The UK government has partnered with conservation charity ZSL to launch an app update that enables wildlife enthusiasts to track and log marine creatures in waters around British Overseas Territories (OTs).

The announcement was made by the Minister of State at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Lord Benyon, at the Blue Belt Symposium in London, a gathering of representatives from OTs, experts, and environmental groups. The Blue Belt Programme, established in 2016, is the world’s largest marine protection network, safeguarding over 4 million square kilometres of ocean across 10 biologically diverse Territories.

Supporting global conservation efforts

The collaboration with ZSL’s Instant Wild platform introduces a new app feature allowing users to identify turtles, sharks, and whales using their mobile phones. This extension of the Instant Wild platform provides access to worldwide underwater footage in the OTs, supporting conservation efforts in some of the most biodiverse marine environments globally.

Despite having an estimated population of only 270,000, the OTs host 93% of the biodiversity found in British territory, constituting the world’s fifth-largest marine estate when combined with the UK. The initiative aims not only to engage amateur enthusiasts in spotting unique species but also to contribute valuable data that will assist OTs governments in understanding and preserving these vital ecosystems.

Inspiring the next generation 

Lord Benyon expressed excitement about the collaboration, emphasizing the role of British science in protecting the world’s oceans. He highlighted the Blue Belt Programme’s global leadership in ocean protection and urged world leaders to commit to safeguarding at least 30% of the planet’s ocean by 2030.

ZSL’s Instant Wild project manager Kate Moses said:

“Through Instant Wild we aim to democratise access to nature, connecting people to wildlife and providing an insight into what they get up to when we’re not around. So, we’re delighted to put these bright blue waters at people’s fingertips, allowing them to come face-to-face with all the fish, sharks and turtles that swim within them.”

Further conservation efforts were announced at the symposium, with South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands expanding their protected waters by almost 200,000 square kilometers to 449,000 square kilometers, making it one of the world’s largest and most protected areas of ocean.

The Blue Belt Programme aims to enhance ocean health, halt biodiversity loss, foster sustainable growth, build climate change resilience, and connect people with the natural environment in the UK Overseas Territories. The symposium, held from February 26 to 28, includes keynote speeches by notable figures such as Peter Thomson, the United Nations special envoy for the Ocean, Professor Jessica Meeuwig from the University of Western Australia, and Kate Brown from Global Island Partnerships.

ZSL’s Instant Wild app works by allowing users to watch species being monitored by cameras and then ID-tagging them. Find out more information on the Global Ocean Wildlife Analysis Network (GOWAN): Cayman Islands Projects from ZSL Instant Wild