During Stolt Tankers’ most recent health and safety ‘Slashed Zero’ conference for seafarers, participants took some time out to join local youth organisation JCI Regatta to plant mangrove trees along the banks of the Iloilo River.

The Iloilo River is in the Western Visayas, the Philippines and as an estuary, the water level fluctuates with the tide. This flow transports nutrients from the sea, making the river a perfect nursery for fish species such as bangus and tilapia. The banks of the river are also home to 22 of the country’s 35 mangrove species. Mangroves are one of the most severely threatened ecosystems on Earth and play an important role in climate stabilisation, possessing a carbon storage and sequestration potential considered to be greater than that of tropical forests.

The Stolt Tankers team was joined by five of our cadets who are currently studying at John B Lacson Foundation Maritime University-Arevalo, representatives of Iloilo City Environment and Natural Resources Office, and JCI Regatta members. During the session the team was able to plant a total of 150 mangrove propagules (saplings).

Arnoud Van de Wiel, Training and Development Manager, Stolt Tankers, said: “This initiative with JCI Regatta supports Stolt Tankers’ commitment to two UN Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) namely, Climate Action and Life below Water. It was great to be able to support these goals, while giving back to the community and at the same time have some well-deserved fun with our colleagues!”

JCI Regatta 2022 President Raymart Escopel added: “We are very excited for this partnership with Stolt Tankers as we gear towards more sustainable projects that will benefit communities that we want to serve.”

This is the first of a programme of activities that Stolt Tankers plans to partner with JCI Regatta on. Future projects will also focus on both preserving and protecting marine life and benefitting the local communities of Iloilo City.