Our newly released film, Oceans of Value, which shares local people’s emotional connections with Orkney’s marine environment, has been picked-up by global not-for-profit streaming channel, Ecoflix, which is dedicated to sharing content focused on saving animals and the planet.

The streaming channel, which launched in 2021, sees 100 per cent of subscriber’s fees go directly towards NGOs supporting ongoing wildlife and conservation efforts.

Already, Ecoflix subscribers from the USA, Switzerland and Kenya have tuned into the Oceans of Value film.

The Oceans of Value film which focuses on the waters surrounding the Orkney Islands, and up to 12 miles from the island’s coastline shares interviews carried out with 26 local people to unearth their values and the relationship they have with the sea. It also uncovers their future hopes and expectations of how the local marine environment might help shape the future of the island.

The film will help to inform Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Living Seas work focusing on better understanding and improving both marine planning and community engagement.

Rebecca Crawford, Stakeholder Engagement Officer, Scottish Wildlife Trust, said: “Our Oceans of Value film takes an innovative approach by hearing first-hand how locals perceive and value the local marine environment that surrounds them. Such in-depth and personal insights are often difficult to capture but are also really vital in helping to inform marine environment policy. To think that our film is now being watched not just beyond the borders of Scotland but streamed across the world is very exciting to showcase how communities can contribute to marine planning.”

Mark Downes, Executive Sustainability Producer Europe at Ecoflix, said: “Our passion is protecting wildlife and the natural world, and we want to champion current eco-campaigns whenever possible, just like the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Oceans of Value film. In our mission to educate and make a measurable difference to saving animals and helping to restore our planet, we’re duty bound to provide our audiences with informative and uplifting content. The Oceans of Value of film is a wonderful example of this in action.”

Alongside the creation of the film, a Marine Natural Capital Assessment has been carried out to map out the natural capital assets, which include all seabed habitats and all living things, in Orkney’s marine environment to identify the ecosystem services they provide and those of most importance to the community. A report combining the outcomes of the assessment, the film and further stakeholder consultation is expected in Spring 2023.

The Oceans of Value film is also off on tour around Scotland, with the Scottish Wildlife Trust offering a screening and workshop to discuss the topics covered and people’s own relationship with their marine environment. Any organisation wishing to host a screening of the film can email Elouise Carter, Living Seas Engagement Officer at LivingseasPT@scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk.

The film will also be shown at the Sea Scotland Conference on 8 June in Edinburgh. This event brings together Scotland’s marine community to focus attention on the key issues facing coastal and marine ecosystems.

You can watch the Oceans of Value film here.