The changing face of marine conservation

How You Can Join Up

Whereas once individuals needed a scientific background and a large budget to participate in conservation initiatives, this is no longer the case. Global connectivity is allowing people from all walks of life to take up the call to help protect our blue planet, with little more than passionate voices and laptops. And they are using their time and diverse skills to create positive change, without necessarily leaving home. In this way the face of conservation is changing and becoming accessible for all.
A brief Internet search reveals numerous conservation projects around the globe offering expedition placements for volunteer divers at idyllic locations and with an understandably large price tag. But while the value of the project work is undisputable these are not the only options for divers and their families to add their contribution to conserving the ocean. The movement is growing strongly around the globe whereby people are creating conservation initiatives of their own by working within their own local communities and reaching people on a global scale. Here are some examples.

Fin Fighters is a new UK shark conservation organisation on a mission to end the sale and distribution of shark fin products in Britain by 2023. It was founded by two individuals with no scientific background or charity experience who aimed to create “a growing movement of ordinary people working together to make a difference”.

The charity has quickly gained recognition as being effective and one to watch, thanks to its unique approach of empowering others to protect the ocean, and by collaborating with communities, councils, international scientists and members of parliament. Their campaigns include a Citizen Science Shark Project in which they train individuals on methods to conduct shark research, undercover fisheries monitoring, producing Ocean Optimism documentaries and a Surfers for Sharks campaign. The founders work closely with volunteers in both field and home-based remote roles, and they are currently looking for more ambassadors. www.finfighters.org.

The Gills Club is an education initiative founded by the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy. It takes a different approach and is focused on creating the next generation of women in science and ocean conservation.

The club gives girls aged 13 and younger the opportunity to get involved in projects that will help change the public perception of sharks, and to become “Smart About Sharks”. Members of the club receive monthly newsletters and tools allowing them to educate their own peer and community groups about shark conservation. It also hosts a supportive online community, featuring the work of female shark scientists, as well as nurturing young girls’ interest in science, technology, engineering and math's. Membership is free of charge. www.gillsclub.org.

A small budget need not be a limiting factor when deciding to embark upon marine conservation, as demonstrated by Friends for Sharks, a shark conservation organisation based in the Wairarapa founded by two Great White Shark dive guides.

Friends for Sharks was created after a serious back injury unexpectedly ended their marine conservation career in South Africa. With a limited budget and no prior experience, they created the self-funded initiative with the aim of raising worldwide awareness of the threats facing sharks by providing marine conservation events for people of all ages and social backgrounds. A charitable World Tour for Sharks was completed during 2015, which involved organising and completing 87 shark conservation events in eight countries, and presented to over 7000 people. Friends for Sharks provide talks at dive clubs in New Zealand and can be reached at www.friendsforsharks.com

Regardless of preference, ability and time, everyone can find a way to become involved in ocean conservation including divers whilst underwater. Dive Against Debris with Project AWARE is open to divers through their local dive centre, or you can go one step further and create your own “clean-up dive” project to remove discarded fishing gear and other waste from the ocean. www.projectaware.org.
Ghost Fishing NZ is an organisation promoting initiatives worldwide to remove lost fishing gear and to do this they collaborate with technical divers and salvage companies to recycle the discarded gear they recover. Along the way they build and encourage social awareness of the problem and its solutions, and offer lectures for presenting at dive events. www.ghostfishing.org.

As global connectivity and social media use keeps on increasing, now is a good time to make use of tools like these to create positive change. Join a conservation initiative such as one of these or use it as model to start your own. With global ocean health balancing on a knife-edge and the continual loss of marine species, it is vital that we divers work together as part of the solution

Kathryn Curzon is an environmental educator, writer, public speaker and co-founder of Friends for Sharks. Kathryn trained as a scuba diving instructor in Egypt, worked with Great White Sharks in South Africa and currently lives in the Wairarapa. She is the author of No Damage: An adventure in courage, survival and the pursuit of dreams (available on Amazon). See www.kathryncurzon.com