November 13, 2025
LIMA, Peru (Nov. 13, 2025) – Three leading conservation organizations — Save the Waves Coalition, the Peruvian Society for Environmental Law (SPDA), and Conservation International — have released the “Guidelines and Best Practices for Surf Ecosystem Conservation,” the most comprehensive global resource of its kind, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
The guide includes 30 case studies and examples from more than 25 surf breaks across more than 15 countries — from South America’s Pacific coast to Southeast Asia, Australia, and Africa. Its goal: to serve as a global reference for protecting waves and the rich ecosystems around them — providing decision-makers, coastal communities, businesses, and the surf community with practical tools and real-world examples to support conservation and sustainable development.
A standout example is Peru’s landmark "Law of the Breakers,” which grants legal protection to surf breaks like Chicama — home to the world’s longest wave. Driven by SPDA, the law is now being reinforced by GEF-backed conservation efforts in other Peruvian surf spots like Huanchaco, Lobitos and San Gallán.
“This is an innovative model that shows how sport can be part of comprehensive marine conservation,” said Carolina Butrich of SPDA. “The Peruvian approach is now inspiring similar protections worldwide. And this guide will keep growing, with more input and shared experience.”
In Costa Rica, local efforts in Nosara and Playa Hermosa demonstrate how community mapping, urban planning, and economic analysis can guide coastal conservation. These actions, rooted in Save The Waves’ World Surfing Reserves, are now moving ahead with backing from the GEF project.
The guide also spotlights work in Indonesia, where communities are leading the creation of “Locally Managed Marine Areas,” which focus on surf breaks and are supported by Conservation International.
“Surf ecosystems are special places where nature, culture, and community intersect,” said Scott Atkinson who leads Conservation International’s global efforts to safeguard surf breaks and their ecosystems. “This guide is a call to action — a way to share proven solutions that protect these irreplaceable natural assets, while supporting the people who depend on them. By learning from global success stories, we can scale approaches that safeguard waves, biodiversity, and coastal livelihoods for the future.”
The new guide is part of the “Surf Ecosystem Management and Blue Economy” project, funded by the GEF, implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and executed by Conservation International, SPDA, and Save The Waves, in coordination with the governments of Peru, Costa Rica, and Panama.
“When we protect waves, we protect much more — reefs, fisheries and communities that live around them,” said GEF CEO and Chairperson Carlos Manuel Rodríguez. “This guide shows how conservation and the blue economy can move in the same direction — linking the protection of nature with sustainable development so that the waves that draw people to coastlines also sustain local communities.”
The guide is now available online and aims to help spark a global coastal protection network where surfing and conservation work together.
“Readers will find a blend of technical guidance and storytelling — a way to learn from others and adapt lessons to their own coasts,” said Mara Arroyo, Senior Director of Conservation and Science at Save The Waves.
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About Conservation International: Conservation International protects nature for the benefit of humanity. Through science, policy, fieldwork and finance, we spotlight and secure the most important places in nature for the climate, for biodiversity and for people. With offices in 30 countries and projects in more than 100 countries, Conservation International partners with governments, companies, civil society, Indigenous peoples and local communities to help people and nature thrive together. Go to Conservation.org for more, and follow our work on Conservation News, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.