Guidance

The Blue Belt Programme

The Blue Belt Programme supports the UK Overseas Territories with the protection and sustainable management of their marine environments.

From:
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Marine Management Organisation, and Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
Published
24 October 2017
Last updated
2325 AugustOctober 2022 — See all updates

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This flagship programme has been central to the UK government’sGovernment’s ambition of leading action to tackle the serious global problems of overfishing, species extinction and climate change.

Objectives and funding

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The Blue Belt Programmeaims worksto closelyassist withthe UK Overseas Territories in protecting and enhancing ocean health to helphalt thembiodiversity enhanceloss, theenable protectionsustainable growth, ensure climate change resilience, and managementto ofconnect theirpeople preciouswith marinethe environments.natural Theenvironment.

This Overseashighly Territoriesambitious thatProgramme areis includedleading withinthe way in supporting the programmeTerritories in the effective management of their marine environments, and in ensuring they are highlightedsafeguarded above.for future generations.

The Blue Belt enhancesProgramme marineworks protection across overthese 4core millionthemes square kilometres of marine environment by:work:

  • understanding and protecting biodiversity
  • strengthening governance and management frameworks
  • managing human impacts
  • supportingassisting sustainablecompliance fisheriesand managementenforcement
  • supportingcapacity compliancebuilding and enforcement.ocean literacy.

Between 2022 – 2025, the Programme will be funded directly by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s International Programme Fund.

The funding will provide ongoing support for the management, enforcement and scientific monitoring of Marine Protected Areas, and will allow us to develop our understanding of the effectiveness of the marine protection in place. We will also be able to support other OTs who wish to enhance their marine protection and sustainable management.

The Blue Belt Programme is supported by two world leading organisations – the Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) on behalf of the UK Government.

Achievements

Clockwise from top left: two boats in the sea, a bird flying across the horizon, a person lowering a camera into water from a boat, a large vessel in sea by an island, penguins, two people fixing a drone, a whale shark.

The Blue Belt Programme has supported the UK Overseas Territories to enhance marine protection across more than 4.3 million square kilometres of marine environment.

See latest work and highlights from the Blue Belt Programme with the Annual Update 2021-2022:

For a detailed breakdown of Blue Belt Programme activities and achievements, see the below publications:

Sub-Programmes

The Blue Belt Programme provides funding to two sub-programmes: the Blue Shield Programme, and the Global Ocean Wildlife Analysis Network.

These Programmes work with UK Overseas Territories to support them with specific elements of the marine conservation and management process.

The Blue Belt Ocean Shield

The Blue Belt Ocean Shield is a maritime domain awareness project, which works to assess and understand the activities that take place within the marine zones of Overseas Territories.

The Programme assists UKOTs to better understand the potential impacts of activities on the health and sustainability of their marine environments, and ultimately protect them from harmful activity.

The Global Wildlife Analysis Network

This network of underwater cameras, known as Baited Remote Underwater Video Systems (BRUVS), will monitor biodiversity and marine ecosystems across the Overseas Territories.

Cameras will be deployed across the Atlantic, Indian, Pacific and Southern Oceans, and will improve understanding of these marine environments, helping ensure they are protected and sustainably managed for future generations.

Find out more:

Global Ocean Wildlife Analysis Network Summary (PDF, 2.45 MB, 4 pages)

Additional resources and publications

Below are a selection of public facing documents that have been produced by the Blue Belt Programme’

Working towards a blue future is a collection of recent research papers undertaken by both the Blue Belt Programme and key partners.

Summary: Working towards a blue future (PDF, 3.46 MB, 4 pages)

Pitcairn Islands whale watching code of conduct resources:

Climate change report cards:

Additional resources

Further information

To keep up to date with the Blue Belt Programme:

Government Logo
Published 24 October 2017
Last updated 2325 AugustOctober 2022 + show all updates

  1. Blue Belt Ocean Shield update

  2. Roundtable report update

  3. New BB Annual Report

  4. WOD Update

  5. Page updated with Socio-economic Roundtable report

  6. Addition of Blue Shield material

  7. Page updated with: Blue Belt Programme Roundtable: Protected Area Management Effectiveness

  8. Climate change removed

  9. Gov logo added

  10. New file

  11. First published.

Contents