01 Identity
Scottish charity record
- OSCR charity number
- SC045699
- Status
- Active
- Regulatory type
- Standard
- Designated religious body
- No
- Geographical spread
- Scotland and other parts of the UK
- Volunteers
- 1-50 volunteers
- Staff
- 9
- Postcode
- PH16 5BU
02 Purpose and work
What the charity exists to do
Established in 2015, Open Seas campaigns to protect Scotland’s seas from damaging bottom-trawling and scallop dredging. We want healthy, vibrant seas with abundant fish populations, restored biodiversity and sustainable fishing that benefits people, nature and future generations. Guided by science, collaborative but uncompromising, we champion fair access and responsible use of our seas. We connect communities, scientific research and political action to defend public, community and consumer interests. Through our own research at sea, we gather evidence, challenge illegal and damaging fishing, and hold government and the seafood industry to account. We help mobilise the Our Seas coalition to build political and consumer pressure for lasting change.
Charitable purposes
- the advancement of education
- the advancement of citizenship or community development
- the advancement of environmental protection or improvement
Beneficiaries
- No specific group, or for the benefit of the community
Activities
- It carries out activities or services itself
Constitutional objectives
The Charitable Purposes of the SCIO ('the Charitable Purposes') are: 3.1.1 to conserve and to advance the environmental protection, and to promote the conservation and the environmental protection, of marine species in the waters and seas surrounding the United Kingdom. 3.1.2 to advance the environmental protection and improvement of the waters, seas and seabed surrounding the United Kingdom. 3.1.3 to promote the responsible use of marine resources and species in and for the United Kingdom. and 3.1.4 to advance education through scientific and other research in relation to the marine species, waters, seas and seabed surrounding the United Kingdom, and to disseminate the results to policy-makers, the fishing, supply and food industries and to the public generally.
03 Annual returns
Income and expenditure history
| Year end | Total income | Donations | Charitable activities income | Trading income | Investment income | Other income | Total expenditure | Raising funds | Charitable activities spending | Other spending | Staff | Return received |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 December 2025 | £488,310 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £505,315 | £0 | £0 | £0 | 9 | 30 September 2026 |
| 31 December 2024 | £428,163 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £482,533 | £0 | £0 | £0 | 9 | 28 August 2025 |
| 31 December 2023 | £412,129 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £405,764 | £0 | £0 | £0 | 9 | 30 September 2024 |
| 31 December 2022 | £415,243 | £415,243 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £365,151 | £300 | £364,851 | £0 | 9 | 29 September 2023 |
| 31 December 2021 | £286,960 | £286,960 | £197,388 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £197,388 | £0 | £197,388 | £0 | 9 | 30 September 2022 |
Figures are those reported by the charity and supplied in the OSCR bulk download. Blank facts remain distinct from zero.
04 Contact record
Principal office or trustees address
- Address supplied to OSCR
- c/o J&H Mitchell,, 51 Atholl Road, Pitlochry
- Website supplied to OSCR
- www.openseas.org.uk
- Parent charity
- Not supplied
No direct external links on this profile. The official OSCR record and source documentation are available through BritDB’s dedicated source page.
05 Provenance
Source for this profile
© Crown Copyright and database right 2026. Contains information from the Scottish Charity Register supplied by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator and licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0. BritDB is an independent service and does not claim to be the Scottish Charity Register.