At Sea Sisters we care about sustainability and practices that protect and support our ocean. So World Ocean Day is a big deal for us, and we’ve been fortunate enough to spend it talking to someone who is as passionate about the big blue as us.
For over two decades, Farah Obaidallah has worked to protect our oceans with organisations like Greenpeace and Seas At Risk and now has her own charity, The Ocean and Us .
Born in the Netherlands to a Dutch mother and Punjabi father, and raised by the sea in The Hague and Gabon, she studied biology, before completing a Master's degree in Environmental Technology. She has, she says, been in love with the sea for as long as she can remember.
Her missions have involved exposing labour abuse at sea, campaigning against deep-sea mining, and challenging destructive fishing practices. In 2017, Farah founded Women4Oceans, a non-profit initiative dedicated to elevating women’s voices across the ocean sector and connecting women working to protect our blue planet. In 2023 Women4Oceans became The Ocean and Us to reflect a broader mission to tackle global issues such as deep-sea mining and campaigning for The High Seas Treaty.
Farah’s work reminds us that ocean conservation isn't just about what happens at sea. It's about our connection to food, community, and nature too. Her work has consistently championed women, celebrated local voices, and encouraged people to learn more about the world around them – you can see why we love her.
Where did your connection to the ocean begin?
Growing up in The Hague, I remember being in awe of the moody skies and the North Sea waves, the wilderness and the mystery of it all. I didn’t have words for it, I just knew that’s where I wanted to be. I’d go with my little net and see what I could find – usually shrimp, starfish and crabs. Then later, living in Gabon, every weekend we would take a boat and go to our special secluded beach – I’d snorkel in the shallows and wade through the mangroves, and I was fascinated by everything.
But even as a child, I felt worried for the natural world. I remember every weekend seeing a sea of logs in the harbour, ready for export to North America and Europe, and asking my dad when the forest would run out.
Can you tell us about some of your biggest wins in the last 20 plus years?
Unfortunately, it's the bad news that gets air time. That needs to happen for us to have awareness, but good things that happen too.
For example, after years of global campaigns and initiatives, we’ve finally seen legislation that addresses illegal, unreported or unregulated fishing (IUU). As well as being able to monitor IUU fishing with new technology, it’s now recognised as a major issue – something like one in five fish is caught this way, so even that awareness is a win.
Another one is that at the start of 2026, the Treaty on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction came into force. This has been a 20-year effort to address a huge gap in ocean governance on the High Seas, helping to better protect marine life in international waters.
Are there any ocean species that hold a special place in your heart?
There are too many! I’ve always been fascinated by octopus, cuttlefish and squid. But I love sharks too. And crabs – they’re funny little animals.
What do you think has driven the disconnect between people and the oceans today?
In many places the relationship between us and our food has disappeared. You can order something online and have it show up tomorrow, or you can go to your supermarket and buy whatever you want without understanding the cost involved, the community behind it, the labour, the animals or the nature.
If we’re used to everything being available 24/7, then where’s the delicacy of anything? For me, looking forward to the seasons and what they bring is half of the joy of being human.
What needs to change in how we eat and shop to rebuild a more sustainable relationship with nature?
We could start by supporting small-scale and community-based initiatives. There's so much positivity to be found locally – the jobs created and the community that’s built when you know where your food comes from. If it’s local, we feel less alien to what we’re eating, and I believe we’ll be better custodians. Also, ask questions. Wherever you get your food – your local supermarket, deli, or fishmonger – try to learn more about it. Those questions help re-establish the connection. And then, dare to make different choices. Try something new, something less familiar, especially if it means being more sustainable.
What’s something you’ve learnt that people might not expect?
The role of women in fishing! I have worked with fishing communities in so many different parts of the world, and always strikes me is that it is the men who catch the fish, but the women are actually running the business. They are creating the markets, processing the fish and repairing the nets.
What do we miss when women are left out of decisions made about our oceans?
The feminine, nurturing energy that women hold sees value in nature in different ways – as something collective and shared for the future of humanity, rather than just a resource. The same goes for whose voices we amplify. If we’re not lifting up local heroes, then we’re not actually pushing for change.
What does really good food look like to you?
I’m a big lover of simple, wholesome food. I have friends with allotments and vegetable gardens, and some of my favourite meals have come from them – food that's been grown with love, picked that morning, and shared with others.
Find out more about Farah's work in her book The Ocean and Us
By Honor Smith-Wright