Flying the panda

Mike Golding and Ecover support the World Wildlife Fund

Ecover has today confirmed that it has teamed up with the conservation organisation WWF-UK to raise awareness of the issues facing our marine environment. 

Leading yachtsman Mike Golding will fly the flag for marine conservation when he competes in the next Vendee Globe in his yacht Ecover 3, which carries the WWF panda logo.

"Cowes Week is a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness of the issues facing our marine environment and we are delighted to team up with Ecover and Mike Golding to draw attention to our oceans as a valuable resource that urgently needs protection," said Dr Simon Walmsley, Head of Marine, WWF-UK.

Oceans cover 70% of the Earth's surface and make up 95% of all the space available to life. Millions of people rely on ours seas and coasts every year, not only for leisure and tourism but also for its rich resources, and the jobs and income generated by maritime industries - such as oil and gas, renewable energy and, not least, fishing. WWF continues to campaign for a UK Marine Act to ensure that the different maritime industries operate sustainably without putting the health of our seas at risk.

"Ecover products are designed to protect the environment - the marine environment in particular - and we became involved with sailing and our sponsorship of World Champion Yachtsman Mike Golding to help spread the message about marine conservation. Teaming up with WWF will help us to further highlight the critical importance of our marine environment and sustainable consumption of our natural resources, such as water, to a far wider global audience," commented Mick Bremans, Managing Director of Ecover.

The UK urgently needs a Marine Act to modernise management of our activities at sea and to protect our marine wildlife and the entire marine ecosystem. Currently less than one per cent of our seabed is afforded high levels of protection. WWF has been campaigning for a UK Marine Act for over five years. Without proper legislation key species will continue to decline and the UK could fail to meet its own CO2 emissions reduction and renewables targets.