OCEAN awards £14 million in new grant funding!
We are delighted to announce the latest successful grantees under Round 2 of the OCEAN Grants Programme.
Spanning the Caribbean, East Africa, West Africa, South America, Pacific Islands and South East Asia, these new projects will help to empower communities and transform the ocean.
The grants will benefit those most affected by declining ocean health and climate change, with a strong focus on women, girls and marginalised communities, as well as backing projects that protect precious marine habitats.
For example, the Illuminar el Mar project in Ecuador, led by the Mare Nostrum Foundation, is working in partnership with University College London to install green LED lighting in fishing nets that can be seen by turtles, sharks, rays and whales but not by many fish, to prevent accidental capture by up to 73%. The project also includes training and support for women, young people, people with disabilities and marginalised groups, helping to build fairer and more resilient local economies.
Today’s grant awards build on the success of OCEAN Round 1, which has led to more than 93,000 hectares of key ecosystems protected and restored in the first year of implementation.
The UK Government’s Minister for Nature, Mary Creagh, said:
“We’re leading efforts to put local people across the world at the heart of solutions to conserve the ocean they depend on for food, income and protection from extreme weather.”
“These pioneering community-led projects will support the families hit hardest by climate change, while helping to protect our global ocean for future generations.”
Among the other awards, Eco Kolek will expand its inclusive waste recovery system to reach 12,000 households and small businesses across Puerto Princesa City and neighbouring island communities in the Philippines, diverting an estimated 1,100 tonnes of plastic away from landfill and the marine environment.
Also in the Philippines, Resiklo Machine Shop will roll out community-led, solar-powered recycling hubs that turn marine and household plastic waste into durable products for local use and sale, cutting pollution while creating more resilient local livelihoods.
Meanwhile, in Bangladesh, Badabon Sangho will support women-led fishing groups and cooperatives to restore habitats, promote sustainable fishing practices and strengthen marine protection, using proven community engagement methods alongside close work with public agencies and national-level advocacy.
These new Grantees are joining others in the OCEAN community already working towards transformative change.
We expect the OCEAN Grants Programme’s next funding window to open later this year, so please keep checking the OCEAN website and sign up to our newsletter for further updates.
Image credit: (c) Nuno Vasco Rodrigues
