As divers, we share a special connection with our ocean planet and therefore hold a natural affinity to want to protect the marine environment. This past 10 days, Project AWARE has been on the frontlines participating at the IUCN World Parks Congress in Sydney to represent and highlight all the awesome actions that divers across the globe take to help protect our ocean planet.

The IUCN World Parks Congress is an international forum on protected areas where delegates and world leaders come together to share knowledge and innovation for protecting our planet. It occurs once every 10 years, setting global targets in protected area conservation for the decade to come.

I was delighted to have the opportunity to participate in this world-renowned event, representing the global voice of divers in this worldwide arena. It was a privilege to present in front of an international audience and give our wonderful diving community recognition for the fantastic actions taken across the globe to help protect our ocean planet. We also had the great honor of being invited as a guest speaker to discuss “Non-extractive wildlife use: rights and benefits” hosted by José Truda Palazzo from Divers for Sharks along with Manta Ray Bay Resort & Yap Divers and International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). It was a fantastic interactive session looking at the different non-extractive uses of the environment, calling on policy-makers to recognise such non-extractive uses in international treaties and biodiversity agreements.

Catching up with some of AWARE’s great ambassadors was also an honor including Paul Rose – marine explorer, presenter and professional diver to name but-a-few of his great accolades. “I love Project AWARE, you do so many great things to protect our ocean planet and the best part is, it’s so easy to get involved,” said Paul.

The inspiring Dr. Sylvia Earle also had a great presence at the World Parks Congress urging the world to come together and protect our great blue planet. The Congress also saw the screening of Sylvia’s new documentary, Mission Blue, highlighting the critical issues facing today’s ocean and the urgent action needed to save it.

During the closing plenary, it was motivating to see the World Parks Congress highlighting the need to “urgently increase the ocean area that is effectively and equitably managed in ecologically representative and well-connected systems of MPAs or other effective conservation measures by 2030; these should include strictly protected areas that amount to at least 30% of each marine habitat and address both biodiversity and ecosystem services.”

You can check out Project AWARE’s presentation here.