Addressing the marine debris issue is no walk in the park. It’s a complex problem that is truly global by nature and requires collaboration among stakeholders at local, national and international levels. It can be daunting to face, but we really do have the power to drive change!

Our countdown to the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES CoP17) – to be held in South Africa from September 24 to October 5, 2016 – begins this Endangered Species Day, May 20.

What do you get when you put the hearts, minds and souls of 40 dive centres all together on one small island? One of the biggest Dive Against Debris™ actions to ever to take place.

A professional PADI diver for over 35 years and an educator at Georgia Tech University in the United States for 34 years, Jim Consuegra is an ardent ocean activist. Throughout his diving and university teaching career, Jim has been a vocal advocate for the protection of our ocean and all marine creatures, teaching students and divers to become active participants in global efforts to protect the environment. It was Nelson Mandela who said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” – an ideal that Jim Consuegra truly embodies.