Context: The United Nations Environmental Programme(UNEP), along with UK-based charity Reef-World Foundation has launched the Green Fins Hub.

About Green Fins Hub

• The Green Fins Hub is the first-ever global marine tourism industry platform.

• Purpose: The hub offers enhanced and global membership for participating dive and snorkel operators to conserve the marine environment.

• Features: The platform will help diving and snorkelling operators worldwide to make simple, cost-efficient changes to their daily practices by utilizing tried and tested solutions.

• It would also help them keep track of their annual improvements and communicate with their communities and customers.

Significance: Coral reefs are home to at least 25% of marine life, are the mecca for marine-related tourism contributing up to 40% or more of the gross domestic product in some island nations. 

• However, they are a most vulnerable ecosystem, especially to climate change with the difference between a global temperature rise of 1.5 or 20C being existential for reefs.

• Hence, increasing accessibility of best practice, knowledge and citizen science through the Green Fins Hub could be a game changer in ensuring a future for coral reefs and other fragile marine ecosystems.

What are Green Fins?

• Green Fins is a proven conservation management approach – implemented internationally by The Reef-World Foundation and the UN Environment Programme – which leads to a measurable reduction in the negative environmental impacts associated with marine tourism. 

• Aim: To protect coral reefs through environmentally friendly guidelines promoting sustainable diving and snorkelling. 

• To provide the only internationally recognised environmental standards for marine tourism and its robust assessment system measures compliance.