Marine Life & Conservation
BSAC’s war on plastic continues
BSAC is removing non-refillable water bottles from all its national and regional training events as part of the club’s pledge to eliminate single use plastic from its day-to-day operations.
Hot on the heels of removing the single use plastic wrapper from SCUBA magazine, BSAC organisers will now no longer supply single use water bottles or plastic cups on any of its national and regional training events.
This includes the Instructor Training Scheme and regional Skill Development Courses, and will be in place across the organisation by the end of the year. All course participants will be encouraged to bring their own refillable water bottles instead.
The BSAC stand at the recent Birmingham Dive Show was also single-use plastic free and BSAC clubs are now being encouraged to adopt the pledge on dive trip and club activities.
BSAC’s Chief Executive Mary Tetley said the roll out of the single-use plastic commitment was an essential move.
“Single-use plastic is the biggest marine pollution issue our oceans and marine life are facing and as divers and sea-users, we should be working together to reduce our plastic usage.”
BSAC has committed to eliminating single-use plastic from all BSAC branded products by World Oceans Day on 8 June 2020. Mary added: “With less than 23 per cent of single-use plastic water bottles ever making it to recycling globally, BSAC is looking to significantly reduce unnecessary plastic usage across the whole organisation.”
Get involved in the BSAC Marine Clean 2018
There’s still time to join the many clubs and BSAC members around the country helping to turn the tide on plastic polluting our oceans and environment.
Get your Five-a-Day – embrace the Marine Clean ethos by pledging to collect at least five pieces of single-use plastic every day! Click here to take the Five-a-Day litter challenge.
Marine clean as you dive – get together with your club or your dive buddies and organise an Underwater Litterpick – or commit to be an ‘Underwater Litterpicker’ on every dive. Click here to get the resources that will help you get started.
Clean up topside – whether it’s part of a family day out to the beach, your surface interval on a club trip or a more organised group effort, make every trip to the coast a chance to have a tidy-up. Beach cleans – which can also include roads and areas leading up to a beach – can really make a difference in the amount of debris getting into our oceans.
Check out all the BSAC Marine Clean activities to get involved in by clicking here.
Picture: Natasha Ewins, courtesy of Marine Conservation Society.
The Shark Trust is excited to announce that, for two more days only, all donations, large or small, will be doubled in the Big Give Green Match Fund!
Donate to Basking in Nature: Sighting Giants
The Shark Trust is hoping to raise £10k which will be doubled to £20k. This will go towards Basking in Nature: Sighting Giants. And they need YOUR help to reach they’re goal.
The Shark Trust’s citizen science project is to monitor and assess basking sharks through sightings; encouraging data collection, community engagement, and promoting nature accessibility. This initiative aims to enhance health and wellbeing by fostering a deeper connection with British Sharks.
Campaign Aims
- Increase citizen science reporting of Basking Sharks and other shark sightings to help inform shark and ray conservation.
- Provide educational talks about the diverse range of sharks and rays in British waters and accessible identification guides!
- Create engaging and fun information panels on how to ID the amazing sharks and rays we have on our doorstep! These can be used on coastal paths around the Southwest. With activities and information on how you can make a difference for sharks and rays!
- Promote mental wellbeing through increasing time in nature and discovering the wonders beneath the waves!
Donate, and double your impact. Click Here
Marine Life & Conservation
Leading UK-based shark conservation charity, the Shark Trust, is delighted to announce tour operator Diverse Travel as a Corporate Patron
Corporate Patrons provide a valuable boost to the work of The Shark Trust. The Trust team works globally to safeguard the future of sharks, and their close cousins, the skates and rays, engaging with a global network of scientists, policymakers, conservation professionals, businesses and supporters to further shark conservation.
Specialist tour operator Diverse Travel has operated since 2014 and is committed to offering its guests high quality, sustainable scuba diving holidays worldwide. Working together with the Shark Trust will enable both organisations to widen engagement and encourage divers and snorkellers to actively get involved in shark conservation.
“Sharks are truly at the heart of every diver and at Diverse Travel, we absolutely share that passion. There is nothing like seeing a shark in the wild – it’s a moment that stays with you forever!” says Holly Bredin, Sales & Marketing Manager, Diverse Travel.
“We’re delighted to celebrate our 10th year of business by becoming a Corporate Patron of the Shark Trust. This is an exciting partnership for Diverse and our guests. We will be donating on behalf of every person who books a holiday with us to contribute towards their vital shark conservation initiatives around the world. We will also be working together with the Trust to inspire divers, snorkellers and other travellers to take an active role – at home and abroad – in citizen science projects and other activities.”
Paul Cox, CEO of The Shark Trust, said:
“It’s an exciting partnership and we’re thrilled to be working with Diverse Travel to enable more divers and travellers to get involved with sharks and shark conservation. Sharks face considerable conservation challenges but, through collaboration and collective action, we can secure a brighter future for sharks and their ocean home. This new partnership takes us one more valuable step towards that goal.”
For more information about the Shark Trust visit their website here.
For more about Diverse Travel click here.
-
News3 months agoHone your underwater photography skills with Alphamarine Photography at Red Sea Diving Safari in March
-
News3 months agoCapturing Critters in Lembeh Underwater Photography Workshop 2024: Event Roundup
-
Marine Life & Conservation Blogs3 months agoCreature Feature: Swell Sharks
-
Blogs2 months agoMurex Resorts: Passport to Paradise!
-
Blogs2 months agoDiver Discovering Whale Skeletons Beneath Ice Judged World’s Best Underwater Photograph
-
Gear Reviews2 weeks agoGEAR REVIEW – Revolutionising Diving Comfort: The Sharkskin T2 Chillproof Suit
-
Marine Life & Conservation2 months agoSave the Manatee Club launches brand new webcams at Silver Springs State Park, Florida
-
Gear Reviews3 months agoGear Review: Oceanic+ Dive Housing for iPhone