Apnea Green partners with the IMarEST to take action on marine plastic

Apnea Green Organization inc (Apnea Green), a non-profit environmental organisation based in Bohol, Philippines, has partnered with the IMarEST to help facilitate the reduction of marine plastic litter in the Philippines.            

Apnea Green’s mission is to advance the ecological transition in the Philippines by facilitating better community outreach and fostering increased sustainability for the many populations that are reliant on marine services.

They run environmental protection programs, aiming to offer a comprehensive solution for improvement in the country’s use of marine resources. Such projects focus on plastic waste reduction and coral reef protection, monitoring and rehabilitation.

In tandem, they also organise community-based programs which bolster the effectiveness of their environmental projects. Some include the engagement of children in ocean education through mediums such as art, while others provide training to improve the safety of local spearfishing practices – a sustainable form of fishing with minimal environmental impact.

The partnership will look to incorporate such projects into the agenda of the IMarEST’s Special Interest Groups (SIGs), in particular its new Ocean Plastics and Marine Litter SIG, which will look to review common practices across marine sectors and create targeted educational tools to improve understanding of the drivers for a plastic generation.

Apnea Green’s expertise in engaging local communities will be invaluable in creating effective educational methods that encourage engagement with smaller, more remote communities.

The IMarEST’s NGO Partnership scheme is open to all non-governmental organisations operating in the marine science and conservation sector and supports capacity building and professional development through access to complimentary membership benefits, knowledge-sharing, online promotion and free membership for volunteers. They are designed to help support the work of NGOs to positively contribute towards the delivery of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (in particular SDG14 Life Below Water).

To find out more on the benefits of an NGO Partnership, please visit the Marine Partners web page or contact [email protected].