Second year of support from Carnival Corporation, the world’s largest leisure travel company, helps leading conservation organization continue to protect world’s vital marine areas
Efforts include helping the Bahamas expand marine protection by over 11 million acres, establishing trust funds for seven countries in Caribbean and produce online atlas for ocean planning
Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), the world’s largest leisure travel company, announced today that its second consecutive year of supporting The Nature Conservancy helped the organization continue its momentum in protecting the world’s oceans and seas. As part of achieving its 2020 sustainability goals, Carnival Corporation is providing through the Carnival Foundation a $2.5 million gift over a five-year period to The Nature Conservancy, which began in 2014.
The highlights from The Nature Conservancy’s initiatives in 2015 include:
- Helping the Bahamas expand marine protection areas by more than 11 million acres.
- Supporting the establishment of National Protected Area Trust Funds in seven Caribbean countries, which can be used to address specific conservation challenges as they arise.
- Advancing marine protection efforts at Los Haitises National Park and Samaná Bay in the Dominican Republic.
- Launching an Atlas of Ocean Wealth, supported by multiple international online tools, detailed maps, marine life databases and other resources to educate and inspire community leaders engaged in ocean planning.
Carnival Corporation’s 2020 Sustainability Goals – embraced by the company and its 10 cruise line brands around the world — reflect the company’s dedication to operating with a high level of responsible sustainability in the oceans, seas and ports of call in which its ships operate. The donation to The Nature Conservancy and many other environmental groups underscores its commitment.
“With 101 ships traveling the world’s oceans and seas and more than 700 ports of call, our deep commitment to protecting and sustaining our environment is a top corporate priority,” said Roger Frizzell, chief communications officer for Carnival Corporation, who also oversees the Carnival Foundation. “On the eve of World Oceans Day on June 8, it is fitting to applaud The Nature Conservancy for again making great strides in identifying critical areas for public and private action in support of our oceans and seas, such as coastal production and fish population levels. We are proud to continue to support The Nature Conservancy.”
Also through the support of the Carnival Foundation, in the past year The Nature Conservancy was able to generate for decision makers new comprehensive data about coral reef conditions throughout the Caribbean, as well as research on the success of conservation efforts tied to oyster reefs and new maps of fish production connected to Caribbean mangrove growths.
Carnival Corporation also hosted The Nature Conservancy’s 2016 Mapping Ocean Wealth conference in January at its Miami corporate headquarters, where conservationists and decision-makers from around the world came together to discuss ocean sustainability initiatives. As a result of the annual meeting, The Nature Conservancy’s data on mapping vast ocean resources is now being directly displayed in The World Bank’s Spatial Agent, its decision-support tool used by World Bank economists and government leaders to identify the most pressing social and environmental issues the World Bank can address.
“The Nature Conservancy truly appreciates Carnival Foundation’s support for our global and Caribbean-specific oceans conservation work,” said Maria Damanaki, global managing director for The Nature Conservancy’s Ocean Program. “Carnival Foundation’s five-year commitment to preserving the world’s vital marine resources – and the many benefits they provide – has a major impact on our efforts.”
Added Damanaki: “As we look ahead to the next three years, by supporting our Caribbean Challenge Initiative, Carnival Foundation’s support will help nearly triple the protection of the region’s iconic waters and coasts by helping conserve 21 million acres of these important areas. Through The Nature Conservancy’s Mapping Ocean Wealth project, Carnival Foundation’s support will also provide a fundamentally new kind of ocean knowledge that is needed to protect our waters and transform their management now and for generations to come.”
Public awareness campaigns are another important aspect of building support for conservation in the Caribbean. The previous year has seen a variety of community education initiatives, made possible from Carnival Corporation and the Carnival Foundation. These include the production of songs, music videos, Public Service Announcements, presentations, beach clean-ups and billboards. As with all The Nature Conservancy’s efforts, the collateral material is geared towards raising awareness and participation in initiatives designed to support a balanced approach to preserving marine habitats throughout the Caribbean and around the world.
SOURCE: Carnival Corporation & plc