A new initiative led by the Wales Coasts and Seas Partnership (CaSP Cymru) has launched ‘Y Môr a Ni’ (The Sea and Us) – a framework for Ocean Literacy in Wales, which is a first of its kind in the UK. The strategy aims to grow people's relationship with our coasts and seas.
The more connected people feel to the sea, the more conscious they become about their individual and societal effects on marine and coastal environments. This can lead to behavioural changes that safeguard and protect these important natural spaces, as well as all the benefits they provide.
Blue spaces, like the sea and the coast, provide areas that can improve your physical and mental wellbeing as well as providing a variety of habitats and species, some of which are only found in the UK.
These marine environments support local industries, contributing to the food and energy sectors and providing jobs, especially in tourism hotspots.
Our seas and all the benefits they provide are facing threats on several fronts including the climate emergency and pollution. Y Môr a Ni aims to enable individuals, communities, and businesses to change their relationship with the sea, leading to actions, both big and small, that can support local well-being as well as protecting these special environments.
Kirsty Lindenbaum, senior specialist advisor for NRW, said, “Our coasts and seas have shaped the lives of people in Wales for millennia and are an important part of our future. We are proud to be working as part of this diverse partnership to strengthen the connections people in Wales have with the ocean. Working together, we want to enable everyone in Wales to both enjoy and care for our seas.”
Emma McKinley, Senior Research Fellow at Cardiff University emphasised the importance of Y Môr a Ni in the context of other work happening around the world, “It has been a privilege to be part of such a collaborative effort to develop Y Môr a Ni and to strengthen efforts to further develop ocean literacy across Wales. As we come to the mid-point of the UN Ocean Decade, there is increasing emphasis on the need to understand the relationships between people and the ocean, and the role of these connections in safeguarding our ocean, coasts and seas both now and for future generations.”
Ocean Literacy Co-ordinator for Wales, Reece Halstead, at North Wales Wildlife Trust said, “It’s been a privilege to see the unity and shared drive of partners from across Wales in developing the UK’s first Ocean Literacy Strategy. Y Môr a Ni is a major step forward in the mission to protect our Welsh seas and abundant wildlife and hopes to build the connection every Welsh citizen has with our beautiful marine environment.”