UNEP and the Reef World Foundation have joined hands to launch the first-ever global marine industry platform for scuba and snorkelling tour operators
About 75 pc of all the coral reefs have faced degradation due to pollution and global warming in the past two decades. The degradation has been varied, with some like the Australian Great Barrier Reef facing a very severe damage as almost all of the reef here has been bleached and faces existential challenges unless quickly restored to good health. Others like reefs in the Indian Ocean have also been damaged due to the two factors.
In an attempt to not only limit, but also reverse the damage, the United Nations Environment Programme and the Reef World Foundation have joined hands to launch the first-ever global marine industry platform for scuba and snorkelling tour operators in an effort to support more sustainable practices to preserve coral reefs.
Called the Green Fins Hub, the online platform currently has around 700 members across 14 countries but aims to reach 30,000 operators across the globe and become the industry standard. The Green Fins Hub is an effort to help tour operators make more eco-friendly operation changes to preserve coral reefs and to showcase member operators as sustainable choices for travellers.
“Coral reefs, home to at least 25 pc of marine life, are the mecca for marine-related tourism, contributing up to 40 pc or more of the gross domestic product in some island nations. However, they are a most vulnerable ecosystem, especially to climate change with the difference between a global temperature rise of 1.5°C or 2°C being existential for reefs. Increasing accessibility of best practice, knowledge and citizen science through this global digital hub can be a game changer in ensuring a future for coral reefs and other fragile marine ecosystems,” says Leticia Carvalho, Principal Coordinator, Marine and Freshwater at UNEP.
Operators have two ways to become members of Green Fins. They can join as digital members, which includes environmental scoring through an online self-evaluation and action planning and tracking, as well as online access to the Green Fins Community Forum and the Green Fins Solutions Library.
Green Fins Certified Members take it one step further as they are assessed annually and trained in person. Certified members must reach a minimum threshold of over 200 for a maximum environmental impact score, and will receive bronze, silver or gold-level status based upon their environmental impact score.
The Hub’s creation was also supported in partnership with industry leaders, including PADI and PADI Travel, ZuBlu, diver insurance company DAN, the Inter-American Development Bank’s Beyond Tourism Challenge, the Matthew Good Foundation, Conservation X Labs and more.
“As the world’s leading initiative dedicated to environmental guidelines that promote a sustainable diving and snorkeling industry, we knew that to reduce the global environmental footprint of scuba diving, we had to work closely with Reef-World’s Green Fins initiative,” says Katie Thompson, Global Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at PADI.
“Since the beginning of our partnership in 2018, it’s been a major priority for us to make sure that all 6,600+ PADI Members across the globe have access to the low-cost and practical support that Green Fins membership provides. That’s why we have worked together to conceptualize and refine Green Fins Hub; now every one of our amazing PADI Members can join a community committed to positive change, and work towards a more sustainable future one step at a time,” Thompson adds.
