The North Sea, once one of the most productive in the world, is now amongst the most degraded. Oil extraction, waste dumping and chemical pollution have all taken their toll, and relentless commercial fishing has pushed some fish stocks - such as cod - to the brink of collapse.
Which is why our ship Arctic Sunrise is once again heading out into the North Sea to campaign for the urgent creation of marine reserves - national parks at sea where marine life can get some respite from commercial exploitation.
