MUSCAT: SeaOman has strengthened its commitment to protecting coral reefs through sustainable tourism by becoming the first digital member of Green Fins in the Sultanate of Oman.
SeaOman’s practices already aligned with many of the goals of Green Fins. With membership status, the two organisations can work towards a future where environmentally friendly practices are standard across the marine tourism industry.
Khamis al Anbouri, Commercial Director at Oman Sail, said, “Oman is blessed with a wonderfully diverse natural environment and SeaOman is proud to continue sharing this beautiful underwater world with global visitors while always being considerate of nature. Snorkelling and other forms of marine tourism are fantastic activities to introduce people to the marine environment, share our nation with visitors, and create new ocean advocates. However, unmanaged, these activities can have negative impacts on fragile ecosystems like coral reefs. It is our goal to champion conservation efforts and share that message with more people across Oman and around the world.” The Green Fins Code of Conduct outlines 15 environmental standards for marine tourism operations to adopt. This comprehensive list covers best practices for both above and below the water and considers the role of managers, operator staff and tourists. Although designed around protecting coral reefs, these standards can apply to all marine environments Coral reefs cover 1 per cent of the seafloor but coral reefs hold 25 per cent of all marine life, making the reefs some of the most valuable ecosystems on Earth.
Coral reefs provide the planet with many benefits, such as plentiful seafood, a first line of defence against storms, and cutting-edge medicines developed to treat cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and other illnesses — and many more.
Established in 2004, Green Fins is the world’s first independent certificate to stop the environmental impact from marine-based tourism.
Green Fins is a proven conservation management approach — implemented internationally by The Reef-World Foundation and the UN Environment Programme — which leads to a measurable reduction in the negative environmental impacts associated with marine tourism. It aims to protect coral reefs through environmentally friendly guidelines promoting sustainable diving and snorkelling. It provides the only internationally recognised environmental standards for marine tourism and its robust assessment system measures compliance. — ONA
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