On 18 June 2026, UK Minister for Water and Flooding Emma Hardy MP and UK Special Representative for Nature Ruth Davis OBE met coastal communities in Kuruwitu to see Oceans Alive Foundation’s Kenya OCEAN Grant project in action.
Oceans Alive welcomed a high-level UK delegation to the Kuruwitu Conservation Area, Kenya’s pioneer Community Managed Marine Area, to see how community-led ocean governance and UK climate finance are restoring coral reefs and supporting resilient coastal livelihoods.
The delegation was led by Emma Hardy MP, UK Minister for Water and Flooding at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), and included Ruth Davis OBE, the UK Special Representative for Nature. They were joined by Defra officials, representatives from the British High Commission in Nairobi, the Chair of the UK government’s Ocean Community Empowerment and Nature (OCEAN) Expert Committee and the OCEAN Programme Manager at NIRAS.
Through its three-year OCEAN Community Grant, Oceans Alive is undertaking vital work to improve ocean health and livelihood sustainability across five Beach Management Units in (BMUs) that collectively co-manage 25km2 of nearshore habitat. The project aims to reduce illegal dragnetting, build skills and enable diversified income-generating opportunities for women, youth, people living with disabilities and fishers.
The delegation toured the site to see coral reef restoration in action and learned from local fishers and women fish processors from the Kuruwitu BMU about the impact of UK funding. The visit highlighted how these investments help build local management skills and support sustainable incomes for women and young people.
Minister Hardy said during the visit:
“The UK government is proud to partner with Oceans Alive through our OCEAN Community grant. Here in Kuruwitu, restoring marine habitats goes hand in hand with supporting local fishers and women traders to build more secure futures, showing how community-led solutions can protect our ocean while improving incomes and opportunities.”
Tilda Bowden, Director, Oceans Alive:
“We are deeply grateful for the UK government’s sustained partnership. This visit shows Defra’s focus on supporting people and nature. True marine conservation cannot succeed where there is economic vulnerability; it only endures when local communities have sustainable ways to earn a living. Through the active OCEAN Community Grant, Kuruwitu is delivering a scalable blueprint proving that when you trust and legally empower fishers and women traders to own both their marine resources and their financial futures, both nature and livelihoods thrive.”
Billy Curryer, Programme Manager OCEAN Grant Administrators, NIRAS:
“The visit to Kuruwitu gave the delegation a valuable opportunity to see firsthand a core principle at the heart of the OCEAN Grants programme: that supporting community-led marine management is critical to achieving lasting impact. Through Oceans Alive, local leadership is driving both coral reef recovery and more resilient livelihoods, particularly for women and coastal households. It shows how investing in communities can deliver tangible outcomes for both people and the ocean, and reinforces the importance of community leadership in driving sustainable ocean action.”
Visit the Ocean’s Alive project page to find out more about this transformative work.
