Surfrider Foundation Europe

Surfrider Foundation Europe is a non-profit organisation created in 1990 in Europe and dedicated to the protection of Europe’s ocean, seas, beaches, lakes, rivers and coastlines and of their users. SFE has offices in 4 countries (Belgium, France, Germany and Spain) and is active across 12 European countries (Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Spain and Switzerland) through its volunteer-run branches. Surfrider Europe is a member of the Surfrider international network present in all continents Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Morocco and the USA. Thanks to this territorial representation and its membership in Surfrider international, the association deploys activities related to all EU sea-basins from the Arctic Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean (including the North Sea), the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea, the Mediterranean Sea and the global ocean. The organisation was founded by the surfer community, in reaction to the serious impacts and pollution affecting the ocean and coasts in and around their recreational and water sports areas. Environmental causes to which surfers were reacting to, increased as much as the typology of people reacting to them. Today our community brings together a much larger blue community of people caring for the ocean. The organisation has in Europe close to 2000 active and organised members in its 43 chapters in 12 European countries, 35 000 members active in public campaign and outreach activities every year and 150 000 people supporting the organisation and following SFE advocacy actions for a healthy and clean ocean. For 30 years, Surfrider Foundation Europe has developed impactful programmes for a healthy and clean ocean with an emphasis in three areas: marine litter, water quality and public health, coastal management and climate change. Surfrider Europe takes action to drastically reduce plastic waste, move away from fossil fuels, fight against climate change and its impacts, and stop marine pollution and the damage to the ocean and coasts through advocacy, European campaigns, awareness-raising and education, events and local mobilisations. SFE acts as a channel between the ocean and coastal community, the wider public, decision makers and public institutions at international, European and local level, as well as companies.