An endurance swimmer is to tackle the length of the English Channel in a bid to get the government to better protect UK waters.

Lewis Pugh will swim 560km (350 miles) from Land's End in Cornwall, to Dover, in Kent, in just Speedo trunks, a cap and goggles, as part of the worldwide Action for Oceans campaign.

The campaign calls on government to fully protect at least 30% of the world's oceans by 2030.

His swim starts on Thursday 12 July.

Pugh said only 7sq km (2.7sq m) of the 750,000sq km (290,000sq m) of UK coastal waters are currently fully protected, which he called "shocking".


Image: Lewis Pugh has previously taken on big challenges to campaign for marine protection

On his route, the campaigner and UN Patron of the Oceans will meet people to carry out beach cleans, organised by Surfers Against Sewage.

Pugh, 48, is also inviting people to join him for sections of the swim and be a "voice for clean and healthy seas".

He said: "I've been swimming in the world's oceans for 30 years. This is not a long time in ecological terms, and yet I've seen the oceans change before my eyes.

"I am swimming the length of the English Channel to call on the British government to urgently protect the waters that surround the UK."

Pugh is calling for the introduction of marine protected areas (MPAs) where wildlife and habitats are protected from human activity.

He added: "It has been shown that fully protected marine protected areas give distressed and degraded seas their best chance of recovery.

"But the need for action is urgent, and the time to act is now. In a few years' time, it will be too late to fix this crisis."

Image: Pugh will swim an average of six miles a day

Pugh's swim will be authenticated by The Channel Swimming Association. He will average five hours and 10-20km (six to 12m) per day.

He has been training in the cold waters off South Africa, swimming an average of 7km (four miles) a day.

He has put on weight to prepare for the challenge, saying the cold and exhaustion will be his biggest challenges.

He added: "There will be bad-weather days when I simply won't be able to swim.

"The English Channel also has very strong tides. I've got to get the timing right, or I could be going backwards."

This is not Pugh's first big challenge. He has previously swum in the Arctic and in the waters of South Georgia, in the south Atlantic.

:: Follow Sky News from Thursday 12 July for updates on Lewis Pugh's progress

:: Sky's Ocean Rescue campaign encourages people to reduce their single-use plastics. You can find out more about the campaign and how to get involved at www.skyoceanrescue.com