Princess Yachts Supports Marine Conservation Society’s Groundbreaking Eddystone Reef Project
Princess Yachts has become the first luxury yacht manufacturer to officially collaborate with the Marine Conservation Society (MCS), helping the charity to support and sustain marine environments for future generations.
MCS Chief Executive, Sandy Luk, says:
“There is just one ocean; one boundless, beautiful ecosystem supporting an astounding diversity of life, sustaining all life on Earth; it is the last great wilderness. A healthy ocean remains vital to humanity no matter where they live. In fact, the oxygen in every second breath is thanks to the ocean, and the tiny phytoplankton that produce half of the oxygen we breathe.
The scale of the threats facing our ocean and future generations are such that action, collaboration and change are urgently needed. MCS has a history of leading innovative, impactful projects such as the outstanding Eddy stone Reefs project. To have Princess’s support in completing this groundbreaking work means we can continue hands on research and fight for protection of our seas. This is where the magic happens. This is the power of bringing people together and inspiring them to work towards a shared goal. Through our collaboration with Princess Yachts International this vital work can continue.”
Marketing Director, Princess Yachts, Kiran Haslam says:
“We are incredibly proud to be the first motor yacht brand to partner with the Marine Conservation Society and we are 100% committed to this project. The ocean is our playground, and it is a primary concern of the entire Princess community, with not only customers and our company committed, but also our distribution network showing overwhelming support with pledges from Princess Yachts Monaco and Princess Yachts Russia providing substantial financial support to the MCS.”
One of the cornerstones of our partnership is sharing expertise and knowledge. Eddy stone Reefs is a critical example of this in action, just offshore from Princess’s home in Plymouth. It involves what has been described by a leading commentator as “the single most effective activity the Marine Conservation Society has ever undertaken in its entire history”.
In 2012, using the latest academic research, MCS challenged the legislation which was intended to protect wildlife and habitats as it didn’t regulate fishing activity. This left supposedly ‘protected’ sites open to harmful fishing operations. Acting together with environmental lawyers Client Earth, MCS won their challenge, meaning for the first time these sites, which cover 23% of English inshore waters, are actively protected against harmful fishing operations.
One newly protected site is Eddy stone Reefs area, and thanks to a commitment from Princess Yachts, MCS has a much needed injection of funding to complete the research and prove that protecting our seas has a positive impact on biodiversity.
Since the local regulators stopped trawling and dredging following MCS’ legal challenge, MCS Seasearch divers have been surveying the shallow rocks of the reef and further down to 45 meters. To monitor the really deep areas, around 50m, MCS needs to continue to survey using remote camera equipment, then analyze the data and publish findings to make the case for such important protection measures. It’s vital that this work continues so we can finish the story we started in 2012 and share the outcome on an international stage to inspire others to act.
