Celebrate our South African seas by participating in this nationwide photographic competition.
The photographic competition is one of many initiatives through which the Sustainable Seas Trust (SST) seeks to invite support for the identification and development of ‘Hope Spots’ along our coastline.
SST’s international patron, Dr Sylvia Earle, coined the phrase ‘Hope Spots’, which she describes as “pristine places in the sea that, if protected, can serve as sources of renewal for depleted species and systems, while contributing to overall planetary stability and health”.
The renowned oceanographer and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence added that even traumatized areas can with care “be restored to a better condition - a cause for hope”.
A cause for hope
The SST ‘Splendour of the South African Seas’ Photo Competition is run in response to Dr Earle’s wish upon receiving the 2009 TED Prize, annually awarded to ‘an extraordinary individual with creative and bold vision to spark global change’: “I wish you would use all means at your disposal — films! expeditions! the web! more! — to ignite public support for a global network of marine protected areas, hope spots large enough to save and restore the ocean, the blue heart of the planet.”
The competition is open to school goers, hobbyists and professional photographers and seeks “to encourage the public to get out and about on our country’s coastlines in order to capture what they believe makes our coastlines some of the best in the world and more importantly what we should be striving to preserve”.
The five photographic categories are: Scenery; Recreation and Sport; Culture and History; Marine Life; and Tourism. Visit the following link to have a look at the rules for the photo competitions: http://www.sst.org.za/tour-2013/sst-competititons
The competition will be judged by Fiona Ayerst, Peter van Kets, Eleanor Yeld Hutchings and Peter Chadwick.
- Fiona Ayerst heads up the multi-award winning Fiona Ayerst Underwater Photography agency which seeks to offer ‘a unique glimpse into the history and wildlife of the world’s oceans’.
- Peter van Kets is an extreme endurance adventurer, who was awarded the S.A. OutThere Adventurer of the Year 2011 award for crossing the Atlantic in a seven meter rowing boat. Peter was the first African to tackle the 5438km unsupported row across the Atlantic.
- South African marine biologist, Dr Eleanor Yeld Hutchings, is the face of the SABC 3 award winning series, Shoreline.
- Peter Chadwick is a dedicated conservationist and wildlife & conservation photographer with over 25 years of experience in terrestrial and marine protected area management.
The closing date for entries is 2 February 2014 and winning photographs published in SST’s Splendour of South African Seas book in 2014.
“SST is dedicated to harnessing the power of people at every level, from the poorest remote communities, to top level decision makers, to promote conservation, sustainability and habitat restoration” Dr Tony Ribbink, CEO of SST said.
SST is a multi-national trans-border organization with offices in Kenton-on-Sea, Grahamstown, East London, Port St Francis, Cape Town. The SST logo bears the African coelacanth, Latimeria chalumnae, described by Dr Ribbink as “an icon for conservation and a symbol of hope for a better future for millions of African people who are dependent upon living marine resources”.
Head over to www.sst.org.za for more inspiring information, or check out the brochure.
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