Supporting ocean protection across the UK Overseas Territories
Great Blue Ocean is a coalition of five leading conservation NGOs
In partnership with the UK Government and the communities of the UK Overseas Territories (UKOTs), we support the UK Blue Belt – the world’s largest marine conservation programme.
Who We Are
The Great Blue Ocean Coalition is:
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Million
Together, our organisations represent over two million members of the British public.
Why the UK Overseas Territories?
The UKOTs are home to 94 per cent of Britain’s unique biodiversity, encompassing globally significant ecosystems such as coral reefs and seamounts. These remote and rich marine environments provide critical habitats for rare and threatened species, including a third of the world’s albatrosses, a quarter of the world’s penguins and nesting grounds for critically endangered turtles. However, they face growing threats from overfishing, climate change, pollution, invasive species, coastal development, and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
What We Do
GBO works collectively with UKOT communities, governments and the UK Government to help create and enhance Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). These areas are vital to conserving biodiversity, strengthening climate resilience, supporting sustainable fisheries and delivering long-term benefits to local economies.
Since 2015, our coalition has played a key role in creating and delivering the Blue Belt Programme, which now protects 4.4 million sq km of ocean. This initiative helps the UK and the Overseas Territories to meet their international environmental commitments and demonstrates global leadership in ocean conservation.
Blue Belt Territories
The Blue Belt Programme is currently partnering with ten UK Overseas Territories, playing a vital role in protecting some of the most biodiverse marine environments on the planet.
The UK and its Overseas Territories collectively rank as the fifth largest marine estate in the world, an exceptional platform for leadership in global ocean conservation. At a time when the ocean faces unprecedented threats from overfishing and climate change, the Blue Belt is helping the UK to deliver on its commitment to protect at least 30 per cent of it’s land and ocean by 2030 (“30×30”).
By protecting an area 18 times the size of the UK, the programme is not only advancing global biodiversity goals but also strengthening the UK’s and it’s Territories’ diplomatic credibility and soft power on the international stage.
It stands as a model for modern, respectful partnerships between the UK Government and the Overseas Territories.
People and communities
Our coalition is proud to partner with the local communities and governments of the participating Blue Belt Territories. Each Territory brings not only extraordinary marine biodiversity, but also a unique and longstanding relationship with the United Kingdom. Each Blue Belt Marine Protected Area (MPA) has been designed and implemented in partnership with the local needs and aspirations of the territory communities, with the support of the UK Government.
In addition to protecting ocean ecosystems, the Blue Belt Programme supports climate resilience, marine spatial planning, sustainable fisheries, developing legislative frameworks and blue economy growth, delivering benefits that extend well beyond conservation.
Our Achievements Since 2016
Blue Belt Programme launched
MPAs had already been established at BIOT and SGSSI.
Pitcairn Islands
830,000 sq km protected.
St Helena
445,000 sq km protected.
South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands
Additional 284,000 sq. km fully protected.
Ascension Island
445,000 sq. km protected.
Tristan da Cunha
687,000 sq km protected, plus a community endowment fund.
Funding Extension
UK Govt extends Blue Belt funding of £8 million p.a. to 2026.
Turks and Caicos Islands
Joins the Programme.
Anguilla
Joins the Programme.
Cayman Islands
Joins the Programme.
South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands
An additional 175,000 sq. km fully protected.
Funding Increase
UK Government increases funding to £8.5 million p.a. for 2025/26.
10 Year Anniversary
A total of 4.4 million sq. km have been protected across the Pacific, Indian, Atlantic, Southern Ocean and Caribbean.
Montserrat
Montserrat join the Blue Belt Programme
News
Site Photo credits: Danny Copeland, Amdeep Sanghera, Greenpeace, Lucie Machin, Johnny Briggs, Paul Colley, Peter Richardson, David M. Stone