Building Alliances for the Ocean with Patagonia

The Context:

In April, 12 French NGOs focused on marine biodiversity gathered for a three-day workshop in Maison Glaz, a seaside tiers-lieu on the Gâvres peninsula in north-west France.

Maison Glaz is a community-driven space dedicated to social and climate action, providing a place for collaboration, work, and reflection. The workshop was held in collaboration with Patagonia, the outdoor brand known for its environmental activism. Patagonia had recently committed to launching a global campaign to protect the oceans and support NGOs working on ocean conservation. The focus of the campaign in Europe was to advocate for the ban of bottom trawling, particularly in marine protected areas. This method of fishing, deemed destructive by many environmental organizations, has been compared to bulldozers clearing tropical forests due to its harmful impact on marine ecosystems.

12 NGOs joined forces with the Patagonia team in Maison Glaz.

Purpose and Objectives:

The primary purpose of the strategic workshop, called “Mini Tools Ocean,” was two-fold:

1. To equip participating NGOs with essential skills to enhance their work on advocacy, citizen engagement, and environmental protection.
   

2. To create synergies between the individual actions of the NGOs and the broader Patagonia campaign, focusing specifically on marine biodiversity protection, including the ban on deep-sea bottom trawling.

The workshop aimed to foster collaboration among these organizations, each of which had their own approach to conservation, while ensuring their collective efforts aligned with the broader goals of the Patagonia campaign.

How might the NGOs’ individual actions resonate with the Patagonia Ocean campaign?

People Involved:

The workshop brought together 12 French NGOs dedicated to marine conservation, including BLOOM, Des Requins et des Hommes, Sea Shepherd France, and several others. Patagonia was represented by Ulysse Robach, an Environment and Marketing Specialist, who played a key role in organizing the workshop and partnered with us to help create a space for productive dialogue and collaboration between the diverse participants. Also involved was Léa Brassy, a Patagonia surf ambassador who shared her perspective on marine life and the importance of ocean protection.

“The workshop was a moment of hope,where we realized how engaged and invested the NGOs were, bringing in a conviction that things can change.” Ulysse Robach

Workshop Process:

The workshop began with simple, open conversations to foster understanding and empathy among the participants. Questions like “What do I think about when I look at the ocean?” were used to help participants reflect on their personal connections to the sea and to better understand the varying visions for marine conservation. From there, more complex discussions emerged, such as how the group could collectively influence EU decisions related to deep-sea trawling.

One of the key elements of the workshop was mapping the ecosystem of the NGOs’ actions. Participants were asked to illustrate their respective work and create miniature models (or "prototypes") to represent their efforts. This hands-on activity allowed participants to visualize their individual actions and identify potential connections and collaborations that had not been apparent before.

Léa Brassy is a surf ambassador for Patagonia who attended the workshop to share her unique sensitivity to marine life.

“I was pleasantly surprised by the way the miniature models helped us understand what each of us does, the connections between these actions, and what we might do collectively.” Léa Brassy

Building miniature models to represent the NGOs’ work.

Environment:

Maison Glaz, a community-driven and action-oriented space, provided a creative and immersive environment for the workshop. The seaside setting of the Gâvres peninsula, with its focus on social and climate action, set the perfect backdrop for discussions about ocean protection. The space was designed to be inclusive and welcoming, fostering a sense of collaboration and shared purpose among the participants.

Output & Impact:

By the end of the workshop, the participating NGOs had formed stronger relationships and identified numerous opportunities for collaboration. The use of miniature models helped participants visualize the connections between their efforts and inspired creative ideas for collective action. As a result, participants returned to their organizations with concrete initiatives to pursue, including a shared commitment to collaborate on influencing policy decisions related to deep-sea trawling.

Philippe Garcia, President of Défense des Milieux Aquatiques, emphasized the workshop’s impact, describing the group as a “soccer team whose key objective is to score goals to create impact.”

The workshop also left participants with a strong sense of optimism, with several concrete initiatives identified for follow-up. The collaboration sparked during the workshop, coupled with the global reach of the Patagonia campaign, created the potential for lasting change in ocean conservation efforts, particularly in advocating for a ban on destructive fishing practices like bottom trawling.

Overall, the workshop fostered collaboration, creative problem-solving, and a shared commitment to marine biodiversity protection. It served as a stepping stone for future initiatives and actions, empowering NGOs to work together and influence broader environmental policies.

Attending NGOs: BLOOM, Blutopia, Des Requins et des Hommes, Défense des Milieux Aquatiques, Eaux et Rivières de Bretagne, France Nature Environnement, LPO, Longitude 181, Look Down Action SOA, Pleine Mer, Sailing Hirondelle, SeaSheperd France

Learn more about the Patagonia Ocean campaign and how to take action here.