Pugh to do the unimaginable
JOBURG- Pugh to swim seven seas to put Marine Protected Areas on the global agenda.
Renowned endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh will be swimming with one purpose which is to put Marine Protected Areas (MPA) on the global agenda this August.
He will become the first person to undertake a long-distance swim in each of the Seven Seas that are the Mediterranean, Adriatic, Aegean, Black, Red, Arabian and North Sea.
“I’m very grateful that Prince Albert II will be on the beach as I finish my Mediterranean leg. Prince Albert is also passionate about protecting the world’s oceans. In fact, he’s set aside 100 per cent of his national waters as an MPA. What he’s achieved is inspiring,” says Pugh.
These seas are among the most polluted and overfished in the world and Lewis Pugh’s campaign, Seven Swims in the Seven Seas for 1 Reason, will highlight the need for urgent action.
“Lewis’ dedication and commitment to creating awareness around the need for the protection of global oceans is an awe-inspiring story. He continually risks his life to bring attention to one of the most important plights of our time – the over-abuse of our global oceans. SEACOM shares his passion for protecting the ecosystem of the oceans and are proud to be playing a part in this historic expedition,” says Brian Herlihy, executive director at SEACOM which is one of the leading companies sponsoring Pugh.
“The establishment of Marine Protected Areas is a critical component of global efforts to reverse the degradation of our oceans,” says UN under-Secretary-General and UN Environment Programme (UNEP) executive director Achim Steiner.
“UNEP applauds Lewis Pugh’s latest expedition, which will spotlight the importance of MPAs and increase global attention to the plight of the world’s oceans.”
Lewis is a leading figure in efforts to protect the world’s oceans. Over a period of 27 years, he has pioneered swims in the most hostile waters on earth. In 2007 his swim across an open patch of sea at the North Pole to highlight the melting of the Arctic Sea ice was global news, as was his 2010 swim across a newly formed glacial lake on Mount Everest which drew significant attention to the impact of climate change in the Himalayas.
A number of high profile dignitaries are supporting Lewis’s campaign. Desmond Tutu joined Lewis at his final training session to wish him well and said: “When we damage the environment and don’t protect our resources we create the conditions necessary for conflict. However, when we protect the environment we bring peace. I salute Lewis in his efforts.”
