Most people do not have the time to lobby, study, fund, and fix our environmental problems. By yourself, your tiny little voice will get lost and misplaced. But when we form massive groups, we can flex enough muscle to fix virtually anything! If you want to help, find your favorite local group, start one, or take a look at the following organizations.
Cathy Church has chosen to stop shark finning through SharkTrust.org and to save leatherback turtles through SaveOurLeatherbacks.org.
Grand Cayman is proposing the construction of a new cruise berthing facility that would totally remove the Balboa, a wreck that serves as an artificial reef. Dredging would also directly impact Soto’s Reef and Eden Rock—annual home to incredible masses of silversides and tarpon. Silt from the dredging operations would expand for months as far as Sunset House and could possibly smother and kill it.
The entire environmental impact assessment clearly points this out and details the type of economic impact for the island.
Locals have formed a protest group called SaveCayman.org which points out the fallacy of destroying the very reefs that are the most popular for our cruise ship customers, etc. etc. and the severe economic fallout from so much environmental destruction as well as crowds, traffic, noise, and so on ad infinitum.
If you would like to help, visit SaveCayman.org and sign the petition as a tourist who likes the reefs intact.
For specific animals such as the leatherback turtles, look for groups that have an effective program on the ground. That is better than just a big web site. Almost single handedly, Larry McKenna has lobbied the UN, Japan and else where to stop long-lining for tuna in the Pacific to reduce loss of turtles. He has not won this battle, but he pays local residents in Indonesia to protect their eggs from feral pigs. He and his paid local guardians move egg nests to safer ground and have watched the improvement of successful hatchings. This is a fund worth contributing to if you really love turtles.
If you have a favorite animal or a favorite part of the world, then you get online and support them through an effective organization. Pick just one or two so to avoid being overwhelmed. Then, the next time you wish you could see a whale shark, or visit the Spirit Bear coast of Canada, you will know in your heart that you have personally helped to save them.
If we do nothing, and they all disappear, we will share in the blame.
These and other similar organizations provide programs to fight for sharks, tigers, elephants, rhinos, marine protection and climate as well. World Wildlife Fund in the US is called World Wide Fund elsewhere. They have programs for animal and habitat protection in almost 70 countries. By supporting a world-wide organization, you can help with issues that cross boundaries.
This is a tiny but hearty group of people dedicated to the oceans. They have been an important ally to Cocos Islands and single handedly made sure that two patrol boats got repaired to go out and patrol for poachers.
Their web site has more than just a little beach clean-up or just trying to “spread the word” about conservation. These guys are big and have a lot of projects that are specific and valuable. (Shark finning is one of their key issues and Oceana has campaigned in the United States, where finning is illegal but sale of shark fin products is still allowed, to ban the sale of shark fins and help reduce the global demand and killing of these critical apex sea predators. Recent victories include the ban of shark fins’ sale in the state of Texas (making it the 10th state to enact a ban in the U.S.) and the removal of shark fin products from GrubHub (an online ordering service with 35,000 restaurants in 900 cities). Oceana will continue to campaign against shark finning and the sale of shark fins.
Oceana has a number of ongoing campaigns across the globe – both site specific and internationally connected. Oceana’s approach to all campaigns is fact-based, multi-disciplinary and policy change focused. The Save the Oceans, Feed the World campaign is a global initiative to promote consumers’ responsible seafood eating and science-based fisheries management to restore the oceans to the biodiversity and abundance needed to sustain a growing world population.
They combine lobbying with scientific research and find solutions that are good for both the environment and often good for businesses. They have been voted by the US congress as the best informed and most effective environmental lobby group. They have wonderful online communications to help you sign petitions, and direct donations. They cover all aspects of environmental concern from habitat, air pollution, endangered species and more. They prioritize habitats with their “BioGems” program, nrdc.org.
Our vision is a world with vibrant oceans and healthy coral reefs.
We will make this vision a reality by undertaking cutting edge, impactful research and transforming this research into conservation and education initiatives which will serve to bridge the gap between knowledge and action. Our goal is to become the Caribbean’s premier marine research institute, discovering real solutions to declining ocean health.
The Central Caribbean Marine Institute (CCMI) maintains a growing marine research and education facility with a resident team of 12 staff based in Little Cayman in the Cayman Islands. CCMI is a US 501(c)3 nonprofit organization (ID# 22-3609293) with offices based in Princeton, New Jersey. CCMI is also a UK charity (#1104009) and Cayman Islands nonprofit (NP-03) with satellite offices in both the United Kingdom and on Grand Cayman. To deliver our mission, we also have a range of outstanding international partnerships and collaborators, all with a clear, simplistic goal to protect oceans for the future.
© 2023 Cathy Church Photo Centre and Gallery.
All rights reserved.
All underwater photography displayed on this site was created by Cathy Church unless otherwise noted.
