Background
The OCPP was a UK-led programme funded through the UK’s £500 million Blue Planet Fund. The Blue Planet Fund is financed through the UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget and is supporting developing countries to protect the marine environment and reduce poverty.
Bilateral partnerships under the OCPP were primarily delivered by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture (Cefas), the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
The OCPP also made funding contributions to the Global Ocean Accounts Partnership (GOAP) and Friends of Ocean Action (FOA). GOAP partners with ODA-eligible countries to calculate and account for the value that a healthy ocean brings to their economies, by supporting them to develop ocean natural capital accounts. FOA is hosted by the World Economic Forum in collaboration with the World Resources Institute, which brings together ocean leaders from a wide range of sectors to encourage action and investment into sustainable ocean projects.
Impact statement of OCPP
Partner countries are better able to address challenges to their marine environments and biodiversity, enhance marine dependent livelihoods, and improve the wellbeing of those that depend on them, sustainably, equitably and inclusively.
The OCPP provided demand-led technical assistance in marine science to partner countries, supporting them to overcome challenges that threaten marine environments and the livelihoods that depend on them.
The programme delivered across three themes, recognising the interdependencies:
- Marine Pollution: The OCPP supported countries to be equipped with the skills and expertise needed to tackle, reduce and mitigate marine pollution through the development of science-led policy. By improving understanding of the impacts of pollution, as well as identifying and supporting effective responses, we made sure that communities were better equipped to prevent and manage marine pollution, and improved health and livelihoods.
- Sustainable Seafood: The OCPP supported the development of the skills and expertise needed to adopt sustainable seafood practices. This reduced risks, such as the spread of zoonotic diseases from unsustainable or unsafe activities, and supported trade in safe seafood.
The programme also helped crack down on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing by supporting the development of better management, monitoring and enforcement capabilities. - Marine Biodiversity: The OCPP supported countries to develop the skills and expertise needed to establish designated, well-managed and enforced marine protected areas. This work supported healthy ecosystems with thriving biodiversity and fisheries that communities rely on for food and livelihoods.
The programme achieved these objectives by strengthening marine science expertise, developing evidence-based policy and management tools, and creating educational resources for coastal communities.
Marine Biodiversity Theme Ambition
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) can help address the twin threats of biodiversity loss and climate change. Evidence has also shown that MPAs can effectively contribute to poverty reduction by improving capture fisheries beyond their boundaries, supporting the creation of jobs in trades such as tourism, and improving governance and stewardship of the marine environment.
Under the marine biodiversity theme, the OCPP partnered with countries who wished to develop, or further improve upon, MPAs and MPA networks, building capacity to enable sound and robust decision making on MPAs.
Our work:
- Increased understanding of the value of MPAs in supporting sustainable livelihoods, food security, health and well-being;
- Increased understanding of MPA theory and practise, including evidence gathering, identification, selection, monitoring and assessment of MPAs;
- Increased support and compliance for MPAs with stakeholders;
- Enhanced capability and drive within countries to sustainably manage, monitor and assess conservation activities in the future.
Marine Biodiversity Theme Delivery
The OCPP partnered with the following countries under the Marine Biodiversity theme:
- Belize
- Maldives
- Sri Lanka
- Senegal
- Ghana
- Mozambique
- Solomon Islands
- Vanuatu
- Madagascar
More information on the programmes of work delivered in each country and the associated outputs, can be found under the country-specific webpages linked above.
India: In 2022/2023, the OCPP was invited to provide advice to support the designation process for the Mugli-Apsarkonda Marine Sanctuary (also known as Karwar Marine Park or the Mugali Marine Protected Area), which is situated in the Uttara Kannada district within the Karnataka region of the Arabian Sea. Two reports were produced as part of this process and are available on the Resource Hub.
General: The OCPP Biodiversity Team have collated information on MPA management effectiveness tools into a document to support the MPA community. Topics included in the document are: MPA assessments in relation to MPA implementation, different protected area management effectiveness (PAME) methods that can be used for individual MPAs and/or network-level assessments, benefits of PAME assessments, the PAME process and methods, a deep dive into the Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool (METT-4), and some case studies of METT-4 assessments carried out under the OCPP. To view this document please visit the Resource Hub.
Marine Pollution and Sustainable Seafood Delivery
Further information on OCPP Emergency Response work, delivered by JNCC and Cefas under the Marine Pollution theme, can be found on the OCPP Emergency Response webpage.
Outputs for all three OCPP themes across all countries and additional OCPP programme level resources, such as the Gender, Equality, Diversity and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) and Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Sexual Harassment (SEAH) toolkits can be found on the OCPP Repository.
OCPP Transition and Closure
The OCPP formally closed in March 2026. Prior to the end of the programme a transition phase was initiated in collaboration with each partner country. Transition focussed on recognising the impact of OCPP’s achievements, maximising opportunities for uptake, implementation and long-term sustainability of OCPP’s outputs and delivery.
Transition outputs for specific countries, such as policy papers, narratives and legacy videos can be found on the OCPP Repository.
An OCPP Legacy video was created to reflect on five years of achievements under the programme.
We extend our sincere gratitude to all stakeholders, partners, and contributors who have collaborated with us on the Ocean Country Partnership Programme. Your dedication and support are vital to our shared mission of protecting and sustainably managing our oceans. Together, we are making a difference.
OCPP: Legacy and Impact Video
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