Marine conservation
Find out how you can support our causes to save the environment
Rationale
- Addressing global ocean priorities (over-fishing (with loss of biodiversity), pollution, and climate change).
- Developing alternative livelihoods with watersports, with respect to: existing ocean skills, culture, requests for national team training, and national pride.
- Combining watersports workshops with awareness raising. Incorporating environmental fundamentals (with climate action and Marine Protected Areas), zero waste choices, and healthy sports for life choices, to support mental health and alternatives to addiction. Youtube Playlist
- Using the power of sport for positive social and environmental change. Developing children’s love of the ocean to help protect their local ocean and biodiversity with skills for survival skills and employability. Give & Gain campaign.
- Reviving whale culture: With whale temple keepers (in their 70s and 80s), also heads of local fishing communities, for local children confidence of unique heritage, with revival of surfing which whale temple keepers remember from their childhoods.
- Pivoting a fear of the ocean: From Vietnam’s horrific sea history. Servicing Vietnam’s growing watersports and tourism trades.
- Gathering fisheries data. To support Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)’s Small Scale Fisheries program. With research by Emi Koch (2020), Fullbright National Geographic Fellow from Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
- Promoting alternative energy: Helping switch engine power to wind power.
- Helping Vietnam adapt to climate change with sea levels rising, and
- Helping promote Vietnam’s stunning coast.
- Originating from ADM Capital Foundation (2005) fishery surveys for southern Vietnam.
- Respecting Vietnam’s Olympic Committee’s (2008) request for help to develop water-sports, based on MANTA’s marine conservation projects in Con Dao archipelago. Youtube video
Objectives
MANTA takes fishermen off endangered habitats and over-fishing translating their existing ocean instincts to water-sports coaching and climate change survival skills. This alternative livelihood programme is supported by large groups of school children and corporates.
Marine mammal surveillance network
Marine mammal specialist, Dr Lindsay Porter, is working with MANTA and local fishermen to set up a marine mammal surveillance network.
With overfishing one of the biggest threats to marine environments and Con Dao archipelago arguably one of the best protected marine environment in Vietnam with sea turtles still nesting and dugongs visiting. Ocean skills of 84% of dive fishermen were used for 2008 sail training as alternative/additional livelihoods to help take them above the poverty line and off endangered marine habitats, while servicing Vietnam’s growing industries of watersports and tourism, adaptation to climate change and allowing marine species to grow and multiply to replenish stocks, in line with Millennium goals
Year
2009 – ongoing
Project
Marine mammal surveillance network
Location
Con Dao, Mui Ne
