SCUBAHUB
Motion for the Ocean reaches Scotland
THE CITY OF EDINBURGH HAS BECOME the first council in Scotland to declare its commitment to take action for cleaner seas.
Edinburgh is also the latest council to step up as part of the BSAC-supported Motion for the Ocean campaign.
At a recent full council meeting, the City of Edinburgh voted to take action for cleaner, healthier seas. The pledge, tabled by Cllr Conor Savage, came after local resident, Natasha Stewart, wrote to her local Councillor calling on them to pass a“ Motion for the Ocean”.
Developed by ocean experts, the motion gives councils a clear, practical path to supporting ocean recovery— from making ocean health part of local planning to ensuring local children get the opportunity to experience the ocean firsthand.
Edinburgh joins 36 English and Welsh councils in making an Ocean Recovery Declaration, ranging in size from Town and Parish to City and County Councils, both coastal and inland.
BSAC member Emily Cunningham MBE, co-founder of the Motion for the Ocean Local Government Ocean Recovery Declaration, said she was delighted that Edinburgh had taken a stand. She now hoped other Scottish councils would follow suit.
“ A healthy ocean is essential for our health, well-being and prosperity, but the evidence is clear that our ocean is not in a healthy state. Local authorities cannot solve this alone, but they can and must play their part. I applaud Edinburgh’ s Councillors for their ocean leadership and look forward to seeing what they achieve.”
BSAC clubs and members can get proactive in calling for their local council to make a Motion for the Ocean pledge. For more information, and to download the Motion for the Ocean toolkit, go to bsac. com / m4to
Report your octopus sightings!
HAVE YOU SEEN AN OCTOPUS THIS year, either when diving or snorkelling around our shores?
Then report what you saw and help scientists understand more about why 2025 has been a bumper year for these fascinating creatures.
Spotting an octopus can be a highlight of any dive, and it seems that there have been more sightings than normal this year. The Marine Biological Association, together with the University of Plymouth, is now investigating whether 2025 really has been an exceptional year for octopus in the southwest.
The team are collecting data from fishermen but also want to hear about any sightings you have had of common octopus while diving or snorkelling in the southwest.
If you have encountered an octopus this year, share that info and help build up a picture of these fascinating creatures, and their behaviour.
You can find out more about the survey and how to submit your findings at bsac. com / octopus
Why the public is turning to the Tube
BSAC HAS SEEN A SIGNIFICANT RISE IN the number of people interested in learning to snorkel.
Since June, 23 % of all new member enquiries received via bsac. com have related to snorkelling. The BSAC team now hopes that a new Learn to snorkel promotional video, coupled with the recent introduction of snorkel eLearning, will further boost this surge in interest.
Snorkelling is a fun and rewarding sport in its own right, offering adventure and exploration for all ages. It’ s also a great way for younger members and families to get involved with their local BSAC club.
BSAC project manager Debbie Powell said she was delighted to see that snorkelling was now making up nearly a quarter of new member enquiries.
“ We’ ve strived to make it easier for more people to get started with BSAC— from better web pages and a new Learn to Snorkel promotional video, to snorkel eLearning and linking leads into clubs and centres. This work ties in with BSAC’ s strategic aim of opening up the water to more people, and snorkelling is a simple, welcoming way to begin.”
BSAC’ s newly released Learn to Snorkel video is now available for clubs and members to use when promoting snorkelling with their branch. The short and engaging video is available in both portrait and landscape formats, and can be easily shared to Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
“ Please do share the new Learn to Snorkel video on your club’ s social media accounts to help drum up interest in snorkel training as we head into autumn,” Debbie added.
For more information on snorkel training or becoming a snorkel instructor, go to bsac. com / training To download the new Learn to snorkel video go to bsac. com / videos
10