Ocean with David Attenborough (2025) was a powerful and unflinching wakeup call exploring the vital importance of Earth’s oceans and the growing threats they face, featuring shocking footage revealing the devastation caused by bottom trawling.

For this podcast, Amanda Carpenter spoke to Olly Scholey, Field Producer on Ocean, and Dr Tom Appleby, Chief of Legal Affairs at Blue Marine Foundation, to gain insight into the making of the film and examine how the law can—and should—be used to better protect our seas.

How did the production team capture such dramatic footage oftrawling? Why is bottom trawling still permitted in Marine Protected Areas? How has the trawler fishing community responded to the film? How do government policies permit this destruction — and in some cases, actively subsidise it? Considering the fact that the UK fishery and seabed are owned by the Crown on behalf of the public; and the international fishery belongs to all people of all nations, how can lawyers protect ocean health? We explore all this and more.

Questions for this podcast were based on the audience participation at the Legal Sustainability Alliance’s and Blue Marine Foundation’s event, a screening of Ocean and panel discussion.

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