Marine

Chair: Kirsten Carter, RSPB

Vice-Chair: Bernadette Butfield, RSPB

Link: Tom Ash, Senior Policy Officer

Update from the Group

Our oceans are rich in nature, play a key role in regulating our climate and are home to the majority of our renewable energy capacity. However, too often the importance of protecting and recovering marine habitats and species is overlooked. 

The Wildlife and Countryside Link Marine Policy Group advocates for policies that defend our marine environment to protect wildlife and act as a facilitator for economic growth, thriving coastal communities and healthy, productive seas. The Group is calling on the Government to: 

• Protect and restore habitats and species within MPAs and HPMAs through effective marine spatial prioritisation.
• Front load nature into the planning system to accelerate offshore renewable deployment, while harnessing the potential funding infrastructure projects bring for marine restoration.
• End overfishing and help the fishing industry transition towards practices that help restore nature

These positions have informed a sector leading paper on the planning reforms needed to embed nature within the renewable transition, which has become the backbone of our work within the infrastructure and planning sphere. Our views on marine governance are set out in our response to the Environmental Audit Committee's recent call for evidence.

For further information, contact Link's Senior Policy Officer, Tom Ash, at tom@wcl.org.uk

Last updated: August 2025