A new social enterprise has been launched in the UK to address the twin problems of poverty in coastal communities and the protection of the nearby ocean. The Sea Ranger Service trains young people from primarily deprived seaside regions to become ocean conservationists while providing them with a salary. Founder Wietse van der Werf said the initiative sought to train people in blue-collar jobs for ocean restoration, targeting both unemployment and environmental sustainability.
The Sea Ranger Service, previously launched in the Netherlands and France, has so far trained over 120 young people to participate in biodiversity restoration, climate research and monitoring. In the UK, the group is in discussions with government departments over contracts for ocean conservation work, and is partnering with such organisations as Project Seagrass, which is restoring seagrass meadows.
One of the main objectives of the initiative is improving management of oceans. To that end, applicants for the programme undergo a rigorous Royal Navy boot camp to test their suitability for difficult working conditions. Successful applicants then become full-time sea rangers operating from Port Talbot in Wales. Since the programme operates sail-powered boats, trainees are also taught to sail, thereby opening up another area of potential employment.
Van der Werf hopes to train around 20,000 people for maritime careers by 2040, with the UK seen as a core location for the enterprise to expand. The UK was praised for its leadership in promoting marine protected areas, although governments are less able to fulfil the “specialist task” of patrolling such zones with ships. Previously, van der Werf worked as an engineer on ships in Antarctica
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