The Edmiston Foundation Broadens Sustainability Efforts

The Edmiston Foundation is delighted to announce a new partnership with Conservation Collective, a global network of locally-focused environmental foundations, which will help rectify and protect the marine environment in which the yachting industry ventures, and educate current and future generations of yacht owners and charterers on sustainability. The Conservation Collective facilitates funding for the most effective grassroots environmental initiatives, with world-class oversight, management and programme aid.

As yachts evolve into a greener product, this collaboration will provide Edmiston clients with a straightforward pathway to access conservation projects that have a quantifiable impact on environmental issues, offering them the opportunity to fund direct action.

To date, The Edmiston Foundation has committed to funding the following five environmental projects:

St Vincent & The Grenadines Environment Fund– supporting livelihoods and sea turtle conservation in St Vincent & The Grenadines

This project aims to create a protected area for nesting leatherback and hawksbill turtles on St Vincent and The Grenadines. The aim is to improve the management of sea turtle nesting beaches and increase stewardship of sea turtle conservation amongst local communities. 

$100,000 would train and equip enough certified Turtle Monitoring Officers to monitor nests on St Vincent & the Grenadines for the next five years, protecting hundreds of thousands of turtles each year and tracking their growth to adulthood.

Barbados Environmental Conservation Trust – enhancing marine protection by tracking small vessels

This project supports the strategic sustainable evolution of Barbados’ marine industries to preserve the marine biodiversity of the islands through technology. Vessel tracking systems will help tackle overfishing and create a more engaged fishing community who can actively participate in the development of marine managed areas. 

$50,000 would fit all small fishing boats in the Barbados region with tracking devices for which will help to legally protect the marine ecosystem and steer fisherfolk to more sustainable practices.

Mallorca Preservation Foundation – promoting sustainable small-scale fisheries in the Balearics 

This project supports sustainable fishing in the Balearics by creating agreements with local fishermen to end illegal fishing practices and by creating a produce badge illustrating that it has been sustainably caught. In addition, the foundation will support increased communication with security forces to report illegal activities, as well as encourage hospitality partners to buy certified fish. This project is in collaboration with MAPF’s sister foundations Ibiza Preservation and Menorca Preservation.

£100,000 per year over five years could end illegal fishing in the Balearics, building a coalition between the fishermen, hospitality and tourism operators, consumers and the authorities.

Cyclades Preservation Foundation – protecting the seagrass populations in the Cyclades 

The CPF seeks to protect Mediterranean seagrass through community engagement and communication as well as by training fishermen to catch and recycle plastic waste. Seagrass can support local food security and plays a significant role in climate change mitigation, biodiversity enrichment, water quality improvement, and coastal erosion prevention.

€100,000 would fund the creation of a holistic programme protecting Posidonia sea grass in the Cyclades from anchor damage, via the installation of sustainable moorings and an awareness raising information campaign.

Ionian Environment Foundation - tackling alien invasive species in the Ionian Islands in Greece 

This project aims to reduce the number of alien invasive species, such as lionfish, from coastal reefs by encouraging fishermen to land and local chefs to cook more unusual species and therefore restore the natural balance.

€100,000 would expand the programme to new islands across the Ionian. The project would ensure sustained and meaningful follow up of the programme to monitor and promote the engagement and interaction of restaurant owners, chefs, fishermen and the local community more widely. This is an imaginative and practical project with long term, sustainable outcomes for the health of the Ionian Seas.

Edmiston clients can choose to support any of these five projects with additional funding or provide funds directly to a project closer to your heart from the wider selection of projects offered by the Collective.  Called the Foundation of Choice, meaning 100% of the money guests donate goes directly to the partner you select, to fund the activity of your choosing. 

Jamie Edmiston, Edmiston CEO comments: “Many of us have been fortunate enough to have wonderful experiences connected to the marine world.  Our relationship with the ocean makes it our responsibility to support change to rectify, protect and educate current and future generations on environmental issues that impact the world around us. Via our partnership with the Conservation Collective, The Edmiston Foundation will fund locally-focused initiatives in the Caribbean and Mediterranean, providing support for projects for which we have great affection”.

Ben Goldsmith, Conservation Collective Founder comments: “Everywhere you look there are brilliant people working to create positive environmental change. Small amounts of funding, strategically directed, can supercharge this work. With the support of Edmiston, our Caribbean and Mediterranean foundations can amplify the impact of marine projects allowing Edmiston’s clients to directly experience the positive results.”

This is the second collaborative initiative from The Edmiston Foundation; the first supporting diversity and access to the marine industry through youth education with UKSA. As the future of yachting continues to shift and evolve, The Edmiston Foundation focuses its efforts on improving the yachting environment and protecting its future sustainability for yacht charterers and owners to come.