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OUR VISION AND MISSION
Our Vision
Seas full of life - seas and coasts where nature flourishes and people thrive.
Our Mission
To drive political, cultural and social change for healthy seas and coasts that support abundant marine wildlife, sustainable livelihoods and enjoyment for all.
What We Stand For
Science and people - our staff, volunteers, supporters and partners - are at the heart of everything we do. We act because everyone relies on the ocean to survive, from the air we breathe to the food we eat. By helping people to discover, value and enjoy being connected to our seas, we can all make better decisions today, which will ensure seas full of life for future generations.
Why We Need to Act
Our seas are under threat - from pollution, overfishing and a lack of protection. We are taking too much out, for example fish and oil - often using intensive or destructive techniques. We are putting too much in - waste, pollution and damaging development.
What We Need to Achieve
Stop taking too much out of our seas. MCS will work to ensure sustainable use of the seas by minimising harm when we harvest resources, for example through fishing and oil extraction.
MCS will work to prevent and clean up marine litter and Stop putting too much into our seas. pollution, and to minimise damage from development and climate change.
OUR WORK
Born Free is in action around the world to save lives, stop suffering and keep wildlife in the wild. The Born Free Foundation is a dynamic international wildlife charity, founded in 1984 by the actors Bill Travers MBE and Virginia McKenna OBE, stars of the iconic film Born Free, and their son, Will Travers OBE, the charity’s President. Born Free takes action worldwide to save lives, stop suffering and protect species in the wild.
About The Marine Project
It is thought there are more than 2,000 individual dolphins, more than 200 beluga whales, more than 30 porpoises and 60 orcas, or killer whales, in captivity across the world. More than 300 of the captive dolphins are displayed here in Europe, along with three beluga whales and 10 orcas.
Born Free is convinced that the complex needs of whales and dolphins, also known as cetaceans, cannot be met in captivity. The physical, sensory and social environment in which these animals have evolved to live contrasts dramatically with the restricted and barren tanks found in dolphinaria, where cetaceans are held for viewing or performance to entertain visitors.
Many captive cetaceans are also used for interaction programmes, which allow visitors to have their photo taken with the animals, purchase a ‘trainer for a day’ experience or a swim-with experience, which allows visitors to enter the water with captive dolphins. Close interaction with such powerful animals poses serious risk to the people involved, and some visitors and former trainers have come forward with stories of attacks by these animals in captivity. Furthermore, these frequent, forced and stressful interactions also contribute to the poor welfare of captive dolphins; already forced to live in such a restricted and barren space.
Cetaceans are still taken from the wild to stock the growing number of captive facilities around the world. Many are caught in the waters of Cuba, the Solomon Islands, from the sea of Okhotsk in Russia, and most famously, during the Taiji Drive Hunts in Japan. Here, they are either brutally slaughtered or kept alive for sale to theme parks and dolphinaria.
Thankfully, none are sold to the UK as there has been no captive dolphins here since 1993, when the last remaining dolphinaria closed as a result of financial pressures and a campaign called ‘Into the Blue’ which was supported by animal welfare groups, including Born Free. While some of the UK’s last captive dolphins were sold to zoos and dolphinaria in other countries, three dolphins from Brighton Dolphinarium and Morecambe Marineland were rescued and released into a new life in the wild in the Caribbean.
Born Free continues to raise awareness of the exploitation of cetaceans in captivity and encourages an informed public to consider directing their support away from dolphinaria. We are proud to have rescued two bottlenose dolphins, named Tom and Misha, who were rescued from a swimming pool in Turkey, rehabilitated and safely returned to the wild in the Mediterranean in 2012; and we are proud to support the development of high-quality sanctuaries to provide improved lifetime care for cetaceans currently in captivity who cannot be released into the wild.
Conservation and Education
As human populations expand, wildlife comes under increasing threat. Born Free is determined to try to halt the race to extinction by protecting rare species in their natural habitat. Working with local communities, we find Compassionate Conservation solutions so people and wildlife can live together. Educational activities inspire young and old alike to respect the wild.
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ACTION FOR CONSERVATION BELIEVES THAT ALL YOUNG PEOPLE SHOULD FEEL MOVED AND EMPOWERED TO PROTECT THE NATURAL WORLD
To be a 'conservationist' doesn't just mean following a career as a field biologist or a campaigner. We believe that a passion for conservation can flow through anyone's life, whatever their day-job. We inspire today's young people to a long-term belief in the wonder of the natural world, which will shape their dreams and actions however their life turns out.
OUR MISSION
To bring the magic of nature into young people's lives, inspiring a youth movement committed to conservation and to the earth.
WHY WE NEED TO ACT
With 56% of UK species in decline and 68% of people unaware or unconcerned about the threats to biodiversity, it is time to give young people from all backgrounds a voice and empower them to take action. Young people are more informed about the challenges facing the natural world than any generation before them. What they lack are meaningful pathways and support systems to transform their knowledge into action, which will in turn empower them as life-long defenders of the natural world. We aim to provide them with these opportunities.
HOW WE INSPIRE ACTION
1. WildED Conservation Workshops
Our WildED programme, led by young conservation professionals working in the field, currently runs countrywide in schools in which an average of 45% of pupils are in receipt of pupil premium. WildED consists of a series of immersive workshops that build environmental knowledge and valuable soft skills, whilst enabling students to take action on the issues they are passionate about by designing and leading their own projects or campaigns. WildED culminates in a ‘Dragons’ Den’ event with student teams pitching their actions to a panel of expert conservation ‘dragons’ for their chance to win the WildED crown. Read more
2. Conservation Camps
Our camps bring young people from all backgrounds into the countryside to experience wild nature first hand and learn how to protect it. Stargazing, bat walks and nature hikes are combined with hands-on sessions run by conservation experts from organisations such as the National Trust, the Blue Marine Foundation and WWF to inspire young people to take action when they return home. Read more
3. Ambassador Programme
The adventure doesn't end when the camp is over. Every young person who returns inspired by their camp experience is invited to join our ambassador programme for the following year. This action-packed mentoring scheme further develops their passion and supports them in driving change in their own communities.
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