HOW TO LEGALLY PROTECT YOUR WAVES?

The first step is to know what legal tools you already have to defend waves, so that you don't start your initiative from scratch. In most countries, there are already laws on natural resources that protect coastal ecosystems, Although many times they do not make specific reference to waves, they can be used as a basis. We recommend consulting or partering with legal specialists for this task and answering the same questions that area in the country case studies.

More countries need to create legal frameworks that expressly protect waves. To do this, first of all, waves must be recognizes as an object of legal protection. This means that somre regulation must refer to waves, define them and establish mechanisms so that they cannot be affected. For the protection to be effective, it must delimit the waves geographically, and establish both the prohibited activities and the corresponding sanctions in case of non-compliance. Likewise, it must be clear which authority is responsible for defending waves, and what existing mechanisms allow the citizens to participate in such defense.

To protect waves, you need to convince decision-makers at different levels: local, regional and national. There are hundreds of arguments you can use to justify why waves and the ecosystems surrounding them should be protected. Here is a summary of some of them.

• Make a stakeholder map. Identify your potential allies and the decision-makers you should reach out to. Also identify those who could influence these stakeholders. It's important to know their positions regarding breakers and waves.

• Design and implement a strategy. Prepare a coheren strategy with a clearly defined goal that consists of basics steps, milestones, and indicators to measure the progress of your activities. It doesn't have to be too elaborate, but it will guide your path forward.

• Build alliances. The more stakeholders interested in protecting your wave, the stronger your mission will be. Through alliances, you can bring together environmental organizationes, sports federations, the private sector, and state institutions that defend the public interest.

• Focus your messages on the importance of public space and its contribution to the economy and community well-being. Rather than approaching wave protection solely in terms of surfers' particular interests, focus on general welfare that benefits everyone who uses the beach and the businesses that thrive around it.

• Learn from similar experiences. Organizations around the world have undertaken successfuk efforts to protect breaks and waves. In some cases, they have done so directly, while in others, these initiatives are part of larger missions related to marine and ocean conservation.