Write to the UK Environment Secretary

Please write an email to Steve Reed, the Secretary of State for the Environment, who has refused to receive our petition in person.

If we flood Steve Reed’s inbox with our demands, he will be more likely to commit to real protection of the UK's Marine Protected Areas. The pressure from thousands of his citizens could convince him to meet the people gathered outside his office right now and receive the petition in person.

Use the email box on the right to write a message about what you expect from the new Labour government and why protecting the ocean and UK small-scale fisheries is important to you. Below are some suggested talking points and tips: 

Talking points for your email:

• Start your message with Dear Secretary of State
• Today, a group of ocean protection NGOs showed up on your doorstep to hand over a petition with close to 200,000 signatures, reflecting strong public support across Europe for a ban on bottom trawling in Marine Protected Areas. Sadly, you declined to receive the petition in person.
• As a concerned UK citizen, I am writing to make sure you got the message: myself and close to 200,000 Europeans want to see bottom trawling out of Marine Protected Areas. What are you going to do about it?
• As the UK’s Environment Secretary, it is your responsibility to deliver on the UK's commitment to protect and conserve a minimum of 30% of land and sea for biodiversity by 2030.
• So-called UK “Marine Protected Areas” are not protected at all. We need REAL Marine Protected Areas where destructive fishing practices such as bottom trawling are banned, preserving safe spawning grounds where fish populations can regenerate.
• We recognize that the UK took an important step in April 2024 by banning bottom trawling from 13 offshore Marine Protected Areas, but this is not enough. This ban only applies to reef and rock habitats, and it only applies to 13 out of the 377 MPAs in all UK waters.
• The health of UK waters and the livelihoods of our coastal communities are at stake, but also the reputation of the UK on an international scene. The UK could be a champion in ocean protection and demonstrate that ambitious commitments to protect vulnerable marine habitats are possible.
• Make sure to thank him in advance for his response. 
• Sign off with your full name and postcode, especially if you live in Steve Reed’s constituency: Streatham and Croydon North. 

Tips:

• Be personal: Share why you care about the health of the ocean and what your relationship to the ocean is. Personal stories are always more impactful. 
• To the point: Try to keep the message short.
• Keep it polite: The Secretary of State is much more likely to respond to a friendly message — let him know just how much you'd like him to listen to the voice of you and your fellow citizens.
• Ask for a commitment: Ask the Secretary of State to make his plans clear and publish a reaction to the petition delivery. Tell him you are looking forward to seeing his commitments in the news.
• Ask for a response: Make it clear that you’d like him to consider your message.