International experts highlighted the value of surfing in conservation goals

On Tuesday in Nice, the event “Leveraging Surfing’s Blue Economy for 30×30 Protected Area and OECM Goals” was held, organized by Save The Waves Coalition, which aimed to explore the value of surf breaks in protecting coastal ecosystems, the cultural identity of local communities, and the development of sustainable economies.

The session, moderated by Nik Strong-Cvetich, CEO of Save The Waves, opened with the premiere of the short film “The Value of a Wave” and the lessons learned in California from integrating wave protection into public conservation policies.

Carolina Butrich, manager of Conservamos por Naturaleza (We Conserve for Nature) at SPDA, presented the case of Peru, the HAZla por tu ola (Do it for your wave) campaign responsible for the legal protection of surf breaks in the country.

“Surf break protections in Peru already meet most of the OMEC criteria established by the Convention on Biological Diversity. They are spatially delimited, governed, managed, and offer sustained benefits for biodiversity by protecting them from physical alterations,“ she said.

”To fully qualify as OMEC, these areas must also include regulatory measures that limit extractive uses, particularly fishing, within their boundaries,” she added, noting that Peru has the tools to do so in its legislation.

Andrew Hume, from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), highlighted the ecological, cultural, and economic importance of surfing ecosystems in international waters. Mara Arroyo, from Save The Waves Coalition, shared lessons learned in Mexico and Costa Rica, where a series of best practices were implemented as examples.

Conservation International referred to the case of Indonesia and locally managed marine areas. Meanwhile, Diego Sancho, Governance and Resilience Manager at Save The Waves in partnership with the Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance (ORRAA), referred to innovative financing models such as parametric insurance.

Thus, with an interdisciplinary approach focused on conserving the ocean and the blue economy, the strategic value of surfing was highlighted in the 30×30 agenda, which stipulates that at least 30% of terrestrial areas, inland waters, and the ocean must be protected and conserved by 2030. The event underscored the key role of surfing ecosystems in marine biodiversity, their cultural and economic relevance, and the need to promote innovative conservation strategies.