What you can do

There are a number of ways that you can get involved and help towards protecting Devon’s marine environment – we’ve highlighted just some of them below:

Discover and learnLimpets on a rock

Discovering and learning about Devon’s marine environment is the first step in protecting it and there’s no better way to do so than seeing it first-hand. Visit your local coast and research what you’ve just found in a rockpool, google that seabird you spotted, and look in shore guides.

Not sure where to visit? Check out the Explore Devon website.

Choose sustainable seafood

The UK is full of seafood lovers and #FishFriday enthusiasts, but fish stocks are becoming increasingly over-exploited and the need for more thoughtful decisions as consumers is greater than ever. It’s not an easy task, but we’ve provided some great initiatives which will help you to chose sustainably and enable you to enjoy your favourite seafood without the guilt:

  • Marine stewardship council logoThe Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)and Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) are independent non-profit organisations which set a standard for sustainable fishing and aquaculture.
  • The Marine Conservation Society ‘Good Fish Guide’ The pioneers of ‘good fish guides’. The MCS have developed several tools to help businesses and consumers make the most sustainable purchases such as an in-depth online Good Fish Guide, associated app, and pocket-sized guide for making decisions on the go.
  • Cornwall good seafood guide logoCornwall ‘Good Seafood Guide’ Our Cornish neighbours have similarly produced a ‘good fish guide’ which works on a smaller, localised scale. Many of the species that they provide ratings for are similar to those in Devon. Just like the MSC and ASC, the Cornwall ‘good fish guide’ uses a logo to recognise sustainably sourced/caught seafood.
  • ‘Boat Stories’– a small-scale project working with the North Devon Fisheries Association that informs the public of sustainable seafood choices in North Devon.

Tackle pollution

There are many ways of reducing pollution and your impact on the marine environment and you can do them at home, work, or school.

Plastics collected on the beach

  • Recycle Devon – an excellent resource for Devon residents to find out about Reducing, Reusing and Recycling effectively.
  • Love Your Loo and Think Sink – Campaigns from South West Water- Love Your Loo which emphasises that you should only be flushing the 3 P’s (pee, paper and poo), and Think Sink looking addressing the issue of drain blockages and ‘fatbergs’ caused by waste being poured down sinks.
  • Travel Devon – an excellent resource for workplaces and their employees looking to make smarter travel choices and reduce their carbon footprint.

Volunteering

There are lots of general marine and coastal related volunteer opportunities with organisations across Devon including:

Beach Cleans are becoming increasingly popular and they are a fantastic way to make a visible difference to the marine environment. They are also a great way to meet like-minded people or to do on your own. Below are listed some opportunities to get involved with:

Make sure you look out for them in your area or use the Surfers Against Sewage beach clean finder. Can’t find any near you? Why not setup and organise your own?

Citizen science

Citizen science is both fun and hugely important. You can do it on your own, with friends, or as part of an organisation or local wildlife group. Your hard work often contributes to large long-term projects which helps influence decision makers.

You should submit all your wildlife sightings via Devon Biodiversity Record Centre (DBRC) to ensure they are used to help guide wildlife policy and research into the future. There are also these great citizen science initiatives:

Report strandings

For strandings of live marine animals, please call:
British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) on 01825 765546 (24 hours)

RSPCA on 03001234999

For strandings of dead animals:
In Devon please contact Devon Biodiversity Records Centre on 01392 274128

For animal harassment:
Devon and Cornwall Police please phone101, or email on 101@dc.police.uk

Please save these numbers into your phone as you neve know when you may come across a marine stranding – it could save a life

Lobbying

Lobbying is a great way to get your own and other voices heard, you can simply sign petitions online, create your own petitions, contact your local paper and so much more!

Write a letter to your MP on something you are passionate about, start by finding out who your MP is and how to contact them.