Mission: "To protect and conserve coral reefs by establishing and implementing environmentally friendly guidelines to promote a sustainable diving tourism industry." 

 

GREEN FINS : Member Agreement and Best Practices 

I. GREEN FINS – Agreement Between Green Fins Members

  1. Adhere to The Green Fins Environmentally Friendly Diving and Snorkeling Practices – the 7 Do’s and 7 Don’ts – by being role models for divers to follow.

  2. Identify someone at your shop as your “Green Fins Ambassador” to promote Green Fins Best Practices for dive staff and conduct reef monitoring.

  3. Educate and train group organisers and dive staff on The Green Fins Environmentally Friendly Diving and Snorkeling Practices annually and as new trainers are hired; ensure dive staffs are briefing customers on these practices prior to all diving and snorkeling trips.

  4. Do not allow spear fishing or support the shark fin trade.

  5. Promote courses such as those teaching good buoyancy, species identification and careful finning and photography skills. Do not promote try diving or activities that could potentially damage the reefs.

  6. Ensure inexperienced individuals wear life jackets when snorkeling.

  7. Conduct annual reef monitoring at your diving locations and submit data.

II. GREEN FINS: Best Practices for Dive Staff

  1. Aid in public awareness of our fragile coral reefs by prominently displaying Green Fins membership and The Green Fins Environmentally Friendly Diving and Snorkeling Practices both inside and outside the shop, dive boats and other transport.

  2. Ensure employees provide Green Fins briefings on The Green Fins Environmentally Friendly Diving and Snorkeling Practices before diving and snorkeling trips – most importantly enforce a strict “no touch” policy.

  3. Always use moorings, drift or hand-placed anchors for your boats and where possible install and maintain mooring buoys.

  4. Adopt “minimum discharge” and “responsible garbage” policies by ensuring safe collection and disposal of all hazardous waste including used oil, chemical cleaning products, fuel, food scraps, batteries, waste water and sewage. Recycle and use eco- friendly cleaning products whenever possible.

  5. Make guests aware of environmental rules and regulations, marine protected areas and offer ID books and posters for fish, corals and other marine life.

  6. Participate in regular beach and underwater cleanups and remove garbage where possible.

  7. Prohibit the collection, sale and display of corals and other marine life. 

 

GREEN FINS Environmentally Friendly Diving and Snorkeling Practices:

Customer Do's and Don'ts 

As a Green Fins member we are committed to protecting our marine life, please help us by following these simple guidelines

7 Things Divers Must Do:

  1. Practice buoyancy control and photography skills away from the reef

  2. Ensure gauges, regulators and other equipment are secured and do not drag over reefs

  3. Avoid stirring up sediment by keeping your distance

  4. Hold on to rock or dead coral if you need to hold onto something

  5. Respect marine life and shoot photographs without altering or disturbing the environment

  6. Practice advanced finning techniques (e.g. finning backwards, pivot finning and frog kicks) to avoid causing damage to reefs

  7. Support conservation and champion the best practices to ensure the sustainability of our beautiful and fragile coral reef environments

7 Things Divers Must NOT Do:

  1. T ouch or step on coral

  2. Feed the fish

  3. Litter

  4. Wear gloves

  5. Chase, touch, spear or capture any marine life

  6. Place cameras on reefs or move marine life to capture a better shot

  7. Collect marine life souvenirs from the beach or ocean – you may be breaking the law