The Protect Our Waves All-Party Parliamentary Group (POW APPG) was set up in 2014 in the Palace of Westminster. We brought together twenty-three MPs representing the majority of the UK’s key coastal communities, to address the most urgent environmental issues highlighted by the Protect Our Waves (POW) petition – marine litter, water quality and coastal development.
The first ever All-Party Parliamentary Group to specifically focus on marine conservation and was the result of over 55,000 surfers, environmentalists and recreational water users signing the Protect Our Waves petition – the biggest ever enviro-surf petition! This is our platform to discuss urgent environmental threats and campaigns directly with politicians, business leaders, environmental experts and civil servants.
The group has already had many positive outcomes and continues to grow. In 2016 the group met to discuss water quality and ocean plastics. In 2017 the group continued the debate on ocean plastics and focusing on solutions to tackle throwaway plastic bottles and improving our understanding of marine conservation.
Current Protect Our Waves All-Party Parliamentary Group Members
Officers:
| Chair Person | Steve Double MP | Newquay and St Austell |
| Vice-chair | Geraint Davies MP | Swansea West |
| Treasurer | Kerry McCarthy MP | Bristol East |
| Secretary | Gary Streeter MP | South West Devon |
Members:
| Alistair Carmichael | Orkney and Shetland |
| Carloine Nokes | Romsey and Southampton North |
| Caroline Dinenage | Gosport |
| Caroline Lucas | Brighton |
| Craig Mackinlay | South Thanet |
| Derek Thomas | St Ives |
| Gary Streeter | South West Devon |
| George Eustice | Redruth and Camborne |
| Geraint Davies | Swansea West |
| Jeremy Lefroy | Stafford |
| Jonathan Reynolds | Stalybridge, Hyde, Mossley, Longdendale and Dunkinfield |
| Kerry McCarthy | Bristol East |
| Kevin Barron | Rother Valley |
| Martyn Day | Linlithgow and East Falkirk |
| Michael Ellis | Northampton North |
| Rebecca Pow | Taunton Deane |
| Richard Benyon | Newbury |
| Roger Godsiff | Birmingham Hall Green |
| Ruth Cadbury | Brentford and Isleworth |
| Sarah Newton | Truro and Falmouth |
| Scott Mann | North Cornwall |
| Sir Peter Bottomley | Worthing West |
| Steve Double | Newquay and St Austell |
| Teresa Pearce | Erith and Tamesmead |
| Tobias Ellwood | Bournemouth East |
| Zac Goldsmith | Richmond Park |