Policy paper

Ocean Country Partnership Programme (OCPP)

Updated 5 December 2023

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/blue-planet-fund/ocean-country-partnership-programme-ocpp

The Ocean Country Partnership Programme (OCPP) supports countries to:

  • strengthen marine science expertise
  • develop science-based policy and management tools
  • create educational resources for coastal communities

The programme is funded through official development assistance (ODA) as part of the UK’s £500 million Blue Planet Fund. Through the OCPP, the UK government partners with ODA-eligible countries to deliver tangible and positive impacts on the livelihoods of coastal communities that depend on healthy marine ecosystems.

Bilateral partnerships under the OCPP are primarily delivered by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (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 makes 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.

Objectives

Marine pollution

The OCPP will support 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 our understanding of the impacts of pollution, as well as identifying and supporting effective responses, we will make sure that communities are better equipped to prevent and manage marine pollution. This will improve health and livelihoods.

Sustainable seafood

The OCPP will support the development of the skills and expertise needed to adopt sustainable seafood practices. This will reduce risks such as the spread of zoonotic diseases from unsustainable or unsafe activities, and will support trade in safe seafood.

The programme will also help crack down on illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing by supporting the development of better management, monitoring and enforcement capabilities.

Marine biodiversity

The OCPP will help countries to develop the skills and expertise needed to establish designated, well-managed and enforced marine protected areas. This work will support healthy ecosystems with thriving biodiversity and fisheries that communities rely on for food and livelihoods.

The programme aims to achieve these objectives by strengthening marine science expertise, developing evidence-based policy and management tools, and creating educational resources for coastal communities.

Funding and country partnerships

Between 2021 to 2022 and 2024 to 2025, the OCPP will receive up to £54 million in funding to support its work.

In its first year, the OCPP partnered with 7 countries:

  • Bangladesh
  • Belize
  • India
  • Maldives
  • South Africa
  • Sri Lanka
  • Vanuatu

Over the course of the programme, we hope to increase this to 10 to 15 partnerships in total.

The programme is also funding smaller-scale pilot projects in:

  • Fiji
  • Indonesia
  • Kenya
  • Namibia
  • Samoa
  • Vietnam

The programme provides scoping and needs assessment support to the expansion of the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Protected Area. It also supported the government of Peru in responding to the Callao oil spill.

The OCPP is demand-led, with delivery partners developing activities in partnership with country governments. These activities are directed towards capacity building for marine science in local institutions, organisations, and communities.

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