We had the Scottish Food Commissioner Jane Jones aboard to see our ROV in action 🌊 All-female crew, joined by trustees Jean & Lorna. Also met Marnick from Kilchoan Melfort Trust's oyster nursery + lobster/langoustine pots. #MarineConservation #ScottishSeas #Seagrass #Rewilding

Chef Lee Nelson of Fishers in the City (Edinburgh) sources hand-dived Orkney scallops, rope-grown Shetland mussels & works directly with small family fisheries. His take: chefs are custodians of the ocean, not just its consumers. 🌊🐟 #OpenSeas #SustainableSeafood

We sent a drone into Lyme Bay's MPA and found a coral garden thriving in UK waters 🌊🐠 18 years of protection from bottom trawling & dredging = sea fans, schools of fish, life everywhere. Give nature time, it comes back. Proof it works. #LymeBay #MarineProtectedArea #OceanRecovery #UKSeas

We joined MPs Edward Morello & Barry Gardiner to visit Lyme Bay, a reserve protected since 2008, & discuss why transparency on vessel/quota ownership + seafood traceability matters. https://bit.ly/4fnLhe0 #FisheriesTransparency

We took a couple of MPs out to Lyme Bay Fisheries and Conservation Reserve this week 🌊 Years of protection from dredging and trawling = an abundant, thriving seabed. Great to show Ed Morello MP and Barry Gardiner MP what conservation can deliver 🐟 #LymeBay #MarineConservation #OpenSeas #UKSeas

Big news from Orkney: its creel fishery is the first in the world certified under the new Community Catch standard for small-scale fisheries 🐟 Traceability. Labour rights. Community benefit. Here's why it matters and what could be next for Scottish seafood 👇

Why would Scotland benefit from more community-led seafood certifications

For more than two decades, seafood certification has played an important role in helping consumers and retailers identify responsibly sourced seafood, reflecting growing public interest in the envir

openseas.org.uk

Small pub, big principles 🦞 We visited the Colintraive Hotel to talk seafood with head chef Joe, who uses creel-caught langoustines from Loch Fyne, hand-dived Orkney scallops, all local and seasonal. Simple food done right. Video 🎥👇 #SustainableSeafood #Scotland #DivedNotDredged

Bycatch report finds 10,000+ seabirds, 1,000+ dolphins/porpoises, 500+ seals killed a year by UK fishing, but the fish toll is worse and barely tracked. Without cameras on boats, we're mostly guessing on the amount of damage being done to our seas. 🎣📷 #Bycatch #REM #FisheriesManagement

The forgotten fish: What the UK is killing by accident - Oceanographic

A report lifts the lid on what UK commercial fishing kills by accident - but the species drowned out the headlines are the fish themselves.

oceanographicmagazine.com

Scotland has a new Marine Minister, the first time "marine" has ever appeared in a ministerial title. Our seas are 6x bigger than our land. It's about time that mattered in politics. Healthy seas. Fair fishing. Strong marine protection. This time, action, not just promises. 🌊🎥 #MarineConservation

Hand-dived scallops. Creel-caught langoustine. Seafood that doesn't cost the seabed it came from. We talked to Chef Tom Marshallsay at Made from Grapes in Glasgow about sourcing seafood responsibly. Learn more 👇 🎥🐚 #Seafood #Glasgow #Sustainability

BBC covers our seabed recovery monitoring in Wester Ross MPA 🌊 7 years after illegal dredging near Eilean Dubh, our drone surveys show sea cucumbers, crabs & cat sharks returning. Full recovery could take a decade, but it shows protection works 🔗 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c20y9zlzwyzo

Wester Ross MPA, protected since 2016 (no scallop dredging, limited bottom trawling), is bouncing back 🌊 Firework anemones, Celtic feather stars and local low-impact fishers all thriving together. Proof that management based on ecological needs works, for the sea and the people who work it.

Nearly 17,000 people are asking the Scottish Government to reinstate the coastal limit + protect at least 30% of inshore areas from bottom trawling and dredging. We have the science. We have the evidence. We just need leadership. And we need the inshore consultation results published NOW. 🌊

16,800 people demanded better for Scotland’s seas 🌊 We joined the Our Seas Coalition to hand in our petition to Minister Jim Fairlie at the Scottish Parliament, calling for 30% of inshore waters to be protected from bottom trawling and dredging. #OurSeas #Scotland #MarineProtection

🔎 Our first round of research in Wester Ross MPA is done! 🔎🌊 Surveying the seabed, tracking recovery after illegal scallop dredging, and comparing protected vs open fishing zones. More footage soon. 💙 #WesterRoss #MarineProtectedArea

"We are the custodians of what we put on the menus." 🌊 For #SustainableGastronomyDay, 3 chefs told us why they choose creel-caught langoustines and hand-dived scallops over damaging fishing methods and why it matters for Scotland's seas. 🎥👇

Kicking off summer research in Wester Ross! Our underwater drone is diving deep to uncover the state of Scotland’s sea bed. More trips ahead! Follow us for underwater footage and marine science updates. 🌊🐟 #MarineLife #Sustainability #Scotland

🎣 Loch Fyne once supported a thriving fishing economy built on healthy marine habitats. Protecting and restoring habitats can help bring back marine life, jobs and opportunities for coastal communities. 🌊 #MarineConservation

🌊 Healthy seabed = healthy seas. Bottom trawling and dredging continue to damage protected marine habitats in Scotland, harming wildlife and releasing stored carbon. This #WorldOceanDay, learn how sustainable fishing can help restore our seas and support coastal communities: openseas.org.uk

Michelin's Green Star may be disappearing, but Scotland's sustainable seafood ambitions shouldn't. 🌊🍀 Healthy seas are the foundation of great seafood, coastal communities and future gastronomy. Read our latest blog: https://www.openseas.org.uk/news/retiring-the-clover/ #Seafood #Sustainability

The Kyles of Bute are still open to destructive bottom trawling, damaging fragile habitats like maerl. Our Argyll Report shows sustainable fishing creates more value for coastal communities while protecting the sea. 🌊🦞 https://www.openseas.org.uk/argyll-report/

Moray Firth fishers say dredging near Ardersier Port is damaging habitats. Scotland needs marine planning that protects seabeds, supports low-impact fishing and puts coastal communities first, not reactive decisions after damage is done. 🌊

Moray Firth fishers who 'used to catch prawns now have nets full of junk' amid dredging outrage

The fishermen from Burghead have reported a 50% drop in their catch.

pressandjournal.co.uk

From boat to focaccia 🦞 We spoke with the team at Inveraray Seafood Shack about building a business around low-impact creel fishing, local seafood and healthier seas. A great example of community-led sustainable seafood in action 🌊

The loss of the Michelin Green Star risks pushing sustainability further out of the spotlight just when our seas need it most. 🌊 How seafood is caught matters. Hand-dived scallops protect marine habitats, unlike dredging which damages the seabed. #DivedNotDredged

Congratulations to @gillianamartin.bsky.social on her appointment as Cab Sec for Climate Action & Rural Affairs, and to @jimfairliesnp.bsky.social on his appointment as Minister for Agriculture, Marine & the Islands. We look forward to working with you to restore the health of Scotland’s seas 🌊🐟⚓

What about the endangered species in Scotland’s seas?? 🦈 Basking sharks, flapper skate and sandeels all rely on healthy marine habitats threatened by bottom trawling and dredging. #EndangeredSpeciesDay #MarineConservation 📸 Photos: NatureScotland

Scottish hand-dived scallops prove seafood can be both sustainable and premium quality 🌊 Supporting #Fish24 means choosing low-impact fishing that protects marine habitats, supports coastal communities and keeps our seas thriving. #DivedNotDredged

🎉 We were able to exceed our fundraising goal of £20,000 for our #BigGive campaign! 🎉 Thank you so much for all your donations, support and sharing our message. It's thanks to you that we will be able to have a robust underwater research programme this summer. 🔎 🌊

🐟 How can seafood support healthier seas? Join us for our documentary The Orkney Dive, for a special online screening + intro + Q&A for #OrkneyNatureFestival. 📅 Tue 12 Feb 🕖 7 PM 👉 https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-orkney-dive-a-sustainable-seafood-story-tickets-1985537160095?keep_tld=true

The Orkney Dive: a sustainable seafood story

The Orkney Dive is a short documentary produced by Open Seas, a Scottish marine sustainability charity advocating for healthier seas.

eventbrite.com

"The new Scottish government has the opportunity to prove it can manage its own waters effectively. It should grab it" - New op-ed by our public affairs manager Lucy Kay in today's Times!