Monday, November 2, 2009

Duncan Brake, Jillian Morris - Shark Free Marinas

The Shark Free Marinas Initiative concept was created by the tragic death of a 15 foot Tiger shark in the Bahamas. We have posted about the power of "One Shark" to become the ambassador for an entire species. To make that happen ordinary people need to be engaged to effect conservation change.

The Shark Free Marinas Initiative sought ways to stop the ongoing slaughter of breeding aged sharks worldwide without becoming entangled in the often byzantine bureaucracy of local governments.

The initiative also looked at ways of empowering locals to take charge of their own regions, to become involved and to become conservation minded.

Lastly, the initiative looked at ways that local business could become green and promote that as a business selling point.

Nowhere are the three main goals of the Shark Free Marinas Initiative more aptly displayed but in the Bahamas and Fiji. This week Duncan Brake and Jillian Morris from Oceanic Allstars, both regional ambassadors of the SFMI in the Bahamas, produced an outstanding PSA for both the SFMI and for Bimini Sands Resort - the very first Bahamian Marina to adopt the SFMI.

Weaving the SFMI concept together brilliantly as a sales and conservation PSA, Oceanic Allstars have shown themselves to be savvy marketers of solid conservation PSA's.

After discussions with Luke Tipple, the Director of the SFMI, it was decided to invite Oceanic Allstars as our official PSA source for our entire marina directory. Now all marinas seeking PSA's for their marketing and sales have a direct and proven source to produce those PSA's.

Kudos again to both Duncan and Jillian for their tireless work as a regional ambassadors.

The Shark Free Marinas Initiative is a "people powered conservation concept." Along with Stuart Gow and Da Shark in Fiji the SFMI has grown exponentially.

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