Padi Aware Foundation

PADI AWARE IS A GLOBAL MOVEMENT FOR OCEAN PROTECTION POWERED BY A COMMUNITY OF ADVENTURERS. WE CONNECT THE PASSION FOR OCEAN ADVENTURE WITH THE PURPOSE OF MARINE CONSERVATION.

HEALTHY OCEAN - AT PADI AWARE, WHEN IT COMES TO MARINE SPECIES, WE FIRMLY BELIEVE THAT ALL SEA CREATURES DESERVE LOVE AND ATTENTION. PADI AWARE, OUR PARTNERS AND SUPPORTERS HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR THREATENED SPECIES OF SHARKS AND RAYS FOR MANY YEARS. WE'VE PUSHED GOVERNMENTS TO INTRODUCE CATCH LIMITS FOR SHARKS IN THE ATLANTIC AND MEDITERRANEAN, HELPED INCORPORATE THREATENED SHARK AND RAYS ONTO THE CONVENTION ON THE CONSERVATION OF MIGRATORY SPECIES OF WILD ANIMALS (CMS) INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT, AND ADVOCATED FOR SUSTAINABLE TRADE IN SHARK AND RAY PRODUCTS VIA THE CONVENTION OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES OF FLORA AND FAUNA (CITES).IN 2022 PADI AWARE AND THE SHARK LEAGUE FOCUSED ADVOCACY EFFORTS ON KEY MEMBER COUNTRIES OF ICCAT INCLUDED THE EU, UK, SOUTH AFRICA, BRAZIL, SENEGAL AND CANADA. PADI AWARE CONCENTRATED ON ENGAGING THE RECREATIONAL DIVING COMMUNITY IN SOUTH AFRICA AND BRAZIL, DEVELOPING A PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND ADVOCACY CAMPAIGN THROUGH THE AWARE SHARK CONSERVATION SPECIALTY, WHICH PROVIDED INFORMATION ON SHARK CONSERVATION ISSUES, AS WELL AS HIGHLIGHTING THE MAKO SITUATION, AND WAYS THAT MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC COULD DIRECTLY ENGAGE WITH RELEVANT DECISION-MAKERS. DIVERS AND NON-DIVERS WERE ENCOURAGED TO TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS AS PART OF THE #MARKETIME4MAKOS CAMPAIGN, WITH PHOTO JOURNALS BEING DEVELOPED FROM THE RESULTING SUBMISSIONS. THESE PHOTO JOURNALS WERE USED AS A DEMONSTRABLE DISPLAY OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT, AND PRESENTED TO THE RELEVANT ICCAT OFFICIALS.IN 2022, ICCAT PARTIES CONTINUED TO IMPLEMENT A TWO-YEAR BAN, AGREED TO IN NOVEMBER 2021, ON RETENTION OF MAKOS IN THE ATLANTIC DUE TO THE PUBLIC PRESSURE, THE FIRST TIME ANY SUCH BAN HAD BEEN BROUGHT INTO EFFECT. IN NOVEMBER 2021, ICCAT PARTIES AGREED TO IMPLEMENT A TWO YEAR BAN ON RETENTION OF MAKOS IN THE ATLANTIC DUE TO THE PUBLIC PRESSURE, THE FIRST TIME ANY SUCH BAN HAD BEEN BROUGHT INTO EFFECT.

CLEAN OCEAN - POLLUTION IS ONE OF THE GREATEST THREATS FACING THE OCEAN PLANET. MARINE DEBRIS IS HIGHLY DAMAGING AND HAS LASTING EFFECTS ON MARINE LIFE, ECOSYSTEMS AND HUMAN HEALTH. PADI AWARE FOUNDATION HAS THE LARGEST DATABASE OF UNDERWATER MARINE DEBRIS IN THE WORLD. IN 2022, PADI AWARE FOUNDATION PUBLISHED A SOCIO-ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF OUR RESEARCH FINDINGS REGARDING THE COMPARISON OF DEBRIS DENSITY AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC DRIVERS OF THE TEN MOST COMMONLY REPORTED ITEMS ON LAND AND THE SEAFLOOR. THE FOUNDATION ALSO EXPANDED ITS DATA SHARING AGREEMENTS WITH THREE NEW ENTITIES TO HAVE ACCESS TO OUR MARINE DEBRIS DATABASE, AND ENTERED INTO AN AGREEMENT TO PROVIDE DEBRIS MONITORING SERVICES VIA RELATIONSHIPS WITH PADI DIVE OPERATORS TO THE OCEAN CLEAN-UP TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THEIR CLEAN-UP EFFORTS.