Gulf Craft highlights commitment to ocean conservation through support to Important Marine Mammal Areas programme

The IMMAs programme is the Foundation’s first endorsed ocean conservation project that aims to restore the balance of life in the ocean by identifying the most important habitats for marine mammals and prioritising them for positive conservation actions.

By highlighting the places that most matter to marine mammals, the IMMAs programme addresses the challenge of where to direct conservation resources. This is regarded as among the most effective programmes for the yachting community to support.

Gulf Craft Chairman Mohammed Hussein Alshaali said: “Conserving the marine environment is the responsibility of every stakeholder, and we are strongly committed to initiatives that will help protect the habitats for marine mammals. This is a contribution to the future of the marine environment and reflects our social responsibility. The joy of exploring the high seas is to take delight into the exotic sightings of marine mammals and protecting their habitats must be given top priority.”

He added: “Since its inception, The Water Revolution Foundation has provided the superyacht industry with tools, knowledge and best practices to mitigate the ecological footprint and to promote the conservation of oceans. We are an environmentally and socially responsible institution, and we will continue to explore all opportunities to partner in the global effort to conserve our marine environment for future generations.”

The IMMAs programme is currently focused on the North Atlantic, a heavily trafficked region of the ocean and a popular route for superyachts crossing between the Mediterranean and Caribbean. An existing programme of the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Task Force on Marine Mammal Protected Areas, IMMAs focuses on prioritising protection measures by governments, intergovernmental organisations, conservation groups, marine stakeholders, and the community.

In addition to supporting the global efforts in conserving the marine environment, Gulf Craft has been a socially responsible company partaking in various sustainability initiatives across the United Arab Emirates. To ensure the well-being of the community, every year, Gulf Craft participates in desert, beach and mangrove clean ups organized by the government or the Emirates Environmental Group, a non-governmental organization that runs a variety of waste management campaigns in tandem with UAE-based businesses.