Onna Village, First in Japan to Implement Green Fins Environmental Standards

To reduce the pressures on coral reefs and increase the value of sustainable marine tourism The Reef-World Foundation, the Onna Village Diving Association, the local government, and Oceana are delighted to announce that Japan is now the 14th country globally to implement the Green Fins initiative – a UN Environment Programme initiative. Onna Village in … Read more

Dive centre managers and owners sitting around a table learning about Green Fins

10 Japanese Dive Centres Receive Green Fins Training

In 2019, the Reef-World team visited Onna Village, Okinawa. During the trip they conducted a scoping trip and met with the people who will make up the Green Fins national team. This included representatives from Onna Village local government, Onna Village Diving Association, Oceana and Japan Association for UNEP as well as Onna Village’s Mayor. … Read more

Green Fins Materials Now Available in Arabic and Japanese

The Reef-World Foundation – the international coordinator of Green Fins – along with the Chamber of Diving & Watersports (CDWS) and the SDGs Promotion Secretariat (Onna Village Office in Okinawa) are pleased to announce Arabic and Japanese-speaking dive and snorkel operators can now benefit from environmental resources in their first language. The newly translated Green … Read more

Photo of the virtual PADI Torchbearer interview taking place. Sam is on the left in front of the Green Fins flag. Emma is on the right in her home office.

PADI Torchbearer Interview with Reef-World’s Samantha Craven

We were delighted that our Programmes Manager, Sam, recently had the opportunity to be interviewed by PADI’s Corporate Social Responsibility Specialist Emma Daffurn for the PADI Torchbearer group on Facebook. It was such an insightful discussion we wanted to share it with our network too. So without further ado, brew a cuppa and enjoy some … Read more

Picture of people on a beach.

Green Fins Japan: The Story so Far

Demand for the Green Fins programme is at an all-time high. Reef-World continues to hear from government bodies and organisations around the world asking how Green Fins can be launched in their country. So, what does it take to launch Green Fins in a new country? Today, we’re hearing about the journey of a country … Read more

Picture of people on a beach.

Demonstrating Marine Conservation Success in the “Village of Coral” – Okinawa, Japan, December 2019

This December, Chloe and I visited Onna Village in Okinawa. Globally renowned for its marine sports, Onna Village recognises its coral reefs as the treasure of the island and has been working to protect them for many years. Despite this, the island’s corals are dying because of the effects of global warming and the village has recognised the need to do more to prevent further damage… and they’re already well underway with their efforts.