Gulf Craft takes the lead in safeguarding oceans

 What would yachting be like without any marine life, turquoise waters and pristine beaches? Many of the pastime’s pleasures come from the interaction with nature: spotting colourful fish, swimming in crystal-clear seas, wending around unspoilt shorelines and visiting coastal communities.

Gulf Craft’s mission has always been to help and motivate people get out onto the water. We believe that the on-water living, the adventurous cruising, the connection with nature brings piece of mind in these days when switching off is difficult, offers great family time and unrivalled, memorable experiences. But only if the waters are welcoming and unspoilt indeed.

Gulf Craft employees volunteer for the beach clean-up in Umm Al Quwain

With this in mind, we have studied how we could add to that experience looking at ways to reduce waste in our factories and reducing our overall environmental impact. Gulf Craft has ventured out of its shipyards as well to perform beach clean-ups and also recently signed up to two organizations that place an emphasis on aquatic sustainability.

For as long as people have lived in the Arabian Gulf, they have forged a close relationship with the sea – for trade, food and riches in the form of pearls. In recent years it has become even more significant, supplying most of our water through desalination. Emirates Wildlife Society, the UAE conservation group affiliated with the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF), is tackling a number of pertinent issues, including pollution, overfishing and climate change.

Gulf Craft also recently became a member of the World Ocean Council, an international, cross-sector body that brings businesses together to foster environmental stewardship. By joining forces with people from industries as diverse as oil, shipping and tourism, from many countries, we hope to find solutions to some of the most pressing ecological challenges of our time. Keeping the water healthy involves close efforts between industry, governments and members of the public. As Emirates Wildlife Society notes, if we can’t sustain our seas, they can’t sustain us.

With Gulf Craft's growing significance in the regional and global maritime industry, we definitely have an equally growing duty to create awareness and motivate employees, partners and everyones else to ensure sustainability of our oceans and the life that depends on it. And that includes yours.