The Edmiston Foundation broadens sustainability efforts with The Conservation Collective

Conservation Collective is a global network of locally-focussed environmental foundations, which will help rectify and protect the marine environment in which the yachting industry ventures, and educate current and future generations of yacht owners and charterers on sustainability. The Conservation Collective facilitates funding for the most effective grassroots environmental initiatives, with world-class oversight, management and programme aid.

As yachts evolve into a greener product, this collaboration will provide Edmiston clients with a straightforward pathway to access conservation projects that have a quantifiable impact on environmental issues, offering them the opportunity to make direct funding for direct action.

To date, The Edmiston Foundation has committed to supporting five environmental projects in the following areas:

St Vincent & The Grenadines Environment Fund– supporting Marine Sea Turtle Conservation and Associated Livelihoods Project in St Vincent & The Grenadines

This fund helps to protect the safe nesting of sea turtles. The aim is to improve the management of nesting beaches in Colonarie and Sandy Bay by increasing awareness, and fostering compliance & stewardship, for sea turtle conservation and associated ecosystem services. In addition, they hope to create sustainable livelihoods opportunities and options through conservation of sea turtles by building community capacity to co-manage associated eco-tourism services.

Barbados Environmental Conservation Trust – enhancing marine protection by tracking fishing vessels in Barbados

This fund helps promote the use of digital technologies and innovative analytical data methods to support the application of the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries (EAF). Their main objective is to protect the marine biodiversity while still helping develop an industry that is core to the fabric of Barbados’ society. The installation of Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) and Automatic Identification Systems will not only ensure that rules are enforced to combat Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) Fishing and support marine spatial planning, it will also boost the fishing profession in a sustainable way.

Mallorca Preservation Foundation – promoting sustainable fisheries in the Balearics

This fund supports sustainable fishing through agreements with local fishermen to agree an end to illegal fishing practices and to create a traceable seafood label or certification showcasing sustainably caught produce. By increasing education and awareness on sustainable seafood and marine protection, and informing locals of the environmental and reputational risks of buying illegally caught seafood, or even making vessel monitoring data publicly available so that technology solutions can be developed, they are hoping to put an end to this widespread practice.

Cyclades Preservation Foundation – protecting the seagrass populations in the Cyclades

The CPF seeks to enhance the conservation of Posidonia Oceanica (Mediterranean seagrass) – a priority habitat according to the EE environmental regulation – that plays a significant role to food security, climate change mitigation, biodiversity enrichment, water quality, and coastal erosion protection. Currently, meetings and events are put in place to sensitise and enable island authorities, local and educational communities, local maritime businesses, and encourage sailors & yacht owners to become part of the solution toward the protection of this valuable and endemic Mediterranean habitat.

Ionian Environment Foundation - eliminating alien invasive species in the Ionian Islands

This fund supports the removal of invasive lionfish (and other alien species) from coastal reefs and by promoting their consumption, and by developing demand amongst consumers, fish restaurants and fish markets. The aim is to restore balance and prevent a growing problem from spiralling out of control. Initiatives include promoting the consumption of edible alien species to the local communities, raising awareness about the issues associated with invasive species and engaging local stakeholders in citizen science projects to report sightings of these species.

Edmiston clients can choose to support any of these five projects with additional funding or provide funds directly to a project closer to your heart from the wider selection of projects offered by the Collective. Called the Foundation of Choice, meaning 100% of the money guests donate goes directly to the partner of choice, to fund the activity of your choice. To find out more about funding, please contact us.

Jamie Edmiston, Edmiston CEO comments, “Many of us have been fortunate enough to have wonderful experiences connected to the marine world.  Our relationship with the ocean makes it our responsibility to support change to rectify, protect and educate current and future generations on environmental issues that impact the world around us. Via our partnership with the Conservation Collective, The Edmiston Foundation will fund locally-focused initiatives in the Caribbean and Mediterranean, providing support for projects for which we have great affection”.

Ben Goldsmith, Conservation Collective Founder comments, “Everywhere you look there are brilliant people working to create positive environmental change. Small amounts of funding, strategically directed, can supercharge this work. With the support of Edmiston, our Caribbean and Mediterranean foundations can amplify the impact of marine projects allowing Edmiston’s clients to directly experience the positive results.”

This is the second collaborative initiative from The Edmiston Foundation; the first supporting diversity and access to the marine industry through youth education with UKSA. As the future of yachting continues to shift and evolve, The Edmiston Foundation focuses its efforts on improving the yachting environment and protecting its future sustainability for yacht charterers and owners to come.

For any further information on The Edmiston Foundation and The Conservation Collective, please contact us.