Open Seas
@open-seas
Research, investigations & campaigns to recover the health of our coastal seas & promote sustainable seafood. 👇 #SayNoToScampi 👇 #DivedNotDredged
Chef Lee Nelson of Fishers in the City (Edinburgh) sources hand-dived Orkney scallops, rope-grown Shetland mussels & works directly with small family fisheries. His take: chefs are custodians of the ocean, not just its consumers. 🌊🐟 #OpenSeas #SustainableSeafood
We sent a drone into Lyme Bay's MPA and found a coral garden thriving in UK waters 🌊🐠 18 years of protection from bottom trawling & dredging = sea fans, schools of fish, life everywhere. Give nature time, it comes back. Proof it works. #LymeBay #MarineProtectedArea #OceanRecovery #UKSeas
We joined MPs Edward Morello & Barry Gardiner to visit Lyme Bay, a reserve protected since 2008, & discuss why transparency on vessel/quota ownership + seafood traceability matters. https://bit.ly/4fnLhe0 #FisheriesTransparency
We took a couple of MPs out to Lyme Bay Fisheries and Conservation Reserve this week 🌊 Years of protection from dredging and trawling = an abundant, thriving seabed. Great to show Ed Morello MP and Barry Gardiner MP what conservation can deliver 🐟 #LymeBay #MarineConservation #OpenSeas #UKSeas
Small pub, big principles 🦞 We visited the Colintraive Hotel to talk seafood with head chef Joe, who uses creel-caught langoustines from Loch Fyne, hand-dived Orkney scallops, all local and seasonal. Simple food done right. Video 🎥👇 #SustainableSeafood #Scotland #DivedNotDredged
Scotland has a new Marine Minister, the first time "marine" has ever appeared in a ministerial title. Our seas are 6x bigger than our land. It's about time that mattered in politics. Healthy seas. Fair fishing. Strong marine protection. This time, action, not just promises. 🌊🎥 #MarineConservation
Hand-dived scallops. Creel-caught langoustine. Seafood that doesn't cost the seabed it came from. We talked to Chef Tom Marshallsay at Made from Grapes in Glasgow about sourcing seafood responsibly. Learn more 👇 🎥🐚 #Seafood #Glasgow #Sustainability
BBC covers our seabed recovery monitoring in Wester Ross MPA 🌊 7 years after illegal dredging near Eilean Dubh, our drone surveys show sea cucumbers, crabs & cat sharks returning. Full recovery could take a decade, but it shows protection works 🔗 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c20y9zlzwyzo
Wester Ross MPA, protected since 2016 (no scallop dredging, limited bottom trawling), is bouncing back 🌊 Firework anemones, Celtic feather stars and local low-impact fishers all thriving together. Proof that management based on ecological needs works, for the sea and the people who work it.
Nearly 17,000 people are asking the Scottish Government to reinstate the coastal limit + protect at least 30% of inshore areas from bottom trawling and dredging. We have the science. We have the evidence. We just need leadership. And we need the inshore consultation results published NOW. 🌊
16,800 people demanded better for Scotland’s seas 🌊 We joined the Our Seas Coalition to hand in our petition to Minister Jim Fairlie at the Scottish Parliament, calling for 30% of inshore waters to be protected from bottom trawling and dredging. #OurSeas #Scotland #MarineProtection
🔎 Our first round of research in Wester Ross MPA is done! 🔎🌊 Surveying the seabed, tracking recovery after illegal scallop dredging, and comparing protected vs open fishing zones. More footage soon. 💙 #WesterRoss #MarineProtectedArea
"We are the custodians of what we put on the menus." 🌊 For #SustainableGastronomyDay, 3 chefs told us why they choose creel-caught langoustines and hand-dived scallops over damaging fishing methods and why it matters for Scotland's seas. 🎥👇
Kicking off summer research in Wester Ross! Our underwater drone is diving deep to uncover the state of Scotland’s sea bed. More trips ahead! Follow us for underwater footage and marine science updates. 🌊🐟 #MarineLife #Sustainability #Scotland
🎣 Loch Fyne once supported a thriving fishing economy built on healthy marine habitats. Protecting and restoring habitats can help bring back marine life, jobs and opportunities for coastal communities. 🌊 #MarineConservation
🌊 Healthy seabed = healthy seas. Bottom trawling and dredging continue to damage protected marine habitats in Scotland, harming wildlife and releasing stored carbon. This #WorldOceanDay, learn how sustainable fishing can help restore our seas and support coastal communities: openseas.org.uk
Michelin's Green Star may be disappearing, but Scotland's sustainable seafood ambitions shouldn't. 🌊🍀 Healthy seas are the foundation of great seafood, coastal communities and future gastronomy. Read our latest blog: https://www.openseas.org.uk/news/retiring-the-clover/ #Seafood #Sustainability
The Kyles of Bute are still open to destructive bottom trawling, damaging fragile habitats like maerl. Our Argyll Report shows sustainable fishing creates more value for coastal communities while protecting the sea. 🌊🦞 https://www.openseas.org.uk/argyll-report/
From boat to focaccia 🦞 We spoke with the team at Inveraray Seafood Shack about building a business around low-impact creel fishing, local seafood and healthier seas. A great example of community-led sustainable seafood in action 🌊
The loss of the Michelin Green Star risks pushing sustainability further out of the spotlight just when our seas need it most. 🌊 How seafood is caught matters. Hand-dived scallops protect marine habitats, unlike dredging which damages the seabed. #DivedNotDredged
What about the endangered species in Scotland’s seas?? 🦈 Basking sharks, flapper skate and sandeels all rely on healthy marine habitats threatened by bottom trawling and dredging. #EndangeredSpeciesDay #MarineConservation 📸 Photos: NatureScotland
Scottish hand-dived scallops prove seafood can be both sustainable and premium quality 🌊 Supporting #Fish24 means choosing low-impact fishing that protects marine habitats, supports coastal communities and keeps our seas thriving. #DivedNotDredged
"The new Scottish government has the opportunity to prove it can manage its own waters effectively. It should grab it" - New op-ed by our public affairs manager Lucy Kay in today's Times!
Scotland votes soon. But what are parties promising for our seas? We’ve reviewed the 2026 manifestos on fishing, fish farms, marine protection and coastal communities. Read the breakdown👇 https://www.openseas.org.uk/news/scottish-election-2026-marine-fisheries-party-manifestos/ #ScottishElection
Bottom trawling is not sustainable. It damages marine ecosystems, threatens jobs and weakens long-term economic security. We need action now to restore Scotland’s seas and rebuild fish stocks. Visit link below to find out more 👇 https://bit.ly/42AO6lO
🌊 Who’s actually in charge of Scotland’s seas? Right now? No one. With elections ahead, now is the time to make your voice heard. Ask the next Scottish Government to appoint a dedicated Marine Minister for Scotland. #Elections2026
🚨 Final chance! Today is the last day to support our seabed research. 💙 Help us protect Scotland’s seas, donate now! https://donate.biggive.org/campaign/a05WS00000AFb1VYAT?utm_campaign=a05WS00000AFb1VYAT-bluesky #MarineConservation #BigGive #OceanAction
There is still time to help us protect our seas. ⏰ Support us via the Big Give and help us fund our underwater research and discover what's really been going on in marine protected areas. 🔎 https://donate.biggive.org/campaign/a05WS00000AFb1VYAT?utm_campaign=a05WS00000AFb1VYAT-bluesky
⏳ 2 days to go Help us protect Scotland’s seabed before time runs out. 💙 Donate now via the Big Give. https://donate.biggive.org/campaign/a05WS00000AFb1VYAT?utm_campaign=a05WS00000AFb1VYAT-bluesky #MarineConservation #OceanProtection