Hi thanks for the interest in becoming a board member with The Ghost Seas Project.. I thought it would be a good idea to give you as much information as I possibly can at this point about both myself and the project so that no one ends up feeling like they signed up to anything they weren’t expecting.

Firstly. Me.. I have basically lived in the ocean my entire life, everything from surfing to diving, kayaking, water photography etc, I’ve done it.. It’s a little cliche but the ocean is more my home than anywhere on land ever could be. As a result I care about it - and its inhabitants - more than I do the land or the people who live on it. This is often a hard concept for people to grasp but for me it is the most natural thing. That abundance of time underwater however has shown me the stark reality of the destruction of the ocean by humans, the depletion of fish stocks, the carelessly tossed waste that became invisible to most the second it disappeared below the surface and the endless stretches of nothingness that we have all now come to accept as “normal” when in fact just a few hundred years ago these areas would have been teeming with life.

The ocean has no rules, no social graces I’m supposed to follow, no protection for mistakes or egos and is perhaps the only place left on this planet where you are forced to rely on your own abilities and commit to your choices. For many people that would be a scary way to live, but it ensures that things get done, choices get made, actions are taken… things don’t just meander on for months at a time whilst committee after committee discusses health and safety or consultants argue about nothing to bump up their fees. I mention this because the protection of the ocean does not have time to wait for rules and committees, it needs direct action NOW. Direct, positive and powerful action in order to slow and hopefully - in time - reverse the damage that has already been done, and continues to be done as you read this..  The Ghost Seas project has one singular goal.  The reinstatement of the waters around the Channel Islands to the levels of health and life that were seen pre 1600AD.

To reach this goal many smaller actions will have to be taken, starting with the smallest (removing fishing waste and “ghost nets / pots” etc from the marine environment) all the way through things like marine mammal protection patrols and census data collection, illegal fishing industry disruption, educational programmes to engage and encourage islanders to join us and protect the ocean, government opposition against projects that damage the marine environment and the eventual implementation of a marine protected area encompassing all Channel Islands waters.

None of these will be easy, and it is likely many people will be inconvenienced by our actions, especially those who still believe the ocean to be an unending source of food, oxygen & a convenient dumping ground. I am not the type to back down from a fight, and this is a fight I believe it is imperative we have. Without the oceans our species cannot survive.

I need people who are willing and able to understand that this is a fight for the very survival of our species, and, as someone more eloquent than me once said, “you have to crack some eggs to make an omelet”. I have every intention of staying within the accepted rules (at least until I can change some of them) but feelings aren’t rules & I feel no obligation to pander to them.

With the Ghost Seas Project I am hoping to build an army of ocean users who will come together and fight for the survival of this most precious resource. Some will be more dedicated than others, some will be more proactive, some will have strengths that others do not. My aim is to use those “soldiers” in the most effective way possible.  I may not always say or do the most public relations friendly things, there are times when I will no doubt require moderation and that is why I need good people to stand with me and my personally selected vice chairperson to ensure that The Ghost Seas Project remains on course towards its eventual goal and is not derailed. You can help me do this by becoming a voting member of this non - profit and knowing that you have a say in the direction we take.

If this is still something you would like to get involved in I welcome you, if not, I fully understand and thank you for your time.

Kind regards

Matt