TURNING BLACK FRIDAY, BLUE

We have chosen not to participate in traditional ‘Black Friday’ discounting that encourages over consumption and increases the strain on our planet.

Instead, 20% of all sales made online from Friday 26th to Monday 29th November will be donated to ocean clean-up efforts and conservation to help protect the future of our seas.

Donations will be split equally between Sea Shepherd's Ghost Net campaign and and Ocean Conservation Trust's Connect the Dots: Ocean & Climate campaign.

Shop Blue Friday here

What has the Ocean got to do with the climate?

Quite a lot…

The more people that understand the link between the Ocean and Climate Change, the more chance we have at protecting and restoring the Ocean to not only combat climate change, but improve biodiversity and the health of our Ocean.

Covering 70% of Earth’s surface, the Ocean is a big deal for the climate! It dominates the water and energy cycles on our planet.

Our Ocean absorbs large amounts of solar energy, pushing this warmth, along with water vapour (which makes clouds and precipitation) all around the globe. This creates weather patterns and has a warming effect on the air above us.

The Ocean has already been a hero on our planet, by absorbing lots of the CO2 that we have created. Absorbing the extra CO2 produced by human activity is causing the Ocean to become more acidic. As well as this, the extra gases in the atmosphere act as a blanket, stopping heat from escaping. As the planet warms, the Ocean warms.

Big changes like this can not be taken lightly. The interconnectedness of earth’s systems means that changes in one cycle can influence the equilibrium of the entire earth system.

Ocean Conservation Trust

What is 'Ghost Gear'?

Every year around 640,000 tonnes of fishing gear such as lines, nets and pots are lost or discarded into the oceans and this already shocking figure is increasing. These discarded nets, lines and other fishing industry gear becomes known as ‘Ghost gear’ because of its ability to continue killing wildlife long after the fishing boats have left it behind.

Around the UK this lost and discarded fishing gear is the second largest source of marine debris with over 1250 kilometres of nets alone being lost in UK waters each year.

Over 150,00 seals and cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) are estimated to be killed annually by lost fishing gear along with thousands of sea birds, turtles and sharks.

The Ghostnet campaign utilises highly experienced volunteer divers and Sea Shepherd UK’s fast boats to survey UK waters looking for discarded fishing gear (DFG) and recover it for safe disposal or recycling.