Sunset at Dunraven Bay Wales Helen Hotson

Our focus in Wales

Welsh seas are truly special. They’re where warm and food-rich waters collide with colder seas. Almost half of the seas around Wales are Marine Protected Areas.

Puffin on Skomer Island Wales John Archer-Thompson

Credit: John Archer-Thompson

We’ve been working in Wales for almost 20 years. We helped drive the introduction of a ban on scalloping in vulnerable areas and create the first Wales National Marine Plan.

After nearly a decade’s campaigning, we were the first UK nation to introduce the carrier bag charge – since then, the number of plastic bags found on Welsh beaches during our beach cleans have fallen by 88%.

We’ve given evidence to numerous Welsh Government consultations and welcomed nearly 20,000 volunteers, including the First Minister, to beach cleans across the country and numerous Senedd Members have signed up as marine species champions.

We want everyone to enjoy the benefits of our seas for years to come.

Protection and management of Wales’ seas are devolved to the Welsh Government. With half of Wales’ waters technically protected, they should be thriving – but they’re not.

We’re facing a nature and climate emergency and need the protection of Welsh seas to become an urgent priority for the government. We’re constantly working on influencing the Welsh Parliament through our advocacy work to make this happen.

We need to ensure we actively manage our seas, then we can all benefit from everything it can provide us with - helping with climate change, thriving wildlife and sustainable fisheries. If Wales can pioneer this approach, we will recover and enhance our seas.
Gill Bell, Head of Conservation (Wales)

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Healthier ocean healthier planet

Our focus in Wales

Welsh seas are truly special. They’re where warm and food-rich waters collide with colder seas. Almost half of the seas around Wales are Marine Protected Areas.

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