How we are GREEN

The best way to be green is through minimalism.

Do the most using the least.  This is our credo.

Other things we do:

Our only terrestrial vehicle is electric.

Our main vessel, Goliath, is 50ft but moved quite efficiently with fuel conserving 60 hp engines.

Use locally produced food items.

Drinks served on board via personal water bottles or papaer cone cups that biodegrade rapidly.

Use of grey water for garden.

Menu leans toward chicken.  Compared to beef, pork or fish this is the most eco-friendly.  This is one of the most difficult areas to deal with.  Visiting sensitive tropical areas and eating the fish may make for a nice vacation but is terribly damaging to the reef ecosystem.  After much thought we finally decided to Ban conch – I know -we love it too.  Esp those conch fritters. But things just can’t go on like this.  Conch populations are down to 14 conch per hectare when 50 is considered a healthy population in no harvest areas.  50 to 100 in harvested areas.  Yes, we do meat balls and there is a dinner out where you can get fish, pork, chicken or vegetarian but if you are going to talk the talk then walk the walk.  Above all else-                                       DON’T EAT GROUPER they are in serious decline, snapper not so much.

Transplanting Conch – When on our route we collect conch and relocate them into the no take zone of Hol Chan.

Fluorescent bulbs exclusively.

Solar hot water heating.

Water conserving toilets.

Flash light batteries are returned to the US for recycling.

TREC students often volunteer for clean up and restoration projects.

Use our influence and numbers to dissuade inappropriate development.

Support Ecotourism.

Participants asked not to buy black coral.

Campaign against aquaria.  Most tropical aquarium fish are not bred but taken from a sensitive reef system.  Some estimates claim that as many as 20 fish are caught for each fish that survives to be sold.  Locally a few people keep aquariums  that are stocked from the reef .  Mortality is very high  so continuous restocking is necessary.                                                                                                                                        

                                Join the Campaign against Aquaria