For sustainable CV marine tourism

Dive shops to get Green

Fins badge to renew biz

ANDA, Bohol, Dec 5 (PIA)—In the regional attempt to conserve and protect marine areas, the Regional Development Council (RDC-7) in Central Visayas resolves to adopt the Green Fins approach to promote sustainable diving and snorkeling activities, requests local government units to implement the same as requirement in the granting and renewal of business permits and licenses to dive shops across the region.

The move came in the trail of a vandalism of marine corals in the snorkeling sites of Panglao’s Puntod Island, where Bohol Governor and RDC Chairman Erico Aristotle Aumentado, flexed his muscles to get to the transgressors, who are now facing multiple suits in the local courts.

The Green Find approach, as developed by the Reef-World Foundation in partnership with the United Nation’s Environment Program, promotes sustainable diving and snorkeling practices to protect marine ecosystems, particularly coral reefs, explained RDC-7 public sector representative Melanie Ng, during the full council meeting December 5, in Bugnaw Si-E Resort, Anda Bohol.

Green Fins provide eco-friendly guidelines, best practices and educational resources to dive operators, snorkel guides and tourists to reduce negative environmental impacts such as anchor damage, littering, pollution and direct contact with sensitive marine life, she added.

Green Fins campaign against spearfishing, shark finning, buying souvenirs from corals and marine life, collecting dead or live marine life and anchoring on coral reefs and it supports using mooring buoys when anchoring.

Implementing the Green Fins approach has been proven to reduce pressure on the coral reefs, which contribute to the long-term sustainability of the marine tourism industry and is in support of the Sustainable Development Goals 14, which is to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for development.

According to the RDC Environment Committee chair, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has reported that there are 215 dive shops which they assessed across the region.

Of this much, only 19 are active Green Fin members, 77 are inactive and 119 are not even members of the movement towards protecting coral reefs through sustainable tourism.

Under Green Fins, dive shops gain Green Fins badges, indicating that they have met the Green Fins rigorous standards in areas like waste management, pollution control and visitor education, which can contribute to the overall protection and conservation of the region’s marine biodiversity.

In Central Visayas, where marine activities abound, unregulated and uncontrolled marine tourism activities pose a threat to the health and integrity of marine ecosystems, that the RDC’s Economic Development Committee passed Resolution No 30, series of 2024 recommending to the DRC Full Council the adoption of Green Fins approach to promote sustainable diving and snorkeling activities.

Under Gov. Aumentado’s steering, the full council adopted the Green Fins approach and requests LGUS to include the adoption of Green Fins approach as a requirement in the renewal or in granting of the business permits and licenses to dive shops.

Moreover, the council under Aumentado requests the Department of Tourism (DOT) to promote, publicize the Green Fins approach on the government website and information platforms to encourage and patronize dive shops with Green Finds badges, while including the Green Fins as criteria in accrediting dive shops and resorts.

The RDC also resolves to request the Philippine Council for Sports Scuba Diving (PCSSD) to include the Green Fins as criteria in accrediting dive shops and resorts and to reiterate to the DOT, DENR, Department of Agriculture and the Department of Interior and Local Government on the implementation of the provisions of Joint Memorandum Circular No. 01 (s. 2020) which details the rules and regulations governing the conduct of marine wildlife tourism interaction in the country. (RAHC/PIA-7/Bohol)

CONSERVING MARINE ASSETS. With marine tourism becoming a lucrative industry, the Central Visayas RDC has proposed for LGUS to renew dive shops licenses and permits only after they enlist under the Green Fins, to make sure their operations are guided by sustainable marine environment practices. (PIABohol)