to crawfish

Clare Fischer 20 Jun 2018

The smallest of the four main Channel Islands is the first place in the British Isles to fully protect the crawfish – also knows as the European spiny lobster. It follows underwater surveys by a local diver which showed the crustacean was making a comeback after being fished almost to extinction in the 1960s and 70s.

Read More

microbead fingerprint

News Microbead ban starts today

Clare Fischer 19 Jun 2018

Face scrubs, toothpastes and shower gels that contain microbeads are banned from sale in England and Scotland from today. The government says it’s a final step in one of the toughest microbead actions in the world. MCS welcomes the ban but says it should now be extended to all products that contain the tiny plastic particles, including suncreams and household cleaners.

Read More

Straws_N

News McDonald's to ban plastic straws at all UK and Ireland outlets

Clare Fischer 15 Jun 2018

McDonald’s has become the latest food outlet to announce it is ditching plastic straws in favour of paper ones. The chain uses 1.8million straws a day in the UK and the decision comes after a successful trial in some of its restaurants earlier this year.

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Prawn heart

Blog Are prawns a good environmental choice?

12 Jun 2018

We Brits love our prawns – in fact, we love them so much they make into our top five seafood choices alongside salmon, cod, haddock and tuna. However, we can’t ignore the alarming environmental messages we hear about them.

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Blog How to make plastic-free life last

Bev O'Kane 8 Jun 2018

A few summers ago, on my first Plastic Challenge trip to the supermarket, the great wall of plastic, quilting the supermarket shelves, knocked me back. Plastic – thick or thin - disguised and impounded my usual products, severely limiting my choice for the Plastic Challenge month ahead.

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coasting it

Blog Coasting it, one man's walk along 1600 miles of British coast

11 May 2018

Joshua Pedley, a 23-year old Waitrose partner is walking 1600 miles along the west coast of England and Wales from March to September 2018 to raise funds for the Marine Conservation Society.

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Blog A chef’s experience using the Good Fish Guide to make sustainable seafood choices

Erin O'Neill 4 May 2018

Chef Caroline Rye, The Urban Fishwife, tells us her experiences using MCS’ Good Fish Guide to make informed choices when buying fish.

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image

Blog Deposit returns - it's a new dawn for recycling in England

Sue Kinsey 28 Mar 2018

After years of campaigning, there is to be a deposit refund system (DRS) for England. This is fantastic news, but of course is only the first step in actually getting a system in place!

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Fishing boats small

Blog The challenges of fisheries management

Debbie Crockard 21 Mar 2018

We are currently going through the most significant legislative reform of the past 40 years; exactly how this will impact fisheries is unclear. There may be much to gain but also… so much to lose

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microbead fingerprint

Press Release Check your scrub – personal products containing microbeads are banned from sale from today

19 Jun 2018

Now ban must be extended to cleaning and other products says Marine Conservation Society

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Royal Cornwall Show 2018

Press Release Ross-on-Wye marine charity takes part in Prince of Wales' Countryside Parade

Richard Harrington 13 Jun 2018

Marine Conservation Society attends the Royal Cornwall Show to help celebrate its President’s lifelong contribution to rural life

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Langland beachclean

Press Release Help give Langland a litter free start to summer

13 Jun 2018

Marine Conservation Society hopes volunteer cleaners will come and give Gower beach a spruce-up after a busy spring

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Short snouted seahorse

Press Release Third round of Marine Conservation Zone designation could result in 40% of English seas being protected

8 Jun 2018

Today’s announcement that the designation of 41 proposed Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) for English waters will be open to public consultation over the next six weeks has been welcomed by the UK’s leading marine charity, the Marine Conservation Society (MCS).

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Croyde beachclean volunteers

Press Release 25th Great British Beach Clean has the opportunity to break records, says marine charity

7 Jun 2018

Cleaning more beaches could tip the balance when it comes to stopping the plastic tide says Marine Conservation Society

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Slurper

Press Release Devon resorts aim to be plastic straw-free with support from UK's leading marine charity

21 May 2018

It could be the final straw soon for three Devon towns as they bid to make their businesses plastic straw free. Teignmouth, Dawlish and Dawlish Warren will host the Marine Conservation Society’s straw monster, to raise awareness of single-use plastic.

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Clothes Shopping

News Fast fashion – cheap on the pocket but costing the earth

Clare Fischer 22 Jun 2018

Disposable clothing and its effect on the environment is to be the subject of a House of Commons inquiry. Clothes bought cheaply and worn only a few times, can release toxic chemicals during production, plastic fibres in the wash and then end up in landfill.

Read More

Fish Market

News Seafood mislabeling threatens fish stocks

Clare Fischer 22 Jun 2018

A new study has identified widespread mislabeling of seafood products after DNA-testing was carried out across the world – scientists say it’s threatening fish stocks. The same study also found poor trading practices and neglect of endangered species.

Read More

Coul Links Aerial

News Scottish Government urged to step in to save Coul Links

Clare Fischer 21 Jun 2018

Plans for a golf course at one of Scotland’s most important dune habitats have been passed by the local council despite a campaign against the development at Coul Links by a coalition of environmental groups including MCS. The group is calling on the Scottish Government to step in and save the dunes from permanent damage.

Read More

Crawfish

News Sark gives full protection to crawfish

Clare Fischer 20 Jun 2018

The smallest of the four main Channel Islands is the first place in the British Isles to fully protect the crawfish – also knows as the European spiny lobster. It follows underwater surveys by a local diver which showed the crustacean was making a comeback after being fished almost to extinction in the 1960s and 70s.

Read More

microbead fingerprint

News Microbead ban starts today

Clare Fischer 19 Jun 2018

Face scrubs, toothpastes and shower gels that contain microbeads are banned from sale in England and Scotland from today. The government says it’s a final step in one of the toughest microbead actions in the world. MCS welcomes the ban but says it should now be extended to all products that contain the tiny plastic particles, including suncreams and household cleaners.

Read More


 
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