A social enterprise hoping to train young people to protect the ocean has expanded to the UK.
The Sea Rangers Service is now operating from Port Talbot, following first launch in the Netherlands in 2016.
They hope to restore one million hectares of ocean biodiversity by 2040, while training 20,000 young people, mainly from coastal areas, for maritime careers.
Its founder, Wietse Van Der Werf, told Sky News that the inspiration for the scheme “originated from the idea that, on the one hand, we need to better protect the oceans and the environment. And on the other hand, in many coastal areas, there is high unemployment and it would be incredible to create jobs in these regions.”
To do so, candidates must be between 18 and 29 years old and, before being selected, participate in a grueling training camp taught by Royal Navy veterans, designed to test their teamwork and motivation.
Successful recruit Selena said being paid to be a Sea Ranger was an incredible opportunity to protect the environment in her local area – which crucially was not dependent on qualifications.
“I finished school, did art at college and was really looking for what I wanted to do.
“Eventually I decided to do something in marine conservation, but there wasn’t much… The closest thing you could get was whale watching in North Wales, and that’s miles away.
“But then I found this and — literally 10 minutes later — I signed up.”
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For fellow Ranger Isaac, his family was “surprised” that “something like this was available to someone like me.”
He smiles as he tells Sky News he has “found a real passion”.
The work they will do, explains Van Der Werf, involves “everything from scrubbing the deck, cleaning the bathrooms, preparing food, but also preparing navigation on the various trips we make”.
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“But once we have a task that really involves all types of environmental monitoring, surveys, environmental research,” adds Van Der Werf.
“And we work directly with government agencies to ensure this work is also meaningful and impactful.”
After launching in Port Talbot, he hopes to expand the scheme to Portsmouth and Grimsby.
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