However you enjoy the sea - as a swimmer, snorkeller, diver, angler, beachcomber, boater, or seafood lover - or even if you've never been there, we can all help protect our marine environment.
• Seafood lovers
• Divers
• Fishermen
• Beach lovers
• Tourists
• Boat owners
• Everyone
Seafood lovers
Buy sustainable seafood
Whether it is sushi, snapper, swordfish steak, scampi or shark (fish and chips), many of us love seafood.
The trouble is, our oceans are being seriously over fished. According to the United Nations Environment Programme, 70 per cent of the world’s fisheries are now either over-exploited, depleted, or fished to their ecological limits. Unless action is taken some of our favourite fish may disappear from the seafood counter and restaurant table altogether.
But it is not just our dinner that's at stake. Unsustainable fishing is decimating the world's fisheries, as well as destroying marine habitats and incidentally killing billions of fish and other marine animals each year.
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But you can help change this.
Consumer demand for sustainable seafood can act as an extremely powerful incentive for better fisheries management. Take a pledge to buy, or ask for, seafood that comes from sustainable sources!
If you buy, or ask for, seafood that comes from sustainable sources you are helping to protect our marine environment and, at the same time, ensuring that seafood can be enjoyed for many years to come.
• Buy Marine Stewardship Council certified seafood whenever possible, and use a local consumer guide to help inform your seafood purchasing choices.
As a diver:
• Ask the local Department of Conservation office or your dive shop how to protect sensitive marine habitats
• When diving or snorkeling, don't touch marine animals – they’re fragile and sensitive! Keep yourself and your scuba gear off reefs. And try to stay off the bottom: stirred-up sediment can smother sponges and other animals.
• Take a look at EarthDive - a global project for millions of divers, snorkellers, and others to preserve the health and diversity of our oceans.
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As a fisher:
• Respect all local size and catch limits, net sizes and marine reserve boundaries when fishing
• Dial the 0800 4 POACHER hotline if you see illegal or suspicious activity on our beaches and other favourite fishing spots
• Don’t use set nets – they are indiscriminate killers of fish, seabirds, dolphins and other marine life.
• Make sure baited hooks sink quickly to avoid seabirds.
• Make sure your boat doesn’t anchor on a reef
• Avoid seabird roosting and breeding areas.
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As a beach lover:
Planning a visit to the beach? Follow these tips and help protect our coastlines and marine environment.
• Don't dump rubbish or human waste in rivers or the sea
• Don't leave rubbish or waste on the beach
• litter are dangerous to wildlife and can take years to degrade
• Don't let your dog foul the beach. If there are no disposal bins, take home any mess and ask the local council to provide some bins.
• Report anything unusual, such as pollution, poaching or animal strandings, to local authorities or the Department of Conservation.
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As a tourist:
The money you spend on your holiday helps determine the development and direction of tourism. Use your money to support reputable, conservation-minded tour operators and suppliers.
• Don't buy products made from any endangered species, including whalebone - they could be illegal
• If you go whale watching, or watching other marine mammals and birds, ensure the tour operator stays a respectable distance from the animals. And never touch! Call the Department of Conservation if you are concerned.
• Volunteer for a beach or harbour cleanup for your holiday
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As a boat owner:
Marine pollution and oil spills are not just a problem for big ships. If your family has a boat, or you know someone who does, you can help to protect our marine environment by reminding them to be mindful of the waste they create and to dispose of it correctly. Don’t just throw your waste overboard. There are special requirements for dealing with oil, oily water, food waste and sewage. Waste, and in particular plastics should never be thrown into the sea.
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Everyone:
• Remember the 3 ‘R’s’ - Reduce, Reuse and Recycle and reduce the amount of waste entering landfills and contaminating our oceans. Help reduce our ecological footprint on this precious planet.
• Ensure you deal with waste responsibly
o Compost food waste- it’s great for creating productive and flourishing gardens
o Reduce plastics, buy only reusable and recyclable plastic if available and ensure you cover your recycle bin to avoid waste blowing out of your bin
o Try to reuse as much as possible, secondhand goods are a much cheaper option
• Reduce your use of household products containing toxic chemicals that pollute the environment and affect marine animals
• Wherever possible, choose environmentally friendly cleaning products that degrade quickly when washed down sewers
• Buy organic produce, and minimise the use chemically enhanced pesticides and fertilisers. A lot of pesticides and fertilizers eventually end up in the water cycle and hence in the oceans.
• Put sanitary waste and wrappings in the rubbish bin, not down the toilet
• Dispose of household chemical products and waste oil safely; your local council should have disposal facilities. Don't pour them down the drain or flush them down the toilet.
• Encourage leaders to develop a national network of effectively managed, ecologically representative Marine Protected Areas
• Reduce your greenhouse gas emissions to protect marine habitats from climate change and ocean acidification
• Consider carefully before buying any item that comes from the sea, such as shells and coral decorative items. Ask from what country the coral, shell, etc was taken and whether or not that country has a management plan to insure that the harvest was legal and sustainable over time - visit the CITES website.
• Volunteer and community work are very important in marine conservation efforts. If you do not live near the sea, consider taking a holiday to help a marine conservation organisation or group.
• Learn more about the marine environment. The more you know, the more you can tell other people. Spread the message and communicate your own enthusiasm about our oceans and how important they are financially, biologically, and esoterically.
• Become a member of your local conservation group. Ask what they are doing and what your donation can do toward saving the world's marine habitats.
• Support WWF’s marine conservation work
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