Help launch the good ship Yosina and protect threatened Indonesian marine ecosystems

Encompassing the greatest diversity of coral reefs and fish in the world, the unique Coral Triangle area between Indonesia, Philippines and Papua New Guinea faces serious threats from pollution, trawling and drift-nets as well as damaging and illegal cyanide and dynamite fishing.

Seeing the destruction for themselves, in 2001 the Chimp-n-Sea Wildlife Conservation Fund (vEco’s parent organization), and partner JARI, came up with an innovative plan: a one-of-a-kind “Floating Marine Park” that would travel the seas leaving marine protected areas, improved marine habitats, and sustainable fisheries in its wake.

In 2013, the vessel for this ambitious plan, named ‘Yosina’ (see left), was purchased and the conservation education and research platform retrofit completed. The team is now just months from launching Yosina and need YOUR help to put the final touches to the boat and turn this vital plan into action!

“I cannot stress the importance of this boat enough. There are still many local communities practicing explosive and cyanide fishing in the area… it is a dangerously threatened ecosystem. Education is imperative! Every dollar will help immensely” Dr. Helena Baird, volunteer with JARI.

To add your support to this vital and innovative marine education project, visit Yosina’s IndieGogo page and make your pledge today!

To see Yosina before the retrofit began, and to learn a bit more about her base of operations, check out our vEcotour guided by Mark Laxer, president of Chimp-n-Sea and Founder & Director of vEcotourism.org.

To learn more about JARI and Dr. Helena Baird’s work in Indonesia, visit her introductory vEcotour at JARI headquarters in Lombok, Indonesia.