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Blue Marine Foundation (BLUE) and Adnams Southwold are pleased to announce a new partnership to protect the UK’s seas. Through this partnership, Adnams is supporting BLUE’s projects protecting and rewilding the UK’s offshore marine protected areas (MPAs) through the sale of their new premium lager, Kobold.
The partnership will support BLUE in stopping unsustainable fishing practices in offshore marine reserves. The East Anglian coast, Adnams’ home, is one area where BLUE proposes to target unsustainable fishing. BLUE also seeks to explore the potential for a network of national parks in the sea. The East Anglian coast is a proposed site to initiate early conversations about a national marine park.
Charles Clover, executive director of Blue Marine Foundation, said: “Adnams is helping us to combat unsustainable fishing in the North Sea offshore marine reserves, and we are very grateful to them for their support. Putting a stop to harmful fishing practices like trawling and dredging will help to restore endangered marine species and their habitats within marine protected areas and to support artisanal fishing communities on the East Anglian coast, helping to safeguard their livelihoods.”
The lager is named after the Kobold legend – a water spirit that protects sailors on the North Sea. Kobold is therefore inspired by the sea that it helps to protect.
Andy Wood, CEO of Adnams, said “Our commitment to the environment and sustainability is enduring, we have for decades developed ways to grow sustainable success into our business – we started our eco centre and beach cleans over 15 years ago. We are excited to be working with BLUE to develop sustainable systems that support our communities and the seas that play such an important part in our ecosystem.”
Adnams’ partnership comes at a vital time for the protection of offshore marine reserves. Despite the importance of the habitats found within these protected areas, there is still a great deal of highly damaging fishing taking place. Two years ago, BLUE filed a complaint with the European Commission against destructive electric pulse trawling in these reserves. While the complaint was successful, the fight is not over and, as the UK prepares to leave the Common Fisheries Policy, BLUE has since extended the complaint to encompass all damaging fishing activities in these important marine protected areas.
Preventing these damaging, unsustainable fishing practices (especially pulse and bottom trawling) will allow for the restoration and the rewilding of these habitats, as illustrated by the case studies explored in BLUE’s Rewilding the Sea conference last month.
BLUE is excited to partner with Adnams to put a stop to destructive fishing practices in our offshore marine protected areas, for the good of the marine ecosystems and the coastal communities that depend on them.
