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 facilitate 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 and implementation of fisheries management measures.
• 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.

Read our 2025 30by30 progress report for our views on the Government's progress in protecting MPAs. Our views on how the Government can best use the MPA review to improve the MPA network can be found here.

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

Last updated: April 2026