The National Blue Flag Award Ceremony in Turkey kick-off the 2020 Blue Flag season

The Turkish National Blue Flag Award Ceremony for the 2020 season was held on the 17th July on Cesme Ilica Public Beach, located in the region of Izmir, Turkey.

Photo ©: Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s media

The Blue Flag award is widely recognised in Turkey. Turkish Minister of Culture and Tourism Mr. Mehmet Nuri Ersoy participated to the ceremony and highlighted during his speech the importance of the Blue Flag award for Turkish beaches: "The Ministry gives a strong importance to Blue Flag and is working hard to increase the number of awarded beaches among the country”.

Photo ©: Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s media

The Minister also underlined the commitment of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to providing more information and education to the travel industry and municipalities in order to contribute to the development of sustainable tourism. Finally, an extensive development plan has been announced to develop the country’s beach facilities and improve treatment plants - key criteria to receive the Blue Flag award.

Photo ©: Mr. Orkun Kalonya from Cesme Municipality

In total for the 2020 season, 508 sites in Turkey are Blue Flag awarded - 486 beaches and 22 marinas.

Gozo Blue Flag beach event raises awareness about water and beach pollution in Malta

Friday 26th June 2020 was a special day at the Blue Flag awarded Hondoq ir-Rummien beach in Gozo, Malta. Different activities were organised by Nature Trust – FEE Malta to raise awareness about water and beach pollution.

The day started with volunteers cleaning up the beach - handpicking cigarette butts and small pieces of plastic from the sand and between the pebbles.

In the meantime, a group of divers made an underwater clean-up of the area.

The cleanup was followed by a presentation from the Gozo College Middle School Eco-Schools team about their GLOBE project to the two Ministers in attendance, the Minister of Gozo Clint Camilleri and the Minister of the Environment Aaron Farrugia. The students started the project from the same beach last November by collecting plastic litter and subsequently collecting data on the effects of plastic litter on sea water temperature and pH value.

Back in January, a turtle had been rescued by the Wildlife Rescue Team from the town of Marsalforn, another beach north of the island, after being spotted entangled in fishing debris, and was cared for by Nature Trust Malta. The turtle, named Jenna, was tagged and released in good health back into the sea on the day of the beach cleanup, much to the pleasure of all the students and adults present.

You can access the video of the turtle going back into the sea here.

Images copyright: Anita Muscat/Nature Trust - FEE Malta

Werner & Mertz for a sustainable transformation of our post-COVID 19 world

Green Key’s and Blue Flag’s partner Werner & Mertz Professional urges for a stronger focus on sustainability in our post-COVID 19 world and supports their clients in being part of this transformation.

©Werner & Mertz

These days, our society is facing unprecedented challenges – during and after the crisis. Being a producer of sustainable cleaning product solutions, Werner & Mertz’s is one of the companies that had the immediate chance to help stem the pandemic and took this important social responsibility very seriously. Since weeks, the company is prioritising the production of disinfectants and clients that need them most such as hospitals, nursing homes, government agencies of outstanding importance for national security and food retailer.

As people currently clean more frequently and intensively than before, it is even more important to use sustainable and biodegradable detergents without toxic substances thus avoiding further unnecessary burdens for people and the environment. As special emphasis is now placed on the cleaning of surfaces in exterior or public areas. Whether disinfecting certain surfaces outside healthcare facilities is required at all should be decided on a case-by-case basis, depending on the actual contamination of the surfaces. To support their clients and partners with reopening their businesses with the right cleaning practices, Werner & Mertz developed cleaning & hygiene guidelines for their clients.

German Environmental Award winner and owner of Werner & Mertz, Reinhard Schneider, appealed for a sustainable transformation instead of retro liberalism in post-corona era in a press release published on 3 June. He vouches for a stronger focus on circular economy principles when rebuilding the economy as the long supply chains were particularly prone to disruption during the time of the crisis. Werner & Mertz itself is a front-runner in terms of circularity, with many of their products being certified with the ‘Cradle-to-Cradle’ standard.

Being a family-owned company, Werner & Mertz is also dedicated to the social side of sustainability and gives back to the community wherever they can. In June, the company donated approximately 170 pallets of more than 80,000 sustainable ‘Frosch’ brand household cleaners, dishwashing and laundry detergents to Tafel centers throughout the country, providing the customers of the Tafel with the necessary means to keep their homes clean and safe. The Tafel is a non-profit organisation in Germany supporting people in need with food and other daily supplies.

A Blue Flag beach in the large tourist city of Odessa, Ukraine, democratically won the "Best Beach of Odessa" award

Odessa is the third most populous city of Ukraine, and a major tourism center, seaport and transport hub located on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The award ceremony called "National Recognition/ People’s Vote - Odessa of the Year" is held every year to award regional leaders in the south-western part of Ukraine for their work in a broad range of categories from glamour and culture to politics and business. The project, which was founded in 2001, is carried out by the South Ukrainian Media Holding (UMH) and is one of the most ambitious and socially significant in the south of Ukraine.

Last December 2019 was the launch of the first edition of the "Best Beach of Odessa" award and the Blue Flag awarded Caleton Beach was declared the winner by the public’s vote. Its owner, Yuri Degas, went on stage to receive the award consisting of an honorary diploma and a cup that were handed to him by Tatyana Markova, Director of the Department of Culture and Tourism of Odessa City Council.

Pictures copyright: www.048.ua

Keeping the momentum of the 2020 UN Ocean Conference

The overarching theme of the 2020 UN Ocean Conference this year is "Scaling up Ocean Action based on science and innovation for the implementation of Goal 14: stocktaking, partnerships and solutions", calling for science-based innovative solutions to amplify global ocean action. The conference was supposed to take place in Lisbon, Portugal from the 2nd to 6th of June, and Blue Flag International had planned to attend. Unfortunately, it has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the new dates will be announced at a later time. Despite the postponement, we would like to keep the momentum going and share Blue Flag’s contributions to the protection of the ocean and marine resources and to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The ocean covers 70 percent of the Earth’s surface, is the planet's largest biosphere, and is home to up to 80 percent of all life on Earth. It generates oxygen, absorbs carbon dioxide emissions, is a vital buffer against the impacts of climate change, nurtures biodiversity and is essential to human well-being and livelihoods. This is why the ocean’s protection against unsustainable human activities is essential to limit the depletion of marine resources and pass on a more sustainable world to future generations.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the United Nations in 2015 set 17 transformative goals to be reached by 2030. Goal number 14 “Life Below Water” stresses the need to conserve and sustainably use the world’s oceans, seas and marine resources. Blue Flag International is strongly committed to supporting the UN SDGs by promoting sustainability in the tourism sector, and contributes to their achievement through environmental education, environmental protection and other sustainable development practices.

Blue Flag’s influence is growing every year, with currently more than 4,500 Blue Flag awarded beaches, marinas and tourism boats in 47 countries around the world. Blue Flag also campaigns against disparity, inequality, unemployment, health threats, depletion of natural resources, environmental threats, pollution and general environmental degradation. One of the latest examples of Blue Flag’s contribution to the SDGs was the inauguration of the first Blue Flag Best Practice competition in 2020 on the theme of pollution. The competition was created to highlight the best examples of environmental protection practices implemented by Blue Flag sites around the world.

You can access all of the Best Practices implemented by Blue Flag sites here: https://www.blueflag.global/best-practices

To read more about how Blue Flag engages with and contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals : https://www.blueflag.global/sdgs-blueflag

To get more information about the UN Ocean Conference: https://www.un.org/en/conferences/ocean2020

Blue Flag first for Åland Islands marinas!

On Tuesday the 21st of April, the Blue Flag International Jury met online to evaluate more than 4,500 beaches, marinas and tourism boats in the Northern Hemisphere that have applied for a Blue Flag for the 2020 season.

Images Copyright : Visit Åland

All Blue Flag sites are reviewed annually and awarded the Blue Flag for the duration of an operating season, which can last up to a full year. The International Jury reviews the applicants twice a year, in April for Northern Hemisphere countries and in September for Southern Hemisphere countries. This year, due to the COVID-19 crisis, the Blue Flag International Jury met online on Tuesday the 21st of April to evaluate the 2020 Northern Hemisphere candidates. Extensive preparation by the Blue Flag International team ensured that the online format did not interfere with the meeting’s quality and outcomes.

A highlight of the International Jury meeting was the decision to award the first Blue Flags in the Åland Islands to five marinas that meet Blue Flag’s standards of excellence in sustainability and environmental management. The Åland Islands is an archipelago of over 6,500 islands and skerries off the southwest coast of Finland that draws tourists with its wealth of history, natural beauty and outdoor activities.

The 2020 Blue Flag International Jury was composed of Peter Kristensen representing the European Environment Agency, David R. Green for the Coastal & Marine Union (EUCC), Birguy Lamizana representing the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Sophie Lewis for the World Cetacean Alliance, Bernard Combes for UNESCO, Jean-Michel Gaigné representing the International Council of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA), Erik Bech for the International Life Saving (ILS) Federation, Dirk Glaesser for the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Ivor Ambrose and Katerina Papamichail representing the European
Network for Accessible Tourism and Lourdes Diaz representing the FEE Board of Directors.

This year’s meeting demonstrated once again each Jury member’s strong commitment to the Blue Flag programme. Blue Flag International would like to reiterate its appreciation for their continued dedication, which ensures that all of the awarded sites worldwide represent the same level of excellence. The quality of applications and high level of standards continue to improve every year. As a result, there are more and more sites around the world that meet the rigorous criteria necessary to qualify for the Blue Flag award.

In addition to evaluating the Northern Hemisphere sites, the International Jury reviewed presentations from new countries that have been working to implement the Blue Flag programme in the near future. These candidates that are expected to join the Blue Flag network soon include Argentina, Chile, India and mainland Finland.

The list of 2020 Blue Flag awarded sites will be announced on the 10th of June. Before this date, Blue Flag International will announce the three winners of the inaugural Best Practices Competition. The theme of the 2020 competition is pollution, and the winners were chosen by the International Jury after evaluating the rest of the Northern Hemisphere applications.

The International Jury acknowledges that the worldwide COVID-19 crisis is going to impact the upcoming Blue Flag season in the Northern Hemisphere, and asks that all Blue Flag sites place local and national health guidelines above all other considerations. In these uncertain times, we must remember the important role that the Blue Flag plays in helping local communities and tourists identify safe and sustainable destinations. Thanks to the recognized excellence of the Blue Flag award, the public can be assured that it is safe to visit the sites when the Blue Flag is flying.

Travel diary #2: Terry in India

After South Africa, Terry continued its journey to India in January and February 2020. The launch of Terry’s journey was done during the Blue Flag assessment workshop conducted by the beach managers in Rushikonda in the state of Andhra Pradesh on the East coast of India. The main theme of this journey was waste management.

Terry assisted to specific cleaning activities on the beaches which included picking up and sorting out the waste. Terry also assisted to litter prevention campaigns targeting the tourists on the beaches in the states of Odhisha and Gujarat, respectively located on the East and West coast of India.

Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus pandemic, Terry’s journey has been slowed down and like everyone else, Terry has to stay home until further notice to keep oneself and its beloved ones safe.

But don’t worry, Terry will come back soon. Stay tuned for the next adventures!

Sustainable practices by Blue Flag's beach management body in Huatulco, Mexico

The Blue Flag awarded beach Tangolunda Beach is located in Oaxaca, Mexico. Its management body, the beach resort Dreams Huatulco Resort & Spa, is being involved in many environmental activities and play an important role in the conservation and protection of the ecosystem.

Among others, Dreams and Secrets Huatulco Resort & Spa is now part of the Advisory Board of Huatulco National Park. The management body of the resort is also developing an integrated waste management system.

Last but not least, the beach resort’s hotel employees are part of Huatulco Wildlife Assistance Committee, whose aim is to act in case of emergencies, incidents and risks related to wildlife in Huatulco.

The committee is composed of veterinarians, biologists and volunteers and its goal is to rescue intoxicated marine animals. One of the main example of intoxication is due to the algae dinoflagellates, a marine plankton whose rapid accumulation can produce toxins harmful to marine live.

All these practices help to path the way towards a more sustainable and more environmentally friendly way of doing business and a great example of flying high the Blue Flag.

Pictures copyright: Dreams & Secrets Huatulco Resorts & Spa

First Sustainable Vacation Camp in Peró Beach, Brazil

In January 2020 in Peró Beach, Brazil, children and teenagers from 6 to 17 years old had the possibility to follow the free activities organised by the Blue Flag Programme in Praia do Peró, the Escola do Mar Institute (Iemar) and the Projeto Marola.

The activities carried out were about environmental education, transformation of garbage into art, prevention of drowning and safety at sea, sandboarding with Rafael Marendino and games about sustainability.

The activity took place in the Blue Flag awarded area, close to the lifeguard post and also included a tribute to the local authority team, the distribution of t-shirts and the explanation of what is Blue Flag as well as why it is important to have an international seal.

The event was supported by the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment (MMA) through the Environmental and Territorial Management Directory, as well as through the MMA Programme for the Fight against Sea Garbage, from the State Environment Institute (Inea) and the Costa do Sol State Park (PECS).

“The integration of kids together with nature is very positive. Promoting leisure from a sustainable perspective is one of the proposals of the Blue Flag programme and Peró Beach is a perfect setting for this! I am sure that children and young people enjoy unforgettable moments during their summer activities”

— Mayor Dr. Adriano Moreno.

Sustainable Blue Flag bags to fight modern-day slavery

Blue Flag National Operator and partners in Israel received bags made from Blue Flag old beach flags thanks to a social enterprise offering employment to people in need.  

While promoting sustainability in the tourism industry, Blue Flag also campaigns against disparity, inequality, unemployment or other Sustainable Development Goals-related issues. Recently, Blue Flag in Israel cooperated with KitePride, a social enterprise employing people exiting human trafficking and modern-day slavery to turn material that was considered trash into beautiful bags.

 This social business based in Tel Aviv makes a difference by giving people and material a second wind and aims to eradicate modern-day slavery in an environmentally sustainable way. If it usually repurposes materials from kitesurfing kites, parachutes, sails and wetsuits to create lightweight and durable bags, it provided Blue Flag Israeli members and partners with Blue Flag bags made from old beach flags.  

 Blue Flag is delighted to have been associated with this twofold solution restoring the lives of women and men exiting human trafficking while upcycling material headed for the trash. Blue Flag beach flags can now start their new life as beautiful, lightweight and durable bags!

Pick a Pier and Blue Flag announce partnership

The partnership will provide a huge boost to the maritime environmental agenda. Blue Flag, one of the world’s most recognised voluntary awards for beaches, marinas, and boating tourism operators that adhere to environmental guidelines. Pick a Pier, an innovative startup, utilizes advanced technology to design innovative and eco-friendly solutions for marinas and boaters around the globe.

The focus of the partnership will be on promoting a culture of sustainability in the recreational boating industry. The partnership aims to advance technological solutions that will reduce the environmental impact of marinas and maritime businesses, encourage environmentally friendly behaviors among sailors, and reward sustainable businesses with greater visibility and recognition.

Pick a Pier's platform will enable sailors to easily identify Blue Flag accredited marinas when planning their sailing trip and keep them informed of best practices to preserve the maritime environment. The partnership will also promote a Sustainable Sailing Code of Conduct.  Together, Blue Flag and Pick a Pier will supply the industry with the data on the tangible benefits of sustainable practices.

"Pick a Pier shares Blue Flag's commitment to keep our waters clean and blue," said Pick a Pier CEO Idan Cohen, "this partnership will encourage businesses and sailors to work together to reduce the environmental impact of sailing, and will demonstrate the benefits of sustainable practices at sea. Unlike other tourism industries, sailing has the potential to be carbon neutral. We are excited to be leading the industry towards a sustainable future, combining a customer-centric experience and an advanced supply management technology with environmental awareness.

“Blue Flag is proud to be partnering with a company that combines excellent customer service with an environmentally friendly agenda. We are reaching through this partnership a wide audience from marinas to sailors, which will support our goals in raising awareness about coastal sustainability,” adds Sophie Bachet Granados, Blue Flag International Director.

About Pick a Pier

Pick a Pier was founded in 2017 and developed a digital platform that utilizes Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence to design the technological future of marinas. Pick a Pier's goal is to optimise the use of marina berths to promote sustainable sailing, maritime tourism, and innovate and implement new strategies that increase the profitability and environmental practices of the marina industry.

About Blue Flag

Blue Flag is one of the world’s most recognised voluntary awards for beaches, marinas, and tourism boats. To qualify for the Blue Flag, a series of stringent environmental, educational, safety, and accessibility criteria must be met and maintained.

The Blue Flag programme is internationally managed by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), an international non-profit charity.

Blue Flag has National Operators (national FEE member organisations) in more than 45 countries in charge of managing Blue Flag at the national level. Currently, Blue Flag has awarded more than 4,500 establishments (beaches, marinas, boats) in 47 countries.

Together against marine litter: Blue Flag and green care PROFESSIONAL partner to tackle ocean pollution

Blue Flag has entered a partnership with the Werner & Mertz Professional eco-brand green care PROFESSIONAL to fight ocean pollution. By joining forces, the partners want to generate a greater appreciation for the coastal environment as well as to increase awareness of circular and microplastic-free packaging.

As of the start of 2020, green care PROFESSIONAL is the official partner of the non-profit Blue Flag international programme. Blue Flag dedicates its actions to promoting sustainability in the coastal tourism sector by working with beaches, marinas and tourism boats.

The primary purpose of this partnership is the organisations’ mutual commitment to working proactively to conquer ocean and coastline pollution. The partnership between green care PROFESSIONAL and Blue Flag is a natural fit for two organisations who value Blue Flag’s vision of “Pure water, clean coasts, safety and access for all”. Green care PROFESSIONAL supports clean oceans and coastlines by producing sustainable and ecological cleaning products using packaging that is made 100% from post-consumer waste, is microplastic-free and is fully recyclable.

Green care PROFESSIONAL will support Blue Flag in their mission to educate the public about the dangers of ocean and coastal pollution. The company will also offer its unique products to help businesses achieve the goal of using cleaning products that are safe for people and the environment.

The common mission is to join forces to promote a sustainable and circular economy in the coastal-related tourism sector. “Not only is global pollution a problem and climate change anyone’s concern – it will also destroy the business foundation of touristic businesses around the world – nature – if not tackled now”, says Frank Vancraeyveld (CEO of Werner & Mertz Professional).

Werner & Mertz is a pioneer when it comes to one of the most important issues regarding ocean pollution: recycling. All green care PROFESSIONAL products provide the highest eco-efficiency and performance and lower the environmental footprint by using 100% recycled packaging and regional organic and renewable raw materials. With their intelligent microplastic-free packaging made entirely of recycled post-consumer plastic waste, Werner & Mertz really contributes to reducing the pollution of the seas and coasts. But they don’t stop at sustainable products and packaging – they work to ensure sustainability along the entire production and value chain. Plant-based raw materials, renewable energy and recycled water are all key components of their responsible production process.

One of the key goals of the partnership between Blue Flag and green care PROFESSIONAL is to raise public awareness of the importance of clean oceans and coastlines through education and information. “We educate to protect. To protect not just our environment but the people who live in it, the communities who depend on it, the businesses who profit from it and the ecosystems which rely on it”, says Sophie Bachet Granados (International Blue Flag Director).

A useful way of demonstrating the positive changes that can be made by choosing the right cleaning products is the green care performance calculator (get.wmprof.com). This calculator shows how much plastic, crude oil and CO2 an establishment can save just by choosing a circular-designed product where reuse, recycling and renewable energies and materials are the focus.

As of the start of 2020, green care PROFESSIONAL is the official partner of the non-profit Blue Flag international programme. Blue Flag dedicates its actions to promoting sustainability in the coastal tourism sector by working with beaches, marinas and tourism boats.

The primary purpose of this partnership is the organisations’ mutual commitment to working proactively to conquer ocean and coastline pollution. The partnership between green care PROFESSIONAL and Blue Flag is a natural fit for two organisations who value Blue Flag’s vision of “Pure water, clean coasts, safety and access for all”. Green care PROFESSIONAL supports clean oceans and coastlines by producing sustainable and ecological cleaning products using packaging that is made 100% from post-consumer waste, is microplastic-free and is fully recyclable.

Green care PROFESSIONAL will support Blue Flag in their mission to educate the public about the dangers of ocean and coastal pollution. The company will also offer its unique products to help businesses achieve the goal of using cleaning products that are safe for people and the environment.

The common mission is to join forces to promote a sustainable and circular economy in the coastal-related tourism sector. “Not only is global pollution a problem and climate change anyone’s concern – it will also destroy the business foundation of touristic businesses around the world – nature – if not tackled now”, says Frank Vancraeyveld (CEO of Werner & Mertz Professional).

Werner & Mertz is a pioneer when it comes to one of the most important issues regarding ocean pollution: recycling. All green care PROFESSIONAL products provide the highest eco-efficiency and performance and lower the environmental footprint by using 100% recycled packaging and regional organic and renewable raw materials. With their intelligent microplastic-free packaging made entirely of recycled post-consumer plastic waste, Werner & Mertz really contributes to reducing the pollution of the seas and coasts. But they don’t stop at sustainable products and packaging – they work to ensure sustainability along the entire production and value chain. Plant-based raw materials, renewable energy and recycled water are all key components of their responsible production process.

One of the key goals of the partnership between Blue Flag and green care PROFESSIONAL is to raise public awareness of the importance of clean oceans and coastlines through education and information. “We educate to protect. To protect not just our environment but the people who live in it, the communities who depend on it, the businesses who profit from it and the ecosystems which rely on it”, says Sophie Bachet Granados (International Blue Flag Director).

A useful way of demonstrating the positive changes that can be made by choosing the right cleaning products is the green care performance calculator (get.wmprof.com). This calculator shows how much plastic, crude oil and CO2 an establishment can save just by choosing a circular-designed product where reuse, recycling and renewable energies and materials are the focus.

About Blue Flag:

Blue Flag is an international programme headquartered in Copenhagen (Denmark), operated by the Foundation for Environmental Education and is one of the most recognized voluntary award for beaches. The programme dedicates all its actions to promoting sustainability in the tourism sector of the coastal environment. The Blue Flag award is a leading standard awarding beaches, marinas and tourism boats which meet their comprehensive and strict criteria in terms of environmental management, safety for people and environment, accessibility and education. The high standards that are expected of the businesses that aim to achieve this prestigious award are maintained through rigorous documentation and frequent control visits.

About green care PROFESSIONAL:

green care PROFESSIONAL is one of the leading brands for sustainable professional cleaning products with EU Ecolabel and Cradle-to-Cradle® product certifications. The German-based manufacturer of cleaning chemicals, Werner & Mertz Professional, has the reputation of being a pioneer of Circular Economy for a long time. The key philosophy is the cradle to cradle principle which stands for a sustainable and regenerative material stream design according to the motto “Take – make – regenerate”. This means that the raw materials are reprocessed in a continuous biological and technical cycle to create a real eco effectiveness. Therefore Werner & Mertz not only reduces plastic waste but transforms it into a never-ending resource that doesn’t leave the production cycle. 70 green care PROFESSIONAL© products are eco-labelled and 40 are Cradle-to-Cradle® certified – the leading international label for circular product design.

Travel diary #1: Terry in South Africa

In October 2019, Terry the Turtle, Blue Flag’s #turtlewithoutborders, started a trip around the world to Blue Flag destinations, beginning with South Africa. Boats, marinas and beaches were all top priorities on Terry’s to-do list.

Terry is not an everyday turtle. Terry has been handmade by Moses Rombayi, a South African doll-maker coming from Zimbabwe. Moses’ love for toys guided its desire to own its business and create a unique kind of handmade dolls: thanks to him, an original Blue Flag flag became an amazing turtle!

Follow Blue Flag South Africa Instagram account (@blueflagsouthafrica) and Blue Flag International account (@blueflag_global) to discover Terry’s actions to preserve the beauty of our beaches and oceans.

Blue Flag National Operator in South Africa, WESSA, managed to show Terry as many as it could. Among all of South Africa’s Blue Flag sites, Terry saw:

• Llandudno Beach in Cape Town, where Terry checked out litter conditions and cleanliness

• Muizenberg beach - Terry accompanied the Blue Flag team on a beach inspection and took part in Surf Emporium’s Adaptive Surfing Day for children with disabilities

• Apex Predator - Terry went aboard the Great White Shark Tours boat in Gansbaai

• False Bay Yacht Club Marina, where Terry approved of the immaculately clean marina as well as the organised recycling bins

• V&A Waterfront Marina hosted Terry and the WESSA team for this year’s Blue Flag launch. The rest of the WESSA team in South Africa had the pleasure of meeting Terry on this day

• Dyer Island Conservation Trust, where Terry and the team met two ocean conservationists in Gansbaai and saw more shark tour boats

• Two Oceans Aquarium allowed Terry to see how fellow marine friends inspire people to protect the oceans

• Learn to Earn charity - old flags from previous seasons were donated for their sewing courses and Terry came along to see the recycling action

• Boulders Beach and its penguins welcomed Terry while touring the Cape Peninsula

• Jeffrey’s Bay Recycling Project, where Terry helped sort out the trash and show how important waste reduction and recycling are

Time will tell which country Terry will visit next!

Blue Flag growth in South America

Copenhagen, 14th November 2019 – This year, Blue Flag is happy to announce that Colombia won its first Blue Flag award whilst the United States Virgin Islands rejoined after the devastating effects of the Hurricane in 2017.

Today Blue Flag releases the results of the Blue Flag International Jury meeting for the Southern Hemisphere, sharing with you the highlights of this year’s evaluation.

During the International Jury’s meeting, 150 sites have been awarded the world’s leading tourism award for the 2019-2020 Blue Flag season in the Southern Hemisphere. It represents 107 beaches, 22 marinas and 21 boats within the 7 countries running the Blue Flag programme in the Carribean, South America, Africa and Southwest Pacific. This brings the total number of Blue Flag sites worldwide to 4573 in 47 countries. The full list of awarded sites has been published on the international Blue Flag website.

After several years of implementation of the Blue Flag criteria on its beaches, Colombia has seen its application approved for 4 of its sites by the International Blue Flag Jury. Moreover, 4 beaches and a marina have been awarded the Blue Flag in the United States Virgin Islands (USVI). Countries working towards implementing the prestigious Blue Flag include Cabo Verde, Chile and the Åland Islands (Finland). India has also been investing towards obtaining the Blue Flag and currently has five pilot beaches working on receiving the award for 2020.

“We are extremely happy with the quality of work that the Colombian applicants have been putting towards obtaining the Blue Flag. It has been years of efforts, and we are proud to see Colombia has risen to the challenge. Argentina and Chile are also investing in the Blue Flag for their countries and this will strengthen our position in South America,” says Sophie Bachet Granados, International Director of the Blue Flag Programme. ”

Due to the devastating effects of the hurricanes in 2017, Trinidad and Tobago had lost their Blue Flags, and we are delighted that the US Virgin Islands have managed to rehabilitee its sites to fly the flag this season. Trinidad and Tobago is still working towards this goal.

Furthermore, as part of the candidates’ 2019 evaluation, best practices regarding accessibility have been reviewed and highly appreciated by the International Jury. Some of these year’s best practices will be featuring in our best practice database, which is freely available on our website for all to use: https://www.blueflag.global/best-practices.

The next meeting of the Blue Flag International Jury will take place on 21rst April 2020 in Copenhagen to award beaches, marinas, and boats from the Northern Hemisphere.

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About the International Blue Flag Jury:

The International Blue Flag Jury is composed of representatives from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), International Lifesaving Federation (ILS), the European Environment Agency (EEA), the European Union for Coastal Conservation (EUCC), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), an Environmental Education expert, the International Council of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA), the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT) and FEE. You can find out more about them on Blue Flag’s website.

The Blue Flag greatly appreciates the support of its sponsor, the worldwide flag producer Semaphore and Total Beach Access, which provides sponsored beach access for the disabled. 

The Blue Flag programme is run by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE): https://www.fee.global

Feel free to check and use our copyrighted pictures for communication:  https://flic.kr/s/aHsk75W98q 

Blue Flag Turkey to raise awareness about responsible fishing and marine pollution

Since February, “Let’s get together in blue for future generations” project is running in Antalya, Turkey, to raise children’s awareness among sustainable fishery.  

Encouraged by TÜRÇEV, the organisation running the Blue Flag programme in Turkey, this project aims to teach children between 7-13 years old about rules of amateur fishing, marine pollution and its effects on marine species. This training has been held every last Sunday of each month since its launch in February.

 At the beginning of the project, the purpose was to reach a total of 600 students and their parents within one year by the end of 2019. By October 2019, 280 students from different schools and 482 of their parents have already attended to a one day educational seminar! By teaching children and their parents about marine species, Blue Flag Turkey does a great job for the protection of the environment. Involving families into this activity permits interactions between generations which is a key variable for the future of our planet.

“Today, we learned the names and functions of the fishes, fishing. Dangerous ones, ones not to be eaten and catched, for example - Ceren, age 9”

The first event of the project took place in Antalya EXPO area on February 17th with the participation of 50 students and parents. Participants kids were informed about environmental awareness, consumption habits, amateur fishing, fish species and other topics of interest. Then fishing activities have been carried out with fishing rods suitable for children. Fishes caught were put back into water after being examined delicately (no harm given) and measured on fish scale.

This project is undersigned by Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Antalya Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, Mediterranean Fishers and Sports Club Association (AKBADER), Touristic Air Transportation Co. (Corendon Airlines), Belek Tourism Investors Joint Venture (BETUYAB), Foundation for Environmental Education in Turkey (TÜRÇEV) and Mediterranean Research, Production and Training Institute (AKSAM).

Aero-guarded beaches: when drones and rescue teams working together

This summer, Blue Flag in Spain implemented rescue drones as an extra equipment for lifeguards on 6 Blue Flag beaches

The Blue Flag Spanish National Operator (ADEAC) has been working with a drone company to show how the latter can be useful for lifeguards. The project was held on 6 Spanish municipalities with Blue Flag awarded sites: Santa Eularia, Ciutadella, Sagunto, Fuengirola, Cheles y Orellana. This equipment can also be useful for sewage control and monitoring.

The rescue drones have been implemented during one week on the selected Blue Flag beaches. This initiative showed how drones can help reinforcing the beach safety thanks to their minimum response time and reliability. These pilot tests aimed to highlight the benefits for lifeguards regarding security’s improvement on the beaches and thus create a model that could be spread out.

Indeed, these drones combine surveillance, rescue and search skills. They can be helpful for the lifeguards regarding the monitoring of the beach in real time, determining the victims or dangerous animals’ position in the sea as well as controlling rush hours. This search and rescue drone has been designed to fit a beach’s harsh conditions (level 6 winds, rain, sand and saline environments).

This pioneering initiative from the Spanish Blue Flag National Operator illustrates how technological innovation can be useful for both holiday-makers and lifeguards at the beach. This experiment could be the beginning of new standards as an example to the rest of the world’s beaches.

Blue Flag National Operator Meeting 2019

The Blue Flag National Operator Meeting gathered over 50 participants on 8-9 October. This two-day event was held by Keep Britain Tidy, Blue Flag National Operator in England.

The Blue Flag National Operator Meeting is a technical event where the status and developments of the programme are discussed. It is an opportunity for our National Operators to discuss and exchange ideas about the technicalities of the programme, as well as best practices.

This meeting was the occasion to share and improve new ideas for the months and years to come with the members of the Blue Flag network. From our new member Terry the Turtle (a handmade turtle doll travelling around the world to fight plastic pollution) to a best practices competition, 2020 promises to be exciting!

Blue Flag International would like to thank our National Operator in England, Keep Britain Tidy, for hosting this 2019 meeting, as well as the Blackpool Council for supporting the event.

Blue Flag French marina encourages sustainable and green modes of transport

In the south of France, Gruissan marina initiated a range of services for the tourists who want to discover the town and the hinterland in a sustainable way. A successful project initiated five years ago in the municipality.

Gruissan marina received the Blue Flag award each year since 1988 and began to provide holiday-makers with sustainable modes of transport five years ago, thanks to its Odyssea Protect Eco-station. This station is a zero CO2 emission park where electric cars, ordinary and electric bikes and bus shuttles are available for the tourists. This initiative is incorporated within the framework of Odyssea - the European Network of Cities and Ports Territories – whose objective is the deployment of a new theme of tourism in Europe: “Blue Tourism”.

“This service is an answer to new demands in Tourism”, Jean-Claude MERIC, General Manager of the resort, says. Nowadays, tourists express their desire to “live an experience” during their stay. According to him, “eco-friendly transportation has gone beyond its functional dimension to become part of an innovative and appealing touristic experience.””

An interactive and cultural “Land and Sea” itinerary has been created to encourage tourists to tour the highlights of the territory from the port of Gruissan to the hinterland. This itinerary encourages sustainable and green modes of transport while introducing the help of either a professional tour guide or the use of multimedia innovation. Holiday-makers can, for example, be guided by several numerical tools featuring a pre-recorded cultural itinerary at their disposal: a spoken documentary starts each time they reach a point of interest and tells them the history of the places driven through.

Gruissan’s preserved natural environment attracts a lot of holiday-makers each summer. Its zero CO2 emissions park is an inspiring initiative contributing to the preservation of the coasts. It also illustrates how marinas are playing a key role in the economy of a destination and its tourism, such as in raising awareness of the tourists among environmental issues.

Triscovery and Blue Flag join forces to enhance marine and coastal sustainability practices

Copenhagen – 25 september 2019, Triscovery Srl and the Foundation for Environmental Education through its Blue Flag programme, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on September 16, 2019 that will enhance and share marine and coastal sustainability practices among the community of boating tourism operators.

©Blue Flag Puerto Rico

Triscovery is the first online platform that allows travelers to discover and book the best day trips and boat events in advance. Every year, thousands of travelers live truly unique boating experiences, the exploration of the most beautiful coasts and islands. A very strict policy based on customer satisfaction and environmental protection are applied to Triscovery fleet. Through the Marketplace, the boating operators introduce their experiences and allow to book in real time and in total safety, with coverage in the event of bad weather and sea conditions.

All tour operators that offer boat-based tourism activities and that embrace sustainable practices in line with the Blue Flag criteria could be eligible for an application to become a Blue Flag accredited sustainable boating tourism operator. This includes seeing environmental education as an integral part of the tourism products, assessing and making an effort to reduce negative impacts on the economic, social and natural environment, considering the needs of tourists, its employees and the environment and contributing to the development and distribution of sustainable practices.

“Fabrizio Badalucco, Ceo of Triscovery, comments: “The signing of the MoU marks a new milestone in the work of Triscovery that leads to boost the environmental policy among our boating operators across the Mediterranean area. We are proud to be the first company that make possible this kind of collaboration aimed to doing boating business according to sustainability and respecting the environment. We hope that other companies and investors can join and finance industry that are compliant with the blue economy.”

©Blue Flag Turkey

“The Oceans are at risk, and through Blue Flag we are striving to make a difference in marine litter, biodiversity and other key aspects for our Blue planet. It is vital that the tourism industry aligns itself with sustainable development practices, which is what our framework provides. We are excited to work with more operators through Triscovery’s network,” says Sophie Bachet Granados, Director of the Blue Flag programme.”

The Blue Flag programme for beaches, marinas and sustainable boating tourism operators is run by the international, non-governmental, non-profit organisation Foundation for Environmental Education.  The Blue Flag programme started in France in 1985. It has been operating in Europe since 1987 and in areas outside of Europe since 2001. Today, Blue Flag has become a truly global programme with an ever-increasing number of countries participating in this global effort, with 50 countries in its network and more than 4,500 awarded beaches, marinas and ecotourism boats.

Triscovery - Media Relations:

+39 393 8942947

info@triscovery.com

triscovery.com

Blue Flag - Media Relations:

+4561248081

sophie@fee.global

blueflag.global 

Take Care of Your Beach Project in Turkey

“You’re mortal but your waste is not” – last August, TURCEV (the Blue Flag National Operator in Turkey) spread a powerful message on one of its Blue Flag beaches

©Kusadasi Municipality

By the end of August, Take Care of Your Beach Project aimed to raise beach users’ awareness among beach cleanliness in Turkey. Coordinated by the National Blue Flag Operator (TURCEV) with the help of Kusadasi Municipality and Aydin Metropolitan Municipality, the initiative took place on Kadinlar Denizi beach, also called “Ladies Beach”. Volunteer university students from different universities in Turkey took part to this 4-day awareness project held on this Blue Flag beach. From kids to adults, it was the opportunity to highlight how everyone plays a key role in the coasts’ cleanliness.

“Here we see some children playing with cigarette butts with no awareness about their harm and we tried to change this sad situation during this week. I hope we won’t see this anymore” – Deniz Cansu Ogul, Middle East Technical University, Environmental Eng. Dep.”

©Kusadasi Municipality

 For the occasion, several activities such as cigarette butt collection contests, interviews and questionnaires with beach users, and beach cleanliness level measurements have been presented by the volunteers. From kids to adults by way of volunteers, all of the participants became more conscious of their impact on the cleanliness of the beaches and will now be environmental ambassadors spreading environmentally-friendly practices. Nevertheless, the public only became motivated thanks to volunteers’ tenacity to inform and insist on taking actions to protect the environment.   

““With this project, I realized that I also changed a lot, realising people can also change their minds with simple motivating actions. Thank you to all the people organising this powerful activity for all” – Berk Ozkizikli, Hacettepe University, Faculty of Medicine.”

©Kusadasi Municipality

TURCEV and the municipalities have held this project every year at different Blue Flag beaches since 2010. This is a good example of the work done by the Blue Flag National Operators in spreading of environmentally-friendly practices and raising the public’s awareness.