Press Release - Surfrider Foundation Europe

August 8, 2012 - for immediate release

Keepers of the Coast: Let's act together

In July 2012 Surfrider Foundation Europe published its first Keepers of the Coast report mapping out the threats and violations on European coastlines while retracing the history of this program and its evolution.

The Keepers of the Coast program amounts to 320 victories won since 1990 thanks to the Keepers' action all over Europe. The Keepers of the Coast represent the very essence of Surfrider Foundation Europe. They are working each and every day towards the protection of the coastline and its wealth through their passion and commitment. The information gathered by those citizens allows the foundation to monitor the health of our coasts in real time. Surfrider Foundation Europe is there to support and accompany them in their efforts by providing logistical and methodological as well as legal and scientific or media related expertise. This programme is centred on consultation and developing a dialogue with all concerned parties to find solutions to suit everyone.

If the Keepers of the Coast have always been present in the action led by Surfrider Foundation Europe, it seemed worthwhile to restate the importance of such a program particularly owing to the increasing of enquiry made to the association HQ on a daily basis. The Keepers of the Coast program as well as its report is in keeping with Surfrider's strategic plan for the next three years, namely lead, encourage and support the involvement of more volunteers. The report is a way to present and value the work of the Keepers of he Coast.

The Keepers of the Coast program acts within the five main themes fought by Surfrider. They aim at tackling the issues of coastal development and water quality linked to health issues; in 2012, it represented between 33% and 38% of the total number of fights. A link can also be drawn with other issues such as marine litter, transport and maritime infrastructures as well as the question of coastal heritage and wave conservation.

The Keepers are there to re-establish the balance between the fights, which are more often than not difficult. The success of such a program relies on the keepers' real and total commitment but also on the mobilisation of the entire Surfrider Europe network as well as the expertise the association provides. To remain effective, the program has yet to be further developed and known by all.

Surfrider Foundation Europe is a registered non-profit environmental association created in 1990 in France (Biarritz). It has gathered throughout its lifetime real expertise in the fields of research, local action, as well as in the creation and dissemination of educational tools. It represents today a 1,700 volunteers strong network and 10,000 members and more than 45,000 supporters within forty or so local chapters active in 12 European countries.

For more information: www.surfrider.eu

Contacts:

Johanna BORENSTEIN / Development and Communication Manager / jborenstein@surfrider.eu / 06 74 37 30 67

Emilie CHAVAROCHE / Environmental editor/ echavaroche@surfrider.eu / 05 59 23 54 99

Gabriel GELIN / Communications Officer / ggelin@surfrider.eu / 06 08 10 58 02

Surfrider Foundation Europe - 120, avenue de Verdun - 64200 BIARRITZ - France

Tel: 00 33 (0)5 59 23 54 99 - Fax: 00 33 (0)5 59 41 11 04 - www.surfrider.eu