All about Blue Flag certification

How do you get a Blue Flag certification? What are the criteria you must meet to get it? At Cancun Sailing, we are proud to have 29 Blue Flag 2021 certifications and are ready to go for more!

What is Blue Flag?

Blue Flag is an international certification program for beaches, marinas, and boats. It measures the correct management of resources to care for the environment. This program was born in the Netherlands in 1981 and has spread worldwide, generating a positive impact and rewarding the excellence of companies, beaches, and marinas that comply with environmental care criteria.

By 2022, Mexico will be positioned as the country with the most beaches, marinas, and sustainable tourism vessels distinguished with Blue Flag Badges in the Americas and ranks No. 10 out of 50 countries worldwide to participate in this program.

How to have a Blue Flag badge?

The Blue Flag badge is achieved after obtaining a 90% or higher score during the evaluation of the Blue Flag criteria. To ensure this, Blue Flag Mexico performs an inspection twice yearly: the first between October and December and the second between March and May.

Once we have the badge, maintaining it requires a continuous commitment to implement actions and processes daily in favor of the environment and our community. To acquire and keep the badge, the company, beach, or marine must follow up with the implementation and supervision of all the actions previously evaluated.

Blue Flag Inspection

Here are the criteria and standards for obtaining and renewing Blue Flag certification for boats.

This certification can be obtained on beaches, marinas, and boats. In the case of boats, Blue Flag considers 51 general criteria and 30 optional criteria. The selection of these optional criteria depends on the operation and type of vessel. For example, the standard for eco-tours that do whale, bird, or mammal watching does not apply to Cancun Sailing catamarans.

“Cancun Sailing is the only company in Mexico with Blue Flag certified boats.” 

Criteria and evaluation

During the inspection, a representative of Blue Flag (in this case, Blue Flag Mexico) attends the site where the vessels are located and reviews four aspects:

• Environmental education
• Environmental management
• Safety & Services
• Social responsibility
• Evaluation

1. Environmental Education

It is about informing visitors, spreading the word about environmental care, and getting involved in a teaching and learning process with clients, employees, suppliers, and authorities.

In Cancun Sailing, we fulfill this point through our AVANTE Educational Program, in which we apply actions such as:

• Staff training.
• Environmental talks to our visitors during the tours.
• Screening of documentaries about the sea to children from nonprofits.
• Bimonthly beach cleanings.
• Audits to our facilities and boats.

The crew of each catamaran was notified about environmental talks to visitors.

2. Environmental management

This criterion qualifies how the company ensures that all waste and residues generated within its facilities are appropriately managed and disposed of.

Waste separation area.

Some examples of waste generated on ships and marinas are:

• PET Bottles
• Glass bottles
• Organic waste
• Inorganic waste (food wrappers)
• Liquid waste generated in the bilge tanks*.

Wastewater extraction system.

Unlike other sailboat and catamaran companies, Cancun Sailing has a wastewater extraction system to ensure responsible waste disposal so it does not reach the sea. This practice is crucial for obtaining the Blue Flag badge since regular ships usually throw waste into the sea.

We also have an area for separating and weighing garbage and agreements with different waste management companies such as Ecoliiks. They also generate eco-bricks to reduce waste in the offices and build sustainably.

Course: Creation of eco-bricks and responsible waste management by Ecoliiks.

3. Safety and services

During this criterion, auditors rate the company's ability to keep its personnel trained in first aid and their reaction during emergencies. They also measure the ability to detect the nearest points of help to which they can resort in an accident.

During the safety review, inspectors verify the existence and condition of first aid kits, life jackets, rescue buoys, fire extinguishers on each vessel, and safety signage. Another element measured during this criterion is the ability to handle oil spills and contain them to prevent them from spreading at sea.

At Cancun Sailing, we comply with this section by keeping an updated inventory of first aid kits onboard each boat and training our staff in first aid. In addition, we provide monthly sponsorship to the Red Cross of Isla Mujeres for the operational expenses required during their services.

Auditors from Blue Flag Mexico checking a catamaran first aid kit.

4. Social Responsibility

The social responsibility criterion is measured through the altruistic actions and alliances the company generates with civil associations, governments, and other companies favoring social and environmental causes.

For example, in Cancun Sailing, we have formed alliances with nonprofits such as the community dining room Huellas de Pan, the foster home Cancun Pro Kids, and the association Manos de Apoyo y Vida that helps people in vulnerable areas of Cancun.

We are also proud to be part of The Code network that fights against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents in the Context of Travel and Tourism (ESCNNA-VT). This certification allows us to identify, denounce, and follow up on possible situations of Commercial Sexual Exploitation throughout our chain of services.

The signing of The Code

These alliances for the common good of our society have been achieved through our Ventus social program.

Evaluation

After the four criteria are reviewed comes the moment of evaluation. In this stage, the evaluators fill out a table with the scores obtained during the reviews and assign a grade according to each criterion. To pass, the total score must be greater than 90%.

If the evaluated entity does not reach the required score to pass, the company has 30 days to correct its faults and be reevaluated.

Red Cross training for operational personnel.

Afterward, the evaluation goes to the FEE Mexico management office and then to the National Jury, which has the final word to decide if the beach, marina, or ship meets the criteria to receive or maintain the award.

Something important to mention is that the National Jury audits the Blue Flag evaluators to prevent and avoid fraud, bribery, or any infraction.

Blue Flag growing around the world.

Although Blue Flag was born as a European initiative, it has gradually gained popularity in other parts of the world. For example, countries such as Mexico, Canada, and Brazil have taken the lead in acquiring Blue Flag badges in the Americas.

This has inspired countries such as the United States, whose representatives visited our facilities and catamarans in Cancun to learn about the actions that led us to obtain the 29 insignias we carry.

Interview with Annie Mercer, representative of the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association.

We are proud to be a reference in the proper implementation of Blue Flag protocols! We will continue to work hard to maintain the standards that distinguish us as a Socially Responsible Company committed to our world.