The Blue Flag (Ireland: Brat Ghorm ) is certified by the Environmental Education Foundation (FEE) that beaches, marinas or operators sustainable boat tourism meets stringent standards.
The Blue Flag is a trademark owned by FEE which is a nonprofit nonprofit organization composed of 65 organizations in 60 member countries in Europe, Africa, Oceania, Asia, North America, and South America.
The Blue Flag FEE criteria include standards for water quality, safety, education and environmental information, service delivery and common environmental management criteria. The Blue Flag is sought for beaches, marinas and sustainable boating tourism operators as an indication of high environmental and quality standards.
The certificates, called FEEs as awards, are issued annually for the coast and marinas of FEE member countries. Awards are announced annually on 5 June for Europe, Canada, Morocco, Tunisia and other countries in the same geographical location, and on November 1 for the Caribbean, New Zealand, South Africa and other countries in the southern hemisphere.
In the EU, water quality standards are incorporated in the EC Framework Guidelines.
Spain has held the first position for nearly three decades since the awards began in 1987.
Video Blue Flag beach
Blue Flag is given
Awards 2015
As a result of the 2015 award, a total of 4,154 Blue Flags are waving around the world.
Blue Flag table valid 2015
The table below lists the Blue Flag (both for the beach and the marina) provided and valid by 2015.
Tables can be sorted to show the total number of Blue Flags per country as well as the number of Blue Flags per population, per area or per coastline length of each country.
Note: Wales, Scotland, England, and Northern Ireland are always treated as individual countries eg. in 2015 Northern Ireland has 10 beaches and marinas Blue Flag, England has 61 Wales has 41 and Scotland 1.
Maps Blue Flag beach
History
The Blue Flag was created in France in 1985 as a pilot scheme in which the coastal municipality of France was awarded the Blue Flag based on criteria that included waste treatment and water bath quality.
Blue Flag at European Community Level in 1987
1987 is the "European Year of the Environment" and the European Commission is responsible for developing the activities of the European Community that year. The European Environmental Education Foundation (FEEE) presented the Blue Flag concept to the Commission, and it was agreed to launch the Blue Flag Program as one of several "European Environment Year" activities in the Community.
The French Blue Flag concept is developed at the European level to include other areas of environmental management, such as waste management and coastal planning and protection. In addition, the marina beach is also eligible for the Blue Flag.
In 1987, 244 beaches and 208 marinas from 10 countries were awarded the Blue Flag.
Success
There is an increasing number of Blue Flags given each year. Criteria during these years have been changed to more stringent criteria. For example, in 1992 the Program began to use the limited guideline values ​​in the EEC Water Manual as an important criterion, and this is also the year in which all Blue Flag criteria become the same in all participating countries.
Outside the European Union
In 2001, the FEEE rules were changed to allow non-European national organizations, to share FEEE's goals, to become members, and to change its name by dropping Europe from its name, to the Environmental Education Foundation (FEE).
Several organizations and authorities outside the EU have joined FEE. FEE has worked closely with UNEP and UN WTO to expand the Program to areas outside Europe. South Africa, Canada, Morocco, Tunisia, New Zealand and four countries in the Caribbean region are members of FEE. Aruba and Brazil are currently in the pilot phase of the Program and Jordan, Macedonia, Turkey & amp; The Caicos Islands, Ukraine and the United Arab Emirates have started the implementation of the Blue Flag Program.
The FEE standard allows regional variations in coastal criteria to reflect the specific environmental conditions of a region. Beginning in 2006, a number of international criteria were used with several variations.
Extension of awards for sustainable boating tourism operators
In 2016, Blue Flag expands its program of boat-based tourist activities such as natural observation (whale watching, bird watching, dive cages etc.), recreational fishing, diving and charter tours. Certified tour operators must adhere to the criteria regarding their ongoing ship operations and their business as a whole.
Current program
By 2015 more than 4,154 beaches and marinas are globally awarded the Blue Flag.
The criteria presented above apply to all tour operators wishing to obtain the Blue Flag. In addition, tour operators offering whale watching, bird watching, seal watching, cage diving, recreational fishing and diving should meet additional criteria for their respective activities. These criteria are tailored to different travel experiences and take into consideration certain environmental issues associated with them. They include, for example, a distance approach to different animal species, correct use of equipment and the handling of human animals caught during recreational fishing tours.
External links
- Official website
- Blue Flag Coast in Southeast England, official tourist information
- current list of British blue beaches
References
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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