Board Appoints New Executive Officers for SOSF

The Save Our Seas Foundation Board has made the announcement today that Peter Verhoog and Georgina Wiersma are taking the helm of Save our Seas Foundation starting January 1st, 2011.

Here is the full announcement:

“The Save Our Seas Foundation (SOSF) wishes to announce that Peter Verhoog and Georgina Wiersma will start their work as Executive Officers for the Foundation on January 1st, 2011.

Peter and Georgina have been involved in the underwater world for many years as a passionate publicist and a photographer, working together in their own company. They have always been strong advocates of the oceans through their work, as regular contributors to newspapers and magazines on diving, recreation and travel, several photo books, international expositions and conservation projects. They have made extensive trips, searching for ocean creatures, from the tiniest shrimps to great white sharks. Together, they published three coffeetable volumes, the last being "Sharks – Close Encounters", about their adventures during 18 years of shark diving, a strong appeal for the protection of these predators, that seem so powerful, but are yet so vulnerable to modern dangers.

Peter has been a member of several expedition teams, a.o. for the Belgian documentary Sharkwise, the Aldabra Expedition Team and National Geographic. For Peter and Georgina, the ocean life, especially sharks, have always been an important part of their life as divers and publicists. A world without sharks is unimaginable for them, and together with the foundation they hope to turn the tide for the shark, and to make a real difference in the conservation of our oceans.

The Board of SOSF are happy to welcome this couple aboard, and looks forward to a fruitful and effective collaboration.”

– Posted by Laurent Moser, at the SOSF’s Head Office, 6 rue Bellot, 1206 Geneva, tel 0041 22 7040505, lm(at)depf.ch

Below is an announcement from Peter Verhoog & Georgina Wiersma regarding their appointment:

"We are very grateful for this wonderful opportunity to work with the Save Our Seas Foundation.

We have always loved the oceans and all its creatures. During our years of diving and publishing, we have had the privilege of discovering many wonderful creatures. The beauty of the oceans has captured us for life.

But we have also witnessed the threats to our oceans: the pollution, overfishing, fishing with explosives and poison… The pressure on bays and beaches, on vulnerable species. The more we dived and travelled, the more concerned we got. The destruction seems to be continuing for ever: merciless, endless.

Many highlights in our years full of dives and discoveries were our encounters with rays and sharks. The graceful passage of a manta ray is an image no one will ever forget. A gentle giant that seemed to be invincible, but has become so vulnerable. We met many shark species: from shy, bottom dwelling small sharks to the notorious great white sharks and dived with them in their natural habitat. But during our many years of diving we came to realize that these perfect predators have become prey themselves: the most dangerous predator of all threatens their very existence – man. Many shark species now face extinction.

We therefore consider it the opportunity of a lifetime, that we can now start to use our organizational, publishing and photographic skills in our employment with Save Our Seas Foundation, a foundation with an excellent reputation, especially concerning the protection and research of elasmobranchii. We feel extremely privileged to be part of such a dedicated organization with its passionate people and are looking forward to a long and fruitful collaboration that will make a true difference in the conservation of our oceans and its creatures. Our heritage, our future and our childrens’ future is linked to the oceans. We have to act now.

We herewith also want to thank Chris Clarke for his work that made the Save Our Seas Foundation to what it is today. We wish him all the best in his future career."

– Peter Verhoog & Georgina Wiersma