HEALTHY SEAS BEGIN ON LAND

Few phrases have described People and the Sea’s vision so well. These 5 words summarise why we work so hard to engage everyone into each of our actions. Protecting the ocean, marine life, biodiversity and ecosystems has to be planned, discussed, and most of all, agreed upon by all people concerned. We all need to work together to make it happen.

It’s not easy. It’s not fast. But we are convinced that caring for our sea is the best way to protect the food source that feeds millions, the environment that provides our oxygen, and is our best defence against climate change.

We have been working in Malapascua for 8 years, during which time we had to gain peoples’ trust, explain why we do what we do, show that we do it well, and prove that we will continue to do it.

This year, we heard fishermen ask us how they could voluntarily protect the sea and be involved in Marine Protected Areas management. Those words made every single minute of the past 8 years invaluable. We’re talking about the same fishermen that people point out as not caring – they are, after all, an easy target for the cause of biodiversity loss. We believe they care more than any of us – the sea is their whole life, their culture, their home.

2022 was a year in which we built many partnerships – with the local
government, in other provinces and with organizations willing to support our work over the long term. But in 2022, we got the most important partnership of all: a  partnership between the people and the sea.

Now is the time to drive change. Thank you for continuing to believe in us.