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SEA LIFE Sanctuaries
Research & Conservation
 
 
 
 Save Our Seas (S.O.S.)
As well as helping millions of people to discover the marvels of the marine world the SEA LIFE network has an important role to play in helping safeguard our seas and their inhabitants for the future.

As well as fostering conservation through enhanced awareness, SEA LIFE regularly makes a more direct contribution towards conservation and marine animal welfare. In recent years a special programme has been established to manage and develop these activities. That programme is called Save Our Seas – S.O.S for short.

SOS Successes

2001 - An SOS petition leads to a heavy fine for the Greek government and forces it to step up protection for the nesting beaches of Loggerhead Sea Turtles.

2002/3 - A second SOS petition helps bring about a ban on the grisly shark-finning industry in European waters.

2004 - SOS pressure helps get measures in place to cut down the needless slaughter of dolphins and porpoises in nets set for other quarry.

2005 - The day after SOS delegates representing eight EU countries visit the British fisheries minister in London, he and his EU colleagues agree vital cuts in fishing quotas.

2006/7 - An SOS appeal raises sufficient funds for work to get underway on a valuable new turtle rescue centre on the Greek island Zakynthos.

2008 - Now SOS is campaigning to stem the slaughter of ‘Innocent Victims'...the millions of sea creatures that die annually in fishing nets targeting other species.

The death toll includes sea turtles, sharks, porpoises and even commercial fish like cod and bass. Many of the latter are too small to go to market, but though they are thrown overboard again most are already dead or dying from their ordeal.

There are devices now available like ‘pingers' and nets with built-in escape hatches for larger creatures, that can significantly reduce the mortalities, and measures that fishermen can themselves take to help keep other innocent victims alive.

See our campaign information in your nearest SEA LIFE centre and help us to help the Innocent Victims by signing our petition today.
 
SOS Turtle Rescue Work with sea turtles is expanding rapidly, with the appearance of these amazing creatures at SEA LIFE centres across Europe and a successful appeal to help fund a new rescue centre on the Greek island Zakynthos. Visit www.earthseasky.org to find out more.
 
SOS Otter Rescue Spacious and imaginatively designed enclosures for families of Asian short-clawed otters achieve a similar objective for wild otters of various species.
 
SOS Seahorse Rescue Our work with seahorses continues to break new ground, and includes some intriguing research…including a survey in 2006 that cast serious doubt on the seahorses’ much-vaunted monogamy!
 
SOS Seal Rescue Our rapidly growing seal rescue network is not solely concerned with our own common and grey seals…but also actively campaigns to try and end the grisly slaughter of Alaskan fur seals.
 
SOS Shark Rescue As well as opposing shark-finning SEA LIFE and S.O.S have arguably done more than any other organisation in the last 30 years to persuade people that sharks are amazing and beautiful creatures worthy of admiration rather than persecution.