Green Fins

Promoting environmentally friendly snorkeling and diving guidelines to protect marine ecosystems

Donors: Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (DENR-PENRO) Palawan

Location: Municipality of El Nido

El Nido Foundation has led the local management team of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)-initiated Green Fins Approach since 2012. Green Fins promotes environmentally friendly snorkeling and diving guidelines for dive centers and snorkel tour operators.

ENF also presented on behalf of the Philippines, together with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, during the Regional Forum in Bangkok, Thailand in April 2014. This led to the organization of the first Green Fins Study for Journalists, held in June 2014 in El Nido, which ENF organized with support from UNEP.

Pasyar Adal in Linapacan - Community engagement in marine conservation

Green Fins Orientation in Sibaltan - Training local dive operators

Green Fins Orientation - Educating stakeholders on sustainable practices

Green Fins and COTS Control Orientation - Comprehensive marine protection training

Green Fins and COTS Control Orientation - Building capacity for reef protection

Community workshops on sustainable diving practices

Field implementation of Green Fins guidelines

Raising awareness on marine ecosystem protection

ENF Executive Director, Ms. Irma Rose C. Marcelo, was invited as Resource Speaker, representing the Philippines together with Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Representative Dr. Al Orolfo, at the Green Fins Regional Project Review and Network Meeting on Protecting Marine Ecosystems in Mangroves for the Future (MFF) Countries Using the Green Fins Approach (Topic: Harnessing National Support: Targeting a Booming Snorkeling Industry), together with representatives from Maldives, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia held on April 3-4, 2014 in Bangkok, Thailand under sponsorship of UNEP-MFF and UNEP Coordinating Body on the Seas of East Asia (COBSEA) through Dr. Reynaldo Molina, and Reef World Foundation's Samantha Craven.