Defending our Oceans

For too long, marine life has been largely open for the taking by anyone possessing the means to exploit it. Rapid advances in technology have meant that the ability, reach and power of vessels and equipment used to exploit marine life now far outweigh nature's ability to maintain it. If left unchecked, this will have far reaching consequences for the marine environment and for people who depend on it.

Ocean life comes in an incredible array of shapes and sizes - from microscopic plankton to the largest of the great whales.

Yet many species have been, or are being, driven towards extinction through devastating human impacts.

The Defending our Oceans campaign exposes these threats, confronts the villains and promotes solutions such as a global network of ocean parks called marine reserves.


The key threats facing our oceans include:

Industrial fishing

Bycatch

Unfair fisheries

Unsustainable aquacultureGlobal warming

Pollution

Defending our oceans