'Big Blue Bag' Initiative

Monty Halls, best known for his work in highlighting the importance of marine conservation and the wonders of the ocean, has become an official ambassador for Visit Isle of Man and will work closely with the Visit Agency to champion the Island’s natural beauty, rich marine ecosystems and UNESCO Biosphere status through his new initiative which is focused on marine conservation.

This partnership marks a significant step in furthering the Isle of Man’s reputation as a destination that values sustainability and environmental stewardship and aligns with the principles outlined in the Visit Agency’s ten-year visitor economy strategy, ‘Our Island, Our Future’, which aims to position the Island as a leading eco-tourism destination in the British Isles. 

The new initiative, the ‘Big Blue Bag’, has been designed to encourage individuals of all ages to directly engage with and contribute in a meaningful way to the conservation of the UK’s coasts and shallow seas. The concept, which is going to be tested on the Isle of Man in conjunction with Manx Wildlife Trust (MWT), is a bag containing easy-to-follow sampling protocols that will enable users to collect vital data on marine health, including microplastic pollution, species biodiversity, water temperature and coastal debris. The plan is that the collected data can be uploaded to a digital app (currently in development), contributing to citizen science to help inform conservation efforts around the world.

The ‘Big Blue Bag’ will officially launch this Spring 2025.