Community Voice Method

If we're going to recover and safeguard our ocean, the people who use and depend on it need to be part of shaping a future that is good for us and good for the ocean.

An inclusive and holistic approach in marine conservation

We do what we can to make sure that conversations about how our ocean is used and managed consider the many different ways in which people care about and depend on it. This is just one of the ways in which we demonstrate our commitment to actively work towards a more inclusive and holistic approach in marine conservation.

Find out more about how the Community Voice Method works in the short films on this page:

Wellbeing and childhood memories

Wild Coast Sussex aims to inspire people living along the coast in Sussex to cherish their local sea and act in more ocean-friendly ways. Wild Coast Sussex is a partnership project and we're leading on the work with 16-25 year olds.

As part of our project research, we filmed young people and asked their perspectives. By grounding the conversation in value, we were able to have really meaningful conversations that really explored the diverse needs and concerns of young people living in Sussex. We build these values into our project plan, including a series of beach events for young people as a result.

Wild Coast Sussex is a collaborative, 3 year, National Lottery Heritage Fund funded project, thanks to money raised by National Lottery players. Wild Coast Sussex is led by Sussex Wildlife Trust, with Marine Conservation Society, Sussex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority and Brighton Sealife.

We designed Common Ground to actively emphasise the values that connect people to their local coast and sea and guide thinking on how management reflects, supports or impact on local values.

The film was shown at workshops in Suffolk, Norfolk and Lincolnshire which brought together a wide range of people, views and values.

We used guided deliberation to explore the shared values that connect people to their coastal and marine resources, key issues in the district and potential actions that could help address them. This fed into the local authority’s strategic planning.

Common Ground was delivered in partnership with the Eastern Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority and with support from Community Voice Consulting. The Marine Conservation Society continues work in Norfolk through Agents of Change

Talkin’ Turtle was designed to engage resource users in the design of updated management measures for the long-standing, traditional marine turtle fishery in the Turks & Caicos Islands.

The film showcased a broad range of views on the value and uses of turtles and how this resource should be managed, and was screened at a diverse set of workshops across the islands. The project resulted in new management measures being drafted and brought into law in 2014.

Talkin’ Turtle was delivered in collaboration with the Turks and Caicos Islands Department of Environment and Coastal Resources and with support from Community Voice Consulting.

The Marine Conservation Society continues work in the Turks and Caicos Islands to assess the impact of these management measures, and will be employing Community Voice Method in the British Virgin Islands and Montserrat to develop stakeholder-led solutions to marine management issues