The Cleaner Ocean Foundation Limited is a not for profit company with charitable objects, and without share capital. Meaning that the directors are Trustees, and as there are no shares, there can be no dividends to shareholders, as with profit making concerns.

All funds raised are used for our stated objects. In the event of being wound up, all remaining funds would be donated to a charity with similar aims.

Constitutionally, the company is a charity. After efforts to register with the Charity Commission, it was determined that due to work on social projects like SeaVax, and zero carbon transport, the Commission could not register the organization in the United Kingdom, where they said there was the potential for trading and thus profits. And yet our objects said otherwise. Without shares for dividends, how could anyone profit? We do not make the rules!

For the avoidance of doubt, the Foundation does not trade, but can develop and promote concepts in furtherance of their stated objects, and where appropriate, make introductions to third parties for the purposes of trading that is not conducted by the Foundation, so long as that trading is aligned with the Foundation's objectives, save for grant generation that may be necessary to attract and secure funding and development partners - who are environmental entrepreneurs.

The Charity Commission recognised that the work of the Foundation was of benefit to the communities served. Inviting a Judicial Review to challenge their decision. Somewhat disingenuous, in reality a blocker, where a charity with no income would be unable to mount a High Court case? You may consider such folly unfavourable treatment. We just rolled with the punches. Turned the other cheek. We do not make the rules. Notably, those who do, do not provide solutions! Remaining unaccountable, save perhaps for public opinion.

The decision of the Commission may not have been entirely United Nations SDG 16 compatible, but that was the decision obtained on application - that we determined to abide by - in adapting Foundation non-trading practices - to be able to legally promote charitable objects in a modern topsy-turvy world - bereft of solutions. We do not make the rules.

Effectively, the Commission helped to kill off the ambition to develop the SeaVax ocean cleaning solution. Brexit did not help either. Since then, ocean plastic has grown significantly, with the UN unable to agree on a plastic treaty in 2024, into 2025. As a result, you are eating more seafood's polluted with plastic. After two years of negotiations and a week of talks in Busan, UN member states could not find an agreement on what would have been the first-ever global legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution. Unfortunately, they no longer have SeaVaxes or RiverVaxes in their off-the-shelf clean up armoury. A potential means to finding an acceptable solution maybe, combined with Boyan Slat's giant dragnets.

MICROPLASTICS

Microplastics are ubiquitous, they have been found in various parts of the human body, including stool, lungs, blood, and even placenta. This confirms that the UK population are ingesting and absorbing them, as with the rest of the world. 

Ingestion is a Key Pathway. Studies suggest that we primarily ingest microplastics through contaminated food and water. Seafood, bottled water, and even some fruits and vegetables have been shown to contain them. 

Single-Use Packaging is a Major Contributor. In the UK there is no law preventing plastic packaging, and little to prevent irresponsible disposal. A significant source of microplastic pollution comes from the degradation of single-use plastic packaging for food and drinks. When these plastics break down in the environment, they fragment into microplastics, which can then enter the food chain. 

While exact figures for plastic accumulation in the human gut in the UK are difficult to pinpoint, research suggests that people may ingest thousands of microplastic particles annually through food, water and air.

Regarding plastic waste, UK households discard an estimated 90 billion pieces of plastic packaging annually, with only 17% being recycled domestically. Globally, plastic pollution has reached crisis levels, with projections estimating 902 million tonnes of plastic production by 2050.

UK rivers spew plastic into the ocean, via the Irish Sea, English Channel, Atlantic Ocean and North Sea.

That means that the UK Commissioners and their families are sure to have plastic in their bodies. We hope they are allowing other charities with subdivided objects similar to ourselves to register, for them to lobby in our stead. Or maybe even develop a SeaVax substitute.

UNITED NATIONS ON PLASTIC

The UN is developing what they describe as a historic treaty to address plastic pollution (marine litter), a problem that's growing rapidly. The aim is to create a legally binding international agreement to tackle the full lifecycle of plastics, from production to disposal. An Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) was established to develop this treaty. They've been holding a series of meetings to work towards a final text.

Governments adopted Resolution 5/14 to launch negotiations on a treaty to address plastic pollution at the fifth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) in Nairobi, Kenya, in March 2022. The fourth session (INC-4) took place in April 2024 in Ottawa, Canada.

Humanity was expected to consume over 500 million tonnes of plastics in 2024 alone, with a large share of this used plastics quickly becoming 400 million tonnes of plastic waste. Under a business-as-usual scenario and in the absence of urgent action and necessary interventions, global plastic waste could almost triple, reaching around 1.2 billion tonnes by 2060. 

The most recent major meeting, INC-5, took place in Busan, South Korea. The next meeting (INC-5.2) is scheduled to take place in Geneva, Switzerland in August 2025. That is nearly seven years since our charity application in 2018. We wonder how the SeaVax and other climate projects might have progressed with charity registration.

INC Secretariat: unep-incplastic.secretariat@un.org

CANCER

Research indicates that microplastics and nanoplastics, which are tiny fragments of plastic, can carry harmful chemicals that may contribute to cancer. Some plastics contain additives like bisphenol A (BPA), phthalates, and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which have been linked to endocrine disruption and potential carcinogenic effects.

Additionally, when plastics degrade or are burned, they can release toxic compounds into the air, including benzene, vinyl chloride, and dioxins, which are known carcinogens. These pollutants can be inhaled, increasing the risk of respiratory diseases and long-term health effects.

We wonder how many lives might have been saved from cancer, if the seas had been cleaner sooner? Or more hydrogen FCEVs, buses, and trucks had been operating in the city of London sooner. We do not make the rules.

EU PLASTIC

The European Parliament and the European Council are moving forward with plans for a new regulation aimed at preventing microplastic pollution from plastic pellets. The Commission says that between 52,000 and 184,000 tonnes of pellets are released in the environment each year due to mishandling throughout the entire supply chain.

The provisional agreement together with the restrictions on intentionally added microplastics adopted during September 2023, are the first EU measures specifically designed to tackle microplastic pollution at source. Together, they contribute to the target of reducing microplastics releases into the environment by 30% by 2030 established by the Zero Pollution Action Plan.

The need to address microplastic pollution was identified in the EU Plastics Strategy and Circular Economy Action Plan.

ZERO POLLUTION

On 12 May 2021, the European Commission adopted the EU Action Plan: "Towards a Zero Pollution for Air, Water and Soil"

The zero pollution vision for 2050 is for air, water and soil pollution to be reduced to levels no longer considered harmful to health and natural ecosystems, that respect the boundaries with which our planet can cope, thereby creating a toxic-free environment.

This is translated into key 2030 targets to speed up reducing pollution at source. These targets include:

- improving air quality to reduce the number of premature deaths caused by air pollution by 55%;
- improving water quality by reducing waste, plastic litter at sea (by 50%) 

- and microplastics released into the environment (by 30%);
- improving soil quality by reducing nutrient losses and chemical pesticides’ use by 50%;
- reducing by 25% the EU ecosystems where air pollution threatens biodiversity;
- reducing the share of people chronically disturbed by transport noise by 30%, and 
- significantly reducing waste generation and by 50% residual municipal waste.

The Action Plan aims to strengthen the EU green, digital and economic leadership, whilst creating a healthier, socially fairer Europe and planet. It provides a compass to mainstream pollution prevention in all relevant EU policies, to step up implementation of the relevant EU legislation and to identify possible gaps.

WHALING BAN

Public awareness has been a driving force in the fight against whaling. Documentaries, books, and media campaigns have brought the plight of whales into the global spotlight, galvanizing public support for conservation measures. 

The International Whaling Commission (IWC), established in 1946, played a pivotal role in regulating whaling activities. In 1986, a significant milestone was achieved when the IWC implemented a global moratorium on commercial whaling.

Some nations continue to engage in whaling under the guise of scientific research or cultural traditions, raising ethical and legal questions. The IWC faces ongoing debates over its role and effectiveness in enforcing the ban. Moreover, whales continue to face threats from climate change, pollution, and habitat destruction.

Whales possess an enigmatic allure that captivates people around the world. Their intelligence, complex social structures, and haunting songs evoke a sense of wonder and connection. This emotional bond has fueled a global movement to protect these giants of the sea. Stories of individual whales, such as the beloved humpback Megaptera, have touched hearts and inspired action.

International Whaling Commission
Suite 2, First Floor, Victory House

Vision Park, Histon, Cambridge, CB24 9ZR

+44 (0) 1223 233 971
secretariat@iwc.int

INEQUITABLE

The peculiar thing is, if our Foundation divided up work packages into separate aims, so as not to tackle international issues, but more local issues, we might have been registered for cleaning a river or lake or reducing the climate footprint of a factory, etc. To make this possible we would need to be much larger, with more trustees, offices, and many times the operating overheads to divide our researches. We are sure readers might agree that such onerous conditions would not be climate friendly, impractical or even downright foolish, and would see us fail financially, also preventing an overview of the international scene. We do not make the rules. Such administrative burdens would prevent us contributing to society effectively. 

The Commission did not like us having trademark protection for the SeaVax, even though the Princess Diana Trust had similar protections and copyrights. A marked lack of consistency in decision making we cannot fathom! We do not make the rules.

Staying true to our objectives, we may cooperate with other charities and individual volunteers. Or video film producers, small and large. Publishers, etc.

We may work with corporations that trade for profits, if it benefits our aims and objectives. Such companies might support our causes, in the knowledge that any agreement as to specific projects would be fulfilled.

The adventures of John Storm and the Elizabeth Swann. John Storm is an ocean adventurer and conservationist, like the Foundation's trustees and volunteers. The Elizabeth Swann is a fast solar and hydrogen powered boat. During a race around the world, news of the sinking of a pirate whaling ship reaches John Storm and his mate Dan Hawk. They decide to abandon the race and try and save the whale. Taking on the might of a whaling cartel, with international betting raising the bar, making Kulo-Luna the $Billion Dollar Whale, a modern Moby-Dick to make Herman Melville proud.

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