Our Ocean Pledge

Dear Candidates,

Congratulations on making it through to the membership ballot in the contest to become Leader of the Conservative Party and our next Prime Minister.

Conservative Friends of the Ocean is a member group of the Conservative Party that looks to implement campaigns and develop policy aiming to promote the ocean and coastal communities by working within the Party, our members and we hope, with your government.

Many Conservative members will have a connection to the sea, whether it’s fishing communities supporting their livelihoods, families going to the seaside on holiday or some who have lived on the coast all their lives.

These same members will be receiving their ballots within days, and they know that as a proud island nation, we can and should look to do all we can to unlock the full potential of, and protect, our seas and coastal communities.

To provide a voice for those who care about healthy seas and ensure the UK continues to be a global leader in harnessing the power of our oceans sustainably, we are calling on you to commit to the following as part of our Ocean Pledge.

● Recommit to achieving 30by30 protection of UK waters

● Tackle pollution discharges into UK rivers and seas (by ensuring government better holds water companies to account)

● Support British coastal communities through levelling up and investment

● Have the sea at the heart of UK climate policy by embracing marine energy sources and enhancing blue carbon stores.

● Lead internationally on taking action against illegal and unregulated fishing.

We are writing this to you as an open letter to express the views and concerns of our members and all those around the country to whom the sea is important. We hope you will reflect on these points as part of your leadership campaigns and incorporate them into your plans for government.

We look forward to working with you in future to support healthy seas and thriving coastal communities here in the United Kingdom and across the globe.

Good luck for the rest of the campaign.

All the best wishes,

Marc and Oliver

Marc Nykolyszyn |   Oliver Kerr |

Director  Policy & Strategy Lead

Conservative Friends of the Ocean