GLUG, as a social organisation, does not seek to control where or how our members choose to dive. Beyond expecting GLUG divers to adhere to good in-water dive practice we feel that all other decisions should be left to the members themselves.
We also feel that the GLUG website should act as an open forum in which our members can voice their concerns and opinions without fear of judgement.

The ethics of diving, dive travel and tourism in general are increasingly coming under the spotlight. It is an unfortunate fact that some of the best diving in the world is to be found in countries where human and gay rights and environmental issues are ignored (or worse).
This page is meant to act as a resource for those divers who may be looking for information on particular issues.

Good Dive Practice

GLUG has adopted the guidelines laid down by the Marine Conservation Society in the following three codes:
Coral Code
Underwater Photographer’s Code
Seashore Code
GLUG supports the look-but-don’t-touch maxim encouraged by the Marine Conservation Society. However, we do realise that for many of our members a dive in UK waters wouldn’t be complete without the chance to hunt for their evening’s dinner. The Marine Conservation Society has advised us that the taking of crabs, lobster and scallops in non-protected areas is a low-impact, sustainable practice. They do recommend that no diver take more than needed for personal consumption (with a suggested bag limit of 1 or 2 lobster, 4 crabs and 20 scallops per day). All divers should respect any relevant legislation regarding minimum sizes and closed seasons.

Marine Conservation

The well-being of the world’s oceans, and the species that inhabit them, are of obvious importance to any diver. But, from shark-finning to commercial whaling, and dredging to drift nets, there are so many issues to consider, and so many countries and companies implicated in wrong-doing, that no single diver could possibly hope to take a stand against all of them. What matters is that divers stay informed of the issues and act when they feel it necessary.
Concerned shoppers can consult Fish Online to make sure that the fish they are eating is sustainably caught and that by-catch and damage to the marine environment is kept to a minimum.
And ethically-minded divers may wish to read John Nightingale’s Bite Back column in Dive magazine where, each month, he highlights a different marine conservation issue, discusses the countries and companies involved, and provides details on how the general public can take action. You can find an archive of these articles by doing a search, using the words Bite Back, on the Dive Magazine site.
Further information on specific issues is available on the following sites:
Greenpeace
Sea Shepherd
Whale and Dolphin Society
Shark Trust
Bite Back

Gay Rights

Gay Rights are often unprotected, or even wilfully violated, in many countries which divers choose to visit. The hypocritical nature of the international tourism industry means that, more often than not, gay travellers have little to fear (although discretion may occasionally be advisable). Some of our members prefer not to support the tourist industry in such countries, whilst others feel that gay tourists can have a positive influence in the communities to which they travel.
Travellers who are concerned about these issues can gain further information from the following websites:
International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Watch
International Lesbian and Gay Association
Stonewall
Divers who find that they are unable to avoid travelling to areas in which Gay Rights are not protected may wish to spare a little time to get involved in one of the many campaigns detailed on the above websites.

Human Rights

As with Gay Rights, Human Rights are often entirely unprotected in some of the most popular diving destinations. Travellers who are concerned about supporting tourism in such destinations can consult the following websites before making their travel plans:
Human Rights Watch
Amnesty International
World Organisation Against Torture
Rights & Democracy

Ethical Tourism

The following sites contain useful tips and guidelines for low-impact tourism:
Ethical Traveller
Responsible Travel

Carbon Emissions

For many of us a dive holiday will include a flight to our destination. The following article examines the possible effects:
Diver Article
Divers who are concerned about the carbon emissions produced by their dive holidays may wish to consider carbon off-setting.
Climate Care
CO2 Balance
Carbon Clear
Carbon Footprint