2η Ετήσια Έκδοση Ambassadors Club of Eben

AMBASSADORS CLUB OF EBEN BOOKLET 2019 31 HELMEPA Founding, Aims and Activities The Hellenic Marine Environment Protection Association - HELMEPA (http://helmepa.gr/en/ ) was founded by Greek seafarers and shipowners on June, 4th 1982 in Piraeus, based on the Declaration of Voluntary Commitment «To Save the Seas». It operates as a non-governmental, non-profit organization, aiming to eliminate marine pollution by nurturing an environmental consciousness and strengthening safety at sea through a concerted voluntary effort to inform, train and mobilize all in shipping, «from shipowner to seafarer». The financial operation of HELMEPA is based on the annual fees of its Members, which are approximately 400 ocean-going vessels of all types, 185 companies and organizations in Greece and abroad, while 14,000 Greek seafarers-Members, the Association’s human element, do not contribute financially. HELMEPA, as a certified «Maritime Training Center for Pollution Prevention, Safety at Sea and Environmental Awareness» according to the ISO 9001:2015 quality standards, offers every year to its Members, Merchant Marine (MM) Officers and companies’ staff, refresher training and seminars on the Association’s Full Mission Bridge Simulator. In total, 20,000 officers of the MM, Hellenic Navy and Coast Guard as well as companies’ staff have attended 37 annual training programs from 1983 to date. The program’s syllabus is compiled in cooperation with the Training Commiteee, which consists of representatives of Member-companies. It is based upon legislative developments at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), in the meetings of which HELMEPA participates as Technical Advisor to the Greek delegation, data on the causes of maritime accidents and deficiencies in relation to pollution prevention and safety issues from Port State Control inspections as well as the experience and proposals of participants themselves. Also, making use of all the advantages modern technology offers, HELMEPA makes available to its Members timely and concise information on developments in shipping through the regular dissemination of e-bulletins and the provision of e-learning modules in English for foreign-speaking crews. Leading in an international effort to combine environmental regulation and voluntary will to eliminate ship-generated marine pollution and enhance safety at sea, as stated in the Inaugural Declaration, HELMEPA promoted the founding of the following similar Association-MEPAs in Australia-AUSMEPA, Cyprus- CYMEPA, North America-NAMEPA, Turkey-TURMEPA, Ukraine- UKRMEPA Uruguay-URUMEPA. All these Associations are members of the International Marine Environment Protection Association, INTERMEPA (www.intermepa.org) , which was founded in 2006, based at HELMEPA’s offices in Athens. Aiming at the sensitization of the wider Greek society, HELMEPA coordinates every year since 1983 summer public awareness campaigns under the motto «No garbage, no plastics in seas and on beaches» starring its highly popular «Seagull» figure. Motivational material is disseminated throughout the country, while audiovisual messages are broadcasted gratis, following the approval of the National Broadcasting Committee, by TV and radio stations. A separate voluntary program for kids, 5-13 years old, titled «HELMEPA Junior», operates since 1993 on an annual basis following approval by the Ministry for Education. More than 100,000 pupils have taken action to date, as members of the program, for the protection of the marine environment under the supervision of 3,000 volunteer teachers. Pupils willing to continue enhancing their environmental awareness and activity beyond the age of 13 may register as volunteers-Cadets (www. helmepacadets.gr/en/ ). Moreover, HELMEPA operates two environmental Exhibitions that are hosted by companies-Members CERES in Piraeus and COSTAMARE in Paleo Faliro and a mobile exhibition that has been visited by more than 250,000 elementary and high school students of Athens and the Periphery. In order to contribute towards addressing the marine litter problem, HELMEPA coordinates in Greece since 1991 the International Coastal Cleanup campaign in September and the «Let’s Cleanup Europe» campaign in May. In the framework of these initiatives, every year approximately 300 cleanups of beaches, underwater sites and other natural areas with the participation of 15,000 volunteers from companies, schools, Port Authorities, dive clubs, and environmental/ cultural associations throughout Greece. About 20 tons of litter collected annually is recorded by volunteers on special data cards thus contributing to the better understanding of the problem, while 5 tons of collected material are recycled in cooperation with the Hellenic Recovery-Recycling Corporation (He.R.R.Co.). και COSTAMARE στο Π. Φάληρο και μία κινητή έκθεση που έχουν επισκεφθεί περισσότεροι από 250.000 μαθητές πρωτο- βάθμιας και δευτεροβάθμιας εκπαίδευσης της Αθήνας και της Περιφέρειας. Με στόχο να συμβάλει στην αντιμετώπιση του προβλήματος των απορριμμάτων σε θάλασσες και ακτές, η HELMEPA συντονίζει στην Ελλάδα από το 1991 τον Παγκόσμιο Εθελοντικό Καθαρισμό Ακτών το Σεπτέμβριο και την εκστρατεία «Ας Καθαρίσουμε την Ευρώπη» το Μάιο. Στο πλαίσιο αυτών των πρωτοβουλιών διενερ- γούνται κάθε χρόνο περίπου 300 καθαρισμοί ακτών, βυθού και άλλων φυσικών περιοχών με τη συμμετοχή 15.000 εθελοντών από εταιρείες, σχολεία, Λιμεναρχεία, ΟΤΑ, καταδυτικούς συλλόγους και περιβαλλοντικούς/πολιτιστικούς φορείς σε όλη την Ελλάδα. Περίπου 20 τόνοι απορριμμάτων που συλλέγονται κάθε χρόνο καταγράφονται από τους εθελοντές σε ειδικά δελτία συμβάλλοντας έτσι στην καλύτερη κατανόηση του προβλήματος, ενώ 5 τόνοι υλικών ανακυκλώνονται σε συνεργασία με την Ελληνική Εταιρεία Αξιοποίησης-Ανακύκλωσης (Μπλε Κάδοι).