Donation for coral protection

The Turing Foundation, which was established by TomTom-co-founder Pieter Geelen, will donate three million euros over the next six years to the WNF to help protect the reefs of the so called 'Coral Triangle' in South-East Asia.

The Turing Foundation is a new charity that works to fund education and art, to fight leprosy, and to protect nature, among which, the breeding grounds of the sea. Sea areas such as coral reefs, contain the highest concentration of bio-diversity. The Coral Triangle is an obvious choice, as no other place on Earth is as rich and varied in marine life. The WWF has been actively protecting reefs for years.

The Coral Triangle is an expanse of ocean that covers some 5.7. million square kilometres, spanning Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. The world champion of marine life is home to 75% of all coral species, six of the seven species of marine turtles, 3000 reef sharks, sharks, whales, and dolphins. The WWF will use the donation among other things for establishing protected areas under water and to create a sustainable live reef food fish trade.

WNF director Johan van de Gronden is very pleased with the donation of the Turing Foundation. Van de Gronden: ‘This is a classic example of a green-hearted entrepreneur, who enables us to expand our activities in the Coral Triangle.’ ‘An organisation such as WNF will never become discouraged,’ says Pieter Geelen, chair of the Turing Foundation. ‘When they experience a set back, they think: then something has to be done about it!’ This is the only way to find out that the list of problems is not endless, and that the initiatives which have to be made are ambitious but not impossible. It is a source of inspiration and hope to see that capable people take care of the breeding grounds of the sea with such unstoppable energy. The WNF’s enormous track record has made us decide to support their Coral Triangle initiative on such a scale.’