GENEVA, May 28 (Xinhua) -- The Switzerland-based World Wildlife Fund (WWF) on Tuesday said it will set off a six-month sailing journey to unveil the threatened beauty of the Mediterranean Sea.
The Blue Panda, WWF's Mediterranean Marine Initiative sailboat, will set sail on May 29 for a journey across the Mediterranean Sea to bring the beauty of the Mediterranean marine environment and its wildlife closer to people and put out a call for action against the most pressing threats, like plastic pollution and oil extraction, WWF said in a statement.
Together with a large team of members and volunteers, the Blue Panda's journey at sea will connect the coasts of France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Tunisia and Morocco, WWF said.
It added that the boat will stop at a number of ports and marinas to tell the story of the "often unknown bounty" of Mediterranean marine biodiversity and the impacts that decades of unregulated overexploitation and pollution are causing.
"At each location, WWF's team will raise awareness and engage local communities, citizens and tourists on the benefits that the Mediterranean Sea provides to people and how our life, jobs and economy depend on it," WWF said in the statement.
The Blue Panda will also witness, through research and high-quality video projects, what is happening to the Mediterranean sea and inspire people to get on board and become passionate "Mediterranean Keepers" so as to strongly get engaged to protect it.
The Mediterranean is one of WWF's conservation priority areas, around which WWF said it is present in 13 countries, working to improve fisheries, better protect marine wildlife and species, tackle plastic pollution and build a sustainable blue economy.
