Blackpool Council made an ocean recovery declaration in December 2022; becoming the first and only council in the north west so far, to do so. This declaration is a commitment to work towards improving the health of the ocean and boosting coastal town resilience.
What is ocean recovery?
Ocean recovery is an important consideration, especially for coastal towns because of its links to;
- Climate change
- Health and wellbeing
- Prosperity and resilience
Our ocean provides over 50% of our oxygen and is essential to life on Earth; yet our oceans are under treat. In recognition of this the Ocean Conservation Trust started a global initiative called Motion for the Ocean in 2019.
Since its establishment 22 local authorities across the UK have made an ocean recovery declaration as part of this initiative: Call a Motion for the Ocean.
Read our ocean recovery declaration
Our response
To deliver on our ocean recovery declaration we are in the process of developing an ocean recovery plan, which explores themes of;
- Inland to coastal waste reduction
- Health and wellbeing oppertunities associated with blue spaces
- Biodiversity and habitat restortation and protection
In October 2023 an ocean recovery workshop was hosted at the Solaris Centre, with experts and stakeholders from across Blackpool and the north west present to help form a Blackpool based model for ocean recovery.