Our Plastic Free Paradise Campaign
Preserving Gili Air for Generations to Come
For us, it’s not just about the marine life and sharks, we also care about the environment. We want to create awareness for the use of single-use-plastic and reduce the amount that’s being used on the Gili Islands.
Our dream was to create a project that would focus on maintaining the beauty of our home and implement sustainable solutions for the development of Gili Air. We wanted to give something back to the island that gave us so much and create a plastic free paradise for the generations to come.
With our Plastic Free Paradise campaign we educate locals as well as tourist on the impact that single use plastic has on our ocean and our island and provide information about how you can leave nothing but footprints (link to blog post) on beautiful Gili Air.
Our #Plasticfreeparadise Goals
120 refill stations across the three gili islands
We are very proud that so many businesses on Gili Air are supporting our Plastic Free Paradise campaign and offered to become a refills station. Considering we each drink at least 1.5 liters of water per day, after only a few days, it becomes a very considerable reduction of single-use plastic consumption. Also, by refilling your bottle, instead of buying a new one, you are showing and teaching good habits to everybody around you. Don’t underestimate the impact you can have on others. Being an example can only benefit the people and the environment around you.
Do you have a business on Gili Air and would you like to be part of the solution? Sign up to become a refill station by sending us a message.
200 Beach Clean Ups
Did you know that Indonesia is the second-largest contributor to marine plastic pollution after China? A recent study estimates that between 1.14 million and 2.40 million tonnes of plastic enter the oceans every year from Indonesian rivers.
These days, sea turtles are ingesting twice the amount of plastic they were 25 years ago and thousand of marine mammal and seabird die every year due to ingestion and entanglement in plastic.
Traveling sometimes does not make it easy to be environmentally friendly – especially when the place you are traveling to are remote islands! Here are some easy ways that you can help the earth while traveling to the Gili Islands, but these tips apply for traveling anywhere!
Join our weekly beach clean up
Together with our partner Blue Marlin Dive Resort and the businesses on Gili Air we’re organizing a weekly beach clean-up. Lasting around 45 minutes, it is an excellent way to give back to our beautiful island home. It is also a good way to catch up and make new friends who share your passion for conservation! To know when and where the beach clean-ups start, follow our stories on Instagram or send us a message at sharks@gilisharkconservation.com.
100 underwater clean ups
As part of Project Aware’s ‘Adopt The Blue’ initiative, we adopted Meno Slope in 2017 and Han’s Reef in 2022. We visit these dive sites at least once a month for a Dive Against Debris. We love these dives as they allow us to raise awareness about the issue of marine debris and the importance of keeping our oceans clean. By engaging divers and the local community in hands-on cleanup activities, we can educate participants about the negative impacts of marine debris on marine life, habitats, and ecosystems.
A Dive Against Debris also gives valuable data that contributes to our scientific research and policy advocacy. By documenting the types and quantities of debris collected, we can provide important insights into the sources and distribution of marine litter.
Teach 100 Local Women How To Swim
There is an old saying in Indonesia, “My ancestors are sailors, my ancestors are sailors!” but did you know that more than 25% of Indonesian people don’t know how to swim?
It’s hard to love something that frightens you. Therefore we made it our mission to teach 100 local women how to swim in the next five years so we can show them all the beautiful things that the ocean has to offer us and explain why it’s essential to look after it.
It’s so heartwarming to see these women overcoming their fears and slowly starting to enjoy the fun of being in the water.
200 Conservation Classes For The Next Generation
It’s our mission to give the gift of conservation to the next generation. Children are born curious. They are interested and excited to know about the natural world and what happens in it. Educating children about the importance of environmental conservation will help ensure the long-term health of our planet for generations to come. Our research team visit the school on Gili Air on a regular basis to teach the children all about the world of conservation.
We believe that with the right knowledge and tools, this next generation will have a great impact on the future, making better choices regarding diverse lifestyle habits in order to maintain their paradise. We also believe they would inspire others by their actions. And when their turn comes, teach others.
120 Workshops and Outreach Talks for the Local Community
At Gili Shark Conservation, we’re on a mission to host a whopping 120 workshops for our awesome local community! These workshops cover all sorts of exciting topics like biodiversity, sustainable practices, and ecosystem preservation. We’re not just raising awareness; we’re getting hands-on and educating our community members to become conservation superheroes.
Together, we’ll dive deep into the wonders of our marine world, sparking a love for our oceans and a passion for protecting them. By empowering our community with knowledge, we’re cultivating a vibrant sense of environmental stewardship and inspiring sustainable actions that will make our island paradise thrive! So, let’s roll up our sleeves, dive into the workshops, and make a splash for a brighter, bluer future!
60% of all Gili dive guides certified as a scientific diver
We want to transform the local dive guides on the Gili Islands into an army of PADI Scientific Divers! Our goal is to certify 60% of all dive guides, turning them into underwater superheroes. With their increased scientific knowledge and research diving skills, the capacity of guides to undertake research dives will be increased, contributing to a greater understanding and conservation of the marine environment.
85% of all Gili dives include conservation in their briefings
We want 85% of the local dive guides working in the dive centers across the stunning Gili Islands to include important information about coral reef conservation and threats during their dive briefings. By doing this, we aim to increase ocean literacy among both the local community and visiting tourists.
The more people know about the importance of protecting coral reefs, the less likely they are to unintentionally harm them through their actions. Together, we can make a real difference in safeguarding our precious marine environment.
