« Longitude 181 – whose DNA is to promote a sustainable and equitable sharing of the common heritage that is the ocean – celebrated its 15th anniversary this year. This anniversary cycle ended in Marseille with a tribute to Albert Falco in the presence of Maryvonne, his widow, just back from Martinique where the island’s first marine reserve was named ‘Albert Falco’ in the presence of Prince Albert II of Monaco.
Albert Falco, who was our honorary president until his death in 2012, passed on to us this absolute imperative of preserving an ecosystem as wonderful as it is fragile and indispensable.
Recreational diving benefits from this environment, professionally (Commercial Structures) or for pleasure (Association Structures). It therefore seems obvious that each of these structures is obliged to ‘invest’ in the preservation of what keeps it financially alive or passionately vibrant.
It is with this mindset that Longitude 181 gradually evolved from the ‘responsible diver’ to the ‘ambassador center of the international charter of the responsible diver’ and then more broadly to the ‘eco-responsible diving center’, eventually attracting Tour Operators to engage in this path.
In order to practically respond to divers wishing to apply the ‘responsible’ teachings they received during their training (numerous federations including the FFESSM have included the International Charter of the Responsible Diver in their training cycles), but also to dive centers wishing to stand out from ‘tourist factories’ and make this known, Longitude created in 2012, the International Guide of Eco-Responsible Diving Centers.
A completely voluntary creation, whose ‘paper’ edition was funded by the Fondation Nature et Découvertes, still a faithful supporter of the association today. This edition quickly became a ‘collector’s item’ because, to reduce the environmental impact of this action, as early as 2013 the association implemented its digital equivalent with a permanent update on its website.
In 2017, despite its aging and imperfections, this guide reached 3,500 qualified monthly views. Many divers testify to no longer diving except with the centers listed there.
Naturally following the implementation of a new general website, a new site for the guide was established during 2017.
True to its principles of funding, the team at Longitude 181 sought the support of one of its sponsors, FG DESIGN (which produces the association’s sustainable stand supports), to avoid using membership funds for an ‘administrative’ task.
This support is therefore accessible now on this site.
It is entirely free, whether for the online user or for the diving center wishing to register. It is not a booking platform and Longitude 181 does not derive any financial benefit from it. Nowadays, this feature is a rarity that must be highlighted.
For this reason, this support is open not only to structures that have decided to financially support Longitude 181 by becoming ‘Ambassador Centers’ members, but also to those who give nothing to the association and simply wish to highlight their environmental commitments.
The self-assessment grid is the same, regardless of the type of structure and its commitment to the association.
Of course, being listed in the International Guide of Eco-Responsible Centers, being an ‘Ambassador Center’, does not constitute ‘Labels’. Indeed, the entirely voluntary nature of Longitude 181 does not allow for such a realization. In terms of ethics, we refuse to set up ‘audits’ that would fund diving trips for our active members for verification purposes!
This is where you come in, you, the responsible divers using this guide! Be true consumer-actors.
By exposing themselves in writing on the pages of our guide, a structure commits to you. It is up to you to remind them of this commitment once on site if your observation is different from what is announced. Then, of course, you have the duty to report your findings to us.
You are our eyes, our ears, and our fins! Together we will ensure that responsible diving progresses around the world and that what is the prerogative of a minority of dive centers today becomes the majority of tomorrow.
Let’s work together to move the lines, let’s be demanding, the power of change is in our fins and using this guide is a good way to do it concretely. »
Patrice Bureau, President of Longitude 181Find a complete report on Longitude 181 in issue no. 11 of Plongez!