World Responsible Tourism Awards 2015 - Silver winner in the Best for Wildlife Conservation category
The judges recognised Coral Cay Conservation for their role in establishing a Marine Protected Area in Sogod Bay in Nueva Estrella Norte by conducting research and presenting the data that their volunteers and staff collected, for their work in providing free training to local people who are taught to dive and survey so that they can protect the reefs and environment in their home areas, and their work with schools raising awareness of the importance of protecting the environment.
The Awards are the most prestigious and competitive of their kind in the world and are a collaboration between online travel directory responsibletravel.com; UK media partners Metro Newspaper and Geographical Magazine and World Travel Market who host the ceremony. The central tenet of the Awards is that all types of tourism - from niche to mainstream - can and should be operated in a way that respects and benefits destinations and local people.
Republic of the Philippines, Province of Southern Leyte, Municipality of San Ricardo, Muicipal Agricultural Services Office, Certificate of Appreciation,
2007
This certificate recognises Coral Cay's full support for the establishment of the proposed Marine Protected Area in Esperanza II, San Ricardo, Southern Leyte through underwater assessment during the
RESOURCE ECOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT.
Coral Cay Conservation received appreciation for providing resources to help maintain livelihood, and alleviate poverty through the protection, restoration and management of coral reef and marine life in the municipality. This prestigious award was given on October 22, 2006, on the occasion of the 49th Town Anniversary Celebration of Municipilaity of Padre Burgos.
In account for Coral Cay Conservation's invaluable contribution to the immense success of the 1st Kampo Kalikasan 2003. Given by Edwin Chinal Monares, Technical Assistant to the President Youth Affairs.
This awards highlights and recognises Coral Cay Conservation's outstanding efforts in the rehabilitation and protection of the Negros environment. Presented by the Governor, Joseph G. Maranon in June 2002 during the Closing Ceremony of the Provincial Environment Week at Bacolod City.
The purpose of this Charter is to bring together the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and ley partners to help British nationals stay safe overseas. Coral Cay Conservation were awarded this partnership for playing an invaluable part in advising British travellers, carrying out the purposes and principles of the Charter which include: providing travellers with FCO Travel Advice, Ensuring travellers get adequate travel insurance, informing travellers of the preparations they need to make before travelling and working together with other partners.
Given by PADI's Manager of Quality Assurance, Coral Cay Conservation received this award highlighting their outstanding customer service and professionalism in PADI scuba instruction as acknowledged by Jose C. Maradiaga, PADI Rescue Diver : "I have completed my training as a rescue diver, and now am taking my DM course, thanks to the encouragement from my instructors from Coral Cay Conservation who are professional and dedicated about their jobs as role models".
Worldaware works in the UK to raise awareness of international development issues. This particular award was received in conjunction with Coral Cay Conservation's
efforts in improving fishing off Danjugan Island in the Philippines. Thanks to our efforts there locals have given up the more damaging styles of fishing. Cyanide (which enables fish to be
caught alive) and dynamite are commonly used in the Philippines and the reefs there have been badly damaged. Furthermore, Bulata village on neighbouring Negros planned also a resort to attract some
tourists to dive on the reef, which will augment fisher families' incomes of only £1 a day. The village will also benefit from radio communications installed by Coral Cay.
The decision to honour the initiatives of Coral Cay Conservation was made in Paris at the seat of UNESCO on March 27 1992 at the meeting of a selection panel, which comprised representatives from UNESCO and it's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, the French Dept. of the State for the Environment, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Worldwide Fund for Nature, (WWF), the World Conservation Union, (IUCN) and the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) "From amongst the many highly quality projects submitted-representing countries spread over four continents- the panel's selection in favour of Coral Cay Conservation was based on the following criteria: the professionalism of the conservation work, the fact that funds are raised by civic efforts, the involvement of both amateurs and professionals from the UK and Belize in diving, conservation and other technical fields, the work undertaken in developing local expertise to protect this irreplaceable resource; the high quality public education programmes developed over the last six years, and a demonstration of the determination of people from developed and developing countries to collaborate in combating environmental problems which observe no national bounds.