‘Protect the ocean’: Surfers in undersea protest off Caithness coast
An international group of surfers staged an underwater protest in Caithness to highlight a threat to vital ecosystems from industrial fishing.
Dunnet-based Phoebe Strachan, the five-times Scottish women’s surfing champion, was among those who took part in the demonstration at a reef off the north coast.
She and four other ambassadors for the outdoor clothing brand Patagonia are supporting calls by ocean advocacy groups for an immediate ban on bottom trawling within the UK’s marine protected areas (MPAs).
Photographer Al Mackinnon captured a series of images of the surfers beneath the waves, holding up signs with the slogan “Protect the ocean so it can protect us”.
Phoebe (28) said: “The shots were taken as part of a global ocean protection campaign which is fighting to protect the inshore marine protected areas from the most industrial type of fishing, which is known as bottom trawling.
“This is obviously very relevant to Scottish waters as well as the whole of the UK. There’s a Scottish NGO [non-governmental organisation] called Our Seas and they are kind of the lead body that is confronting the issue.
“It was a pretty difficult shoot to do. We had quite a lot of things against us, like tide and daylight.
“To get good shots underwater you need a bit of sun so that the water visibility is good, so all this is against you in the north of Scotland in November.
“We had a small window and obviously we had ambassadors coming in from all over.
“But we wanted an underwater shoot basically to signify how beautiful these inshore marine areas are, and that as surfers we’re standing up to protect these places because that’s where we love to play. They are some of the best surf spots.”
The Patagonia brand ambassadors also took their message to young members of Thurso-based North Shore Surf Club.
Phoebe explained: “Through my links with the surf club we had a night in the hut where we chatted to the local community, explaining what we were doing as well as how they can help, and why it’s important that they are aware of what’s going on in the world and what could potentially be happening to all the places that we love to surf.
“The kids were very open to it and on board. They were asking questions and it was a really good night.”
Phoebe was joined by fellow brand ambassadors Nienke Duinmeijer, Frank Solomon, Patch Wilson and Arthur Bourbon, accompanied by Gabe Davies.
Phoebe won the women’s title in the Scottish National Surfing Championships for the fifth time last April. She works as a joiner with Calder and Barnes.
She is backing a petition against bottom trawling that has so far been signed by almost 200,000 people from across Europe.
It was delivered to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in London by a coalition of ocean advocacy NGOs on World Fisheries Day last Thursday.
A petition hand-in is planned in Scotland for January 2025.
The groups argue that bottom trawling is a highly destructive fishing practice that involves dragging heavy nets across the seafloor. They say this method not only destroys fragile habitats but also threatens marine wildlife.
“We’re very close to getting 200,000 signatures,” Phoebe said. “Hopefully we can get over 200,000 signatures and hopefully the government can do something about it.”
The petition was delivered in London ahead of the next phase of the Marine Management Organisation’s consultation on the protection of MPAs.
Tom Collinson, advocacy manager at conservation organisation Blue Ventures, said: “The UK government must take urgent action to protect both our oceans and the communities that depend on them.
“Banning the most destructive practice – industrial bottom trawling – from sensitive protected areas should be the starting point.”
Beth Thoren, of Patagonia, said: “Across Europe, people are realising that bottom trawling is a hugely wasteful fishing method that releases carbon into the atmosphere and destroys protected areas that act as fish nurseries.”
