Surfbreak Protection Society (SPS) President, Paul Shanks has accepted an invitation onto the Vision Council for the World Surfing Reserves programme. His appointment to the Council is a tribute to the achievements in New Zealand towards surf break protection. Having SPS on the Vision Council establishes a voice for New Zealanders directly into global decision making on World Surfing Reserves.

World Surfing Reserves (WSR) is an initiative proactively identifying, designating and preserving iconic waves, and creates a global network of surfing reserves that are internationally and regionally recognised. WSR was founded by Save The Waves Coalition, in conjunction with National Surfing Reserves (NSR) Australia. WSR is based on the national surfing reserve model that is currently operating in Australia. For more info click here for surfingreserves.org and click here for worldsurfingreserves.org .

As a Vision Council member, Paul will be part of a global group of thought leaders from the surfing, environmental, scientific, media and business communities, charged with the overall vision and guidance of the WSR program. The Vision Council has voting rights over which surfing areas are dedicated as World Surfing Reserves. In October 2010, Malibu in California became the first WSR to become enshrined. Since then Ericeira in Portugal, Manly Beach in Australia and Santa Cruz in the USA have also been approved for dedicatio