- Expert(s)
- Dr Valia Avgoustidi, Ms Eleni Tsolka, Mr Iasonas Lainos
- Website
- City
- Athens
- Country
- Greece
- Type of member
- NGO
- Sea basin regions
- International (other sea-basins / ocean)Mediterranean Sea
- Topics - other
- - Climate and the ocean - Healthy and clean ocean - Sustainable development and SDGs, ESG and Business Strategy, Safety at Sea, Maritime Decarbonisation
- Environmental domains
- ClimateMarine/Ocean
- Main activities
- Education
We have a noble cause to save our seas.
The Hellenic Marine Environment Protection Association (HELMEPA), founded in 1982 with the mission to “save the seas” is one of the most impactful environmental organizations, leading the way in protecting seas and coasts, ensuring safety at sea, and promoting sustainable development.
Over the years, the HELMEPA movement has grown exponentially, with a community of nearly 300,000 volunteers dedicated to its cause.
Forty years later, the Association has evolved into an open participatory platform consisting of 336 companies and organizations in Greece and abroad, over 2,300 ocean-going vessels, and 14,200 seafarers, with an extensive network of stakeholders worldwide. Its international impact has inspired and led to the establishment of similar organizations (MEPAs) in
Cyprus, Nigeria, Philippines, Turkey, Ukraine, the United States of America, and Uruguay, all members of the International Maritime Environmental Protection Association (INTERMEPA), with HELMEPA acting as permanent secretariat.
Standing alongside the new generation, HELMEPA maintains a longstanding relationship of trust and interaction with future leaders through its programs. HELMEPA Junior (ages 5-11), which was launched in Greek schools in 1993, HELMEPA Cadets (ages 12-18), and Youth Ambassadors (15+). To date, 450,000 students have visited our Junior exhibitions, and 136,000 students have participated in 45,000 environmental activities, along with 8,640 teachers-volunteers, gaining valuable knowledge about the role of the oceans. HELMEPA’s Junior Educational Program is part of the Skills Labs of the Hellenic Ministry of Education.
HELMEPA Scholarships have been awarded since 1998, offering the opportunity to 56 young scientists to continue their postgraduate studies in shipping and environmental sciences.
HELMEPA's certified Maritime Training Centre has been instrumental in delivering educational and refresher training initiatives to over 27,000 merchant marine officers and shore-based personnel, including hands-on experience, made possible through the Association's Full Mission Bridge
Simulator.
HELMEPA is the national coordinator (for 33 years) of International Coastal Cleanup, the largest volunteer event of its kind worldwide, with over 15 million volunteers globally. With its emblematic Seagull figure at the forefront, HELMEPA has coordinated 4,200 coastal and underwater cleanups, collecting 850 tons of waste along 2,500 km of coastline.