Bishop Cathleen Bascom, the Eco-Region lead for the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, has spoken about the important work churches are doing to restore and protect oceans at COP17, saying that ‘people of faith are committed to taking action for nature, that the vast seas which are holy to us may continue to teem with life’.
Speaking during a reception at COP17 on 27 October in Yerevan, Armenia, co-hosted with ‘Faiths for Oceans’, Bishop Cathleen referenced the work of the Episcopal Church in the US and Latin America, which has organised 12 eco-region networks that are ‘linking people, places and transformative practices’.
Describing the breadth of activity, Bishop Cathleen explained that the networks are aiming to ‘save the prairie and the Chesapeake Bay… restore oyster beds and to contain urban runoff in the Gulf Coast. Our network is preserving the continuum of habitats from the headwaters to the deltas in the Caribbean basin. They are focusing on coral reefs, to name just a few.’
During her presentation, Bishop Cathleen also highlighted an important report launched by 'Faiths for Oceans' during COP17 called: The Moral Catch: Fisheries, Justice, and the Living Ocean. Faiths for Oceans (originally launched as Faiths for UNOC3) was launched in June 2025 at the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3).
Their faith-led report warns that a healthy fish stock can still hide an unjust fishery. It asks a question that is both simple and troubling: when a fish is caught, what else is taken along with it? Who benefited? Who bore the cost? Who lost a source of food, their freedom, or their access to the resource along the way?
Drawing on published evidence, eight case studies follow fish through chains of labour, food, trade and ownership, from Senegal and Lake Victoria to Pacific tuna fisheries and Chilean salmon farms. In Northwest Africa, the report examines how whole edible fish enter fishmeal and fish-oil supply chains serving distant markets, while local households and women processors face pressure on prices and access.
The report also argues that ‘responsibility must go hand in hand with power’. Governments control access to resources and enforce regulations. Boat owners determine working conditions. Buyers influence prices and standards. Banks and insurers enable vessels, farms and processing plants to operate. The report argues that responsibility to prevent harm and support redress rests first with those who have the greatest power to change these conditions.
Bishop Cathleen explained that the Faiths for Ocean have presented the largest ever global statement from faith organisations calling for bold ocean action saying ‘They're continuing to mobilise faith communities around the world in Mombasa at our Ocean conference. They launched the Faith's High Ambition Coalition for Ocean and Nature Action in order to move faith groups from commitment to action here at COP17.’
Advocating to restore and protect oceans is a major focus for the Anglican delegation attending COP17 this year between 22-29 October. Along with Bishop Cathleen, other Anglicans from around the world have been present, including: the Rt Revd Graham Usher (Church of England Lead Bishop for the Environment and Bishop of Norwich), Mary Okeno (from the Anglican Church of Kenya), Anusan Sivarasa (a young environmental advocate from the Anglican Church of Sri Lanka) and Nicholas Pande (Environmental Advocacy Lead for the Anglican Communion Office and Global Lead for Resilience and Disaster Response for the Anglican Alliance).
The delegation has been attending various multilateral discussions, events and meetings, and advocating for four major priorities:
- Share generational wisdom to secure nature and communities.
- Ensure that governments’ finance is channelled towards those who need it most.
- Call on governments to restore and protect the oceans as one of the ‘Lungs of the Earth’.
- Show that balancing food security and sustainability is possible.
Sharing a quote from the Archbishop of Polynesia, Bishop Cathleen highlighted that ‘the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond measure. Our beloved Anglican archbishop from Polynesia, has it right. The ocean is not a boundary. It is a bridge connecting peoples, cultures and faith across vast distances.’
Find out more about Lungs of the Earth on the Anglican Communion website.
Read more about Anglicans at COP17.
Download the Anglican Communion’s Lungs of the Earth advocacy pack.
Download The Moral Catch: Fisheries, Justice, and the Living Ocean