«MARE wants to raise awareness with a positive message»

How was MARE born?
MARE was born in 2020 in the middle of the pandemic as a tool to raise awareness among citizens about the sea through a very positive language. We want to avoid the message of some campaigns that attack people who may not be aware or do not have the habit of caring for the marine environment. We have to tell them “look what’s under the sea” and try to deceive them. The great ocean is unknown. In that, there is beauty and richness that we are not aware of. The idea is to raise awareness to preserve it.

What new features would you highlight in this year’s edition?
In this edition we have MARE Popularis again, a category open to the public and where people from home can vote on our website and choose the winner of this award. As a novelty, this year the remaining five categories will be chosen by a jury made up of the marine biologist Debora Morrison, director of the Fundació Palma Aquarium, the photographer and filmmaker Pep Bonet and Rafa Fernández Caballero, a photographer who specializes in underwater photography. in 2022 as Photographer of the year. They are the perfect three ‘legs’ for balance.

What communication strategy should be followed to increase awareness?
In the Balearic Islands everyone has a more or less lifelong and personal relationship with the sea. We want people to love it because, at the end of the day, it’s part of their childhood, their memories and their life in general.

Which photo impressed you the most from the last four editions of the competition?
There is an awesome image where you see a shark with a hook attached to it. Every year we give titles to the pictures to create dialogue with them and make those who see them think. This picture is titled victim, but it is not us who suffer, but them.