MP takes the first step towards becoming a Sea Change Champion

Neil Parish, MP for Tiverton and Honiton, wore Healthy Seas socks made partly from recycled fishing nets this week in order to show support for World Animal Protections’ Sea Change campaign.

Aiming to reduce the amount of lost and discarded fishing gear that harms and entangles millions of animals, the charity asked MPs to support their move to achieve safer, cleaner oceans by raising awareness of innovative solutions such as socks from recycled fishing gear on social media.

The charity has come across many other projects that mare making products from recycled fishing gear including skateboards, carpet tiles and even swimwear.

It is estimated that 640,000 tons of lost and discarded fishing gear ends up in the world’s oceans each year. The animal welfare charity launched the Sea Change campaign in answer to the impact this gear has on marine life. Seals, whales, leatherback turtles and gannets are particularly at risk of entanglement and are just some of the 8,000 marine species in UK waters that are threatened by this “ghost gear”.

Fisheries Minister George Eustice MP has already helped raise awareness of these innovative solutions by wearing the socks himself.

Alyx Elliott, Campaign Manager at World Animal Protection said, “We are delighted that Neil Parish MP has shown their support for the Sea Change campaign by wearing Healthy Seas socks made partly from recycled fishing gear. We hope that this support will help urge the UK Government to quantify the scale of the problem of ghost fishing gear in UK waters. For too long, the sea has been treated as a convenient expanse into which rubbish can be effectively lost. Ghost gear has devastating impacts on our animals, our environment and our economy. We are urging people to act now before it is too late”.

Neil Parish MP, who is a member of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said: “I am supporting the Sea Change campaign because I firmly believe that we have a duty to protect marine wildlife and to ensure healthy biodiversity in our seas. Ghost equipment discarded overboard can have a devastating effect on wildlife and I will be encouraging the Government to take firm action to protect sea life for future generations.”