Stephen Fry joins ocean campaign and urges government takes action

British actor and comedian Stephen Fry is teaming up with ocean charity Blue Marine to urge the new government to take immediate action to protect the ocean within its first 100 days.

Fry has lent his voice to a compelling video, set to launch on social media and Blue Marine’s website, emphasising the ocean’s vital role in sustaining life and stabilising the climate. The campaign, ‘Seas the Day,’ backed by Fry, calls on citizens to pressure their MPs into banning bottom trawling, ending overfishing, and reforming fishing quotas to restore ocean health.

Stephen Fry has narrated the video and emphasises the key role of the ocean, urging immediate action: “Our ocean sustains all life on earth. It provides us with food and helps stabilise our climate, yet it is in peril. We must act now,” he says.

Fry says: “In partnership with Blue Marine Foundation, we’ve outlined three critical asks for the
ocean: to ban bottom trawling in marine protected areas, to end overfishing by bringing
fishing catch limits within scientific advice, and to commit to reforming social inequality
in UK fishing. These requests address some of the most devastating environmental
disasters happening not just under our noses, but within our control. The time to act is
now; reach out to your local MP and tell them we won’t stand idly while the ocean
suffers.”

Seas the Day campaign

Back by Fry, the Seas the Day campaign is urging the public to pledge three main actions to protect the UK ocean:  

 1.      Ban bottom trawling in marine protected areas

Blue Marine says bottom trawling damages the seabed, seagrass meadows and other marine habitats, while indiscriminately catching fish – lots of the time species not even meant for the net.

2.      End overfishing by bringing fishing catch limits within scientific advice 

Overfishing depletes fish stocks faster than they can reproduce, which leads to population decline and, at times, collapse. Last year, over half of the quotas set by the government were above the advice of scientists. 

3.      Finish social inequality by reforming how quota is allocated in UK fishing

Two thirds of the fishing quota is owned by just 25 companies. This inequality means the local small-scale fisheries are losing while a few large industrial-sized organisations line their pockets. Blue Marine says this has got to stop if we are to end overfishing and bring our ocean back to health, benefiting both people and the planet. 

To take action, join the Seas the Day campaign and enter your postcode to find your local MP. The website will provide you with the contact details of your MP, their email, address and X account, where available. 

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