A new initiative led by the Wales Coasts and Seas Partnership (CaSP Cymru) has launched ‘Y Môr a Ni’ – a framework for Ocean Literacy in Wales, which is a first of its kind in the UK. The strategy aims to grow people’s relationship with our coasts and seas.
Y Môr a Ni (The Sea and Us) combines the knowledge and experience of 22 organisations working together as the Welsh Ocean Literacy Coalition, and looks to build awareness of our influence on the sea and the sea’s influence on us.
Blue Spaces
The more connected people feel to the sea, the more conscious people become about their individual and societal effects on marine and coastal environments. This can lead to behavioural changes that safeguard and protect these important natural spaces as well as all the benefits they provide.
Blue spaces, like the sea and the coast, provide areas that can improve our physical and mental wellbeing as well as providing a variety of habitats and species, some of which are only found in the UK. These marine environments support local industries, contributing to the food and energy sectors and providing jobs, especially in tourism hotspots.
“A major step forward”
Y Môr a Ni has been in development since 2022 and the Welsh Ocean Literacy Coalition is made up of organisations such as NRW (Natural Resources Wales), Welsh Government, The Marine Conservation Society, Cardiff University, North Wales Wildlife Trust, under the umbrella of the Wales Coasts and Seas Partnership (CaSP Cymru).
Kirsty Lindenbaum, senior specialist advisor for NRW, said: “We are proud to be working as part of this diverse partnership to strengthen the connections people in Wales have with the ocean. Working together, we want to enable everyone in Wales to both enjoy and care for our seas.”
Reece Halstead, Ocean Literacy Co-ordinator for Wales at North Wales Wildlife Trust said, “ ‘Y Môr a Ni is a major step forward in the mission to protect our Welsh seas and abundant wildlife and hopes to build the connection every Welsh citizen has with our beautiful marine environment.”
David Tudor, Chair of the Wales Coasts and Seas Partnership said, “The outcomes, goals and actions within this strategy are for the benefit of businesses, environment and people. However, let’s be crystal clear: this vision and the benefits it will bring are not only for a select few, it is for all the people of Wales, for the current and future generations, whether living in Newgale or Newtown, Barmouth or Bala, Aberavon or Abergavenny. And even more than that, it is also for all those who are not from Wales or not living in Wales.”
Y Môr a Ni (The Sea and Us) aims to enable individuals, communities, and businesses to change their relationship with the sea, leading to actions, both big and small, that can support local well-being as well as protecting these special environments.
The Ocean Literacy Strategy for Wales 2025, Y Môr a Ni, prepared by the Welsh Ocean Literacy Coalition, part of the Wales Coasts and Seas Partnership, can be read here.