Hugo Tagholm

Hugo Tagholm
Tagholm speaking at a protest in Cornwall (June 2021)
OccupationsMarine conservationist
Campaigner
Known forChief Executive, Surfers Against Sewage (2008–22)
Executive Director, Oceana UK (2022–present)
AwardsEnvironmentalist of the Year, Save the Waves Coalition (2021)

Hugo Tagholm (born January 1975) is a British marine conservationist and campaigner. He was chief executive of Surfers Against Sewage between 2008–22 and is executive director of Oceana UK.

During his time at Surfers Against Sewage, Tagholm founded Plastic Free Communities (2018), the Million Mile Beach Clean, the Safer Seas Service and the Plastic Free Awards (2019). He co-founded the Global Wave Conference in 2015. The University of Exeter made him an honorary doctor of science in 2019 for his services to the marine environment.

Early life and career

Tagholm was born in London in January 1975. As a child he went mudlarking with his father on the River Thames foreshore, and later explored rock pools along the Cornish coast; experiences he has described as shaping his interest in the natural environment.

He studied French and philosophy at the University of Exeter, then ecology and conservation at Birkbeck, University of London. Before moving into the conservation sector, he worked in public relations and events management, including with the National Gallery, the Art Fund and the BBC.

His connection with Surfers Against Sewage dates to 1991, the year after the charity was founded, when he entered the bodyboard category of the Surf To Save competition at Polzeath. Over the following years he was a member, regional representative and volunteer board director.

Between 2002–07, Tagholm was programme director at PiggyBankKids (later Theirworld), a children's charity founded by Sarah Brown. While there, he co-edited the anthology Journey to the Sea (Ebury Press, 2005) with Brown and Gil McNeil. He then led partnerships and fundraising at the Climate Coalition from March 2007 until taking the SAS role in September 2008.

Surfers Against Sewage (2008–2022)

Tagholm became chief executive of Surfers Against Sewage in September 2008, at a point when the organisation was at risk of closure. Over fourteen years, annual turnover rose from approximately £200,000 to over £2.5 million and staff numbers grew from four to around 35. He also oversaw the organisation's transition to charitable status. Under his tenure, its scope extended beyond sewage pollution – and SAS came to campaign on water quality, plastic pollution, climate change, bathing-water status and what it termed "ocean rewilding".

Campaigns and policy work

Surfers Against Sewage members on Porthmeor Beach, St Ives,
Surfers Against Sewage members on Porthmeor beach, St Ives (June 2014)

Tagholm and SAS worked with MPs, select committees and UK Government ministers to lobby for the plastic bag charge, a nationwide deposit return scheme for drinks containers, and bans on plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds – all of which were enacted in the UK. The charity also campaigned on sewage pollution, drawing public attention to water company discharge practices.

In 2015, Tagholm co-founded the Global Wave Conference, which brought together surfers, marine scientists and campaigners from around the world. In 2018, he launched Plastic Free Communities, a network through which towns and businesses committed to cutting single-use plastic; and by the time he left SAS, the network had grown to more than 550 communities. The Plastic Free Awards began in 2019, co-founded with the Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation. Tagholm also developed the Safer Seas and Rivers Service, a tool providing real-time water quality data for sea and river users, and the Million Mile Beach Clean, a national volunteer programme that came to involve some 100,000 volunteers a year.

In October 2014, Tagholm and Surfers Against Sewage established the Waves All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) in the UK Parliament. This later evolved into the Ocean Conservation APPG, which is supported by Oceana UK. In 2015 and 2018, Tagholm hosted the then Prince of Wales, now King Charles III, in Cornwall for an Ocean Plastics Solutions Day. In 2020, SAS secured the King's patronage.

Tagholm served as a trustee and chair of the Museum of British Surfing between 2010–13, and stood down as SAS chief executive in October 2022.

Oceana UK (2022–present)

Oceana appointed Tagholm executive director of its UK operations in October 2022, a role that also carries the title of vice president. Oceana UK's programme focuses on fisheries management, marine protected areas and oil and gas licensing.

Under Tagholm, the organisation has run campaigns against bottom trawling in protected areas and overfishing. It has also engaged in legal proceedings related to offshore oil and gas licences and – to coincide with the cinematic release of Ocean with David Attenborough – Oceana UK and the Blue Marine Foundation launched The Bottom Line campaign to ban bottom trawling in UK marine protected areas.

Published work

Sarah Brown
Sarah Brown (May 2023)

In 2005, Tagholm co-edited Journey to the Sea, a collection of fiction and travel writing published by Ebury Press. The anthology – compiled with Sarah Brown and Gil McNeil – included work by Alexander McCall Smith, Ruth Rendell, Joanne Harris and Joseph O'Connor.

Since January 2022, he has written a column called the Ocean Activist for Oceanographic magazine.

Other roles

Tagholm joined the board of the Save the Waves Coalition in 2012 and became board chair in May 2023. He has been a trustee of Global Fishing Watch since 2024. He joined the Edinburgh University Ocean Leaders programme in 2020, and spoke at the 2022 United Nations Ocean Conference in Lisbon. He is also an ambassador of Zero Hour, the Climate and Nature Bill campaign.

He contributes regularly to broadcast and print media on ocean and environmental policy – including appearances on Channel 4 News, Sky News and ITV News – and pieces in The Times and The Guardian.

Recognition

The University of Exeter awarded Tagholm an honorary doctorate of science in 2019 for his contribution to marine conservation. The Save the Waves Coalition named him "environmentalist of the year" in 2021.

In 2023, he was included in The ENDS Report "power list" and was shortlisted for the "leader of the year" prize at the Purpose Awards. In 2026, The Big Issue included him in its 100 Changemakers list in its environment and climate category.

Personal life

Tagholm is married to Sarah Tagholm, a children's author. They have one son, Darwin, and live in Cornwall.

References

  1. ↑ "Personal appointments of Hugo Boniface Tagholm". Companies House. UK Government. 16 December 2009. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 Spolarich, Gillian; Fairless, Emily (1 September 2022). "Oceana appoints Hugo Tagholm as new leader in the UK: As Executive Director, Tagholm will win policy campaigns to protect and restore UK oceans". Oceana. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Hugo Tagholm: Honorary graduate (2019)". University of Exeter. 18 July 2019. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  4. ↑ "Q&A: Meet Hugo Tagholm, Oceana's new leader for the UK". Oceana. 21 June 2023. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 Tagholm, Hugo (4 November 2015). "Amphibian activism". TEDx Totnes. TEDx Talks. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 Brown, Sarah; McNeil, Gil; Tagholm, Hugo, eds. (2005). Journey to the Sea. London: Ebury Press (published 7 April 2005). ISBN 9780091900694.
  7. ↑ "Surfers Against Sewage: Hugo Tagholm". The Kyle Thiermann Show. Kyle Thiermann. 19 March 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  8. ↑ "20 years of Theirworld: 20 key moments in our story of unlocking big change for young people". Theirworld. 20 January 2022. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  9. ↑ Dodds, Chris (23 July 2025). "The Surfer and The King of England Unite To Protect The Ocean". Surfer. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  10. ↑ "Hugo Tagholm: Oceana UK executive director". Rad Season. June 2023. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  11. ↑ "Government must act now or fail nature and the nation". Wildlife and Countryside Link. 13 January 2026. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  12. ↑ Vergnault, Olivier (24 May 2021). "We only have 10 years to save the world". Cornwall Live. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  13. 1 2 Thomas, Karen (1 May 2022). "The weight of water: An interview with Surfers Against Sewage CEO Hugo Tagholm". Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  14. ↑ "Reduction of Plastic Waste in the Marine Environment: Westminster Hall". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 640. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. 2 May 2018. col. 141WH.
  15. ↑ "Plastic bottle waste examined with NGOs and researchers". Environmental Audit Committee. UK Parliament: House of Commons. 17 October 2017. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  16. ↑ Thérèse Coffey, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (20 July 2017). "Oral Answers to Questions: Environment, Food and Rural Affairs". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 627. Parliament of the United Kingdom: House of Commons. col. 972.
  17. ↑ "Plastic Bag Charge in England to be Extended to All Retailers and Increased to 10p". Surfers Against Sewage. 21 May 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  18. ↑ "Plastic Pollution Campaign Victory! Deposit Return Scheme Announced for England!". Surfers Against Sewage. 27 March 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  19. ↑ "Plastic straws, drink stirrers and cotton buds are now banned in England". Surfers Against Sewage. 1 October 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  20. ↑ Middleton, Bonnie (8 June 2023). "Ocean activism: In conversation with Hugo Tagholm". Enviral. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  21. ↑ "Plastic free bid in Bridgend could see wheelie bins brought in". BBC News. 22 July 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  22. ↑ Usborne, Simon (18 July 2018). "How Penzance became Britain's first ever plastic-free town". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  23. ↑ "Surfers Against Sewage launch Plastic Free Awards". Oceanographic. 20 June 2019. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  24. ↑ "Updated app includes real-time data on water quality of country's rivers". Swim England Open Water Swimming Hub. Swimming.org. 29 May 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  25. ↑ Hitchings-Hales, James (12 April 2021). "Britain's 'Biggest Ever Beach Clean Up' to Tackle Lockdown Litter". Global Citizen. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  26. ↑ "Waves APPG (defunct)". Parallel Parliament. Register of All-Party Parliamentary Groups. UK Parliament. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  27. ↑ "Ocean APPG". UK Parliament. Register of All-Party Parliamentary Groups. 18 May 2026. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  28. ↑ "A day at the beach: Charles & Camilla attend Ocean Plastics Awareness Day in Newquay". Royal Central. 22 July 2015. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  29. ↑ England, Steve (17 July 2018). "The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall celebrate 15 years of Finisterre and Ocean Plastic Solution Day". Carve. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  30. ↑ "Surfers Against Sewage". The Royal Household. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  31. ↑ Trewhela, Lee (5 October 2022). "King Charles III should carry on being outspoken, says SAS chief". Cornwall Live. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  32. ↑ "Museum of British Surfing launch party". Museum of British Surfing. 17 March 2019. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  33. ↑ Horton, Helena (7 October 2025). "Brexit has done nothing to stem sharp decline of UK fish populations, shows study". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  34. ↑ McVeigh, Karen (19 June 2024). "Oceans group takes UK government to court over oil and gas licences". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  35. ↑ Rababy, Maïssa; Tagholm, Hugo (24 March 2025). "Bottom trawling ban in UK and EU marine protected areas". Together for the Ocean. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  36. ↑ McBride, Oliver (8 October 2025). "Scottish Fishermen Hit Back At Oceana's Deep Decline Report". Fishing Daily. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  37. ↑ "UK Court Dismisses Oil License Challenge". Offshore Engineer Magazine. 1 December 2025. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  38. ↑ Laidlaw, Alea (8 June 2025). "The Bottom Line: Take action to protect UK ocean". Blue Marine Foundation. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  39. ↑ "Ocean damage 'unspeakably awful', Attenborough tells William". BBC News. 7 June 2025. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  40. ↑ Hobson, Melissa (16 June 2025). "UK government proposes ban on bottom trawling in Marine Protected Areas". Discover Wildlife. BBC Wildlife. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  41. ↑ "About the Magazine". Oceanographic. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  42. ↑ "Save The Waves' Staff". Save The Waves. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  43. ↑ "Global Fishing Watch UK". Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  44. ↑ "Hugo Tagholm". Ocean Leaders. Edinburgh Ocean Leaders. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  45. ↑ "How will the Global Plastics Treaty actually work?". Zoological Society of London. 24 July 2022. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  46. ↑ "Supporting Ambassadors". Zero Hour. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  47. ↑ Hutchins, Rob (22 January 2025). "British MPs rallied to back 'transformational' Climate and Nature Bill". Oceanographic. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  48. ↑ Thomson, Alex (13 July 2021). "Every water and sewerage company in England has missed its environmental targets". Channel 4 News. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  49. ↑ "Why your Friday night fish and chips could be under threat". Sky News. 8 October 2025. Archived from the original on 6 December 2025. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  50. ↑ "Firms blamed for branded packaging pollution accused of 'blatant greenwashing'". Sky News. 23 August 2022. Archived from the original on 24 July 2025. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  51. ↑ Seabrook, Victoria (9 February 2022). "Wild swimming spots could improve 'shocking water quality' in rivers if they win bathing status". Sky News. Archived from the original on 22 July 2025. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  52. ↑ "UK throws away 295 billion pieces of plastic waste a year, report estimates". ITV News. 28 October 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  53. ↑ Webster, Ben (2 March 2022). "Plastic pollution in oceans and soils to be tackled by UN treaty". The Times. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  54. ↑ Laville, Sandra (1 February 2018). "Surfers Against Sewage urge MPs to make parliament plastic-free". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  55. ↑ "SAS hosts official side event at UN Ocean Conference". Surfers Against Sewage. 20 June 2022. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  56. ↑ "Hugo Tagholm". The DO Lectures. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  57. ↑ "Power List: The campaigners who are shaping green policy and legislation". The ENDS Report. 2023. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  58. ↑ "Shortlist revealed for Purpose Awards EMEA 2023". Third Sector. 20 April 2023. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  59. ↑ "100 Changemakers: Environment and climate". The Big Issue. 16 February 2026. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  60. ↑ "Head launches festival of children's literature in Cornwall". BBC News. 16 June 2023. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  61. ↑ "Sarah Tagholm: Children's author in Cornwall". Hypatia Trust. 1 September 2022. Retrieved 16 June 2026.