MANILA, Philippines - Green Fins, established by the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), recently released its list of Top 10 Dive Centers in Asia and the Indian Ocean. The selected centers actively work to reduce their impact to the marine environment in which they operate.
After a thorough assessment by Green Fins, El Nido Resorts’ Pangulasian Island and Lagen Island in Northern Palawan, Philippines, placed on the top two spots respectively.
“This is another significant international recognition on El Nido Resorts’ efforts and compliance with stringent criteria on sustainability and protection of the environment,” says Laurent Lamasuta, El Nido Resorts president.
Businesses who have managed to get the lowest assessment scores out of all of the assessed Green Fins dive centers within the last 18 months form the Top 10 List. The lower the score, the less environmental impact or threat there is to the coral reefs and other marine life.
“Being on the list affirms our quadruple bottom line of putting environmental stewardship and community engagement as priorities together with financial growth and organizational development,” says Lamasuta.
Green Fins members receive the training and the tools to promote environmental education and awareness, tapping into the tourists and the diving community, which is shifting more and more towards eco-friendly initiatives as a result of the demand from the consumer.
The Green Fins program is overseen by the Coral Reef Unit of UNEP based in Bangkok in collaboration with Reef-World. The program is a comprehensive approach that encourages dive centers and snorkel operators, local communities, and governments to work together to reduce their environmental impacts.