A group of Bermuda’s young people have signed a declaration committing themselves to protecting the Sargasso Sea.

Students taking part in the 2014 Bermuda Zoological Society (BZS) Environmental Youth Conference collaborated on the declaration and signed it just days after the signing of the Hamilton Declaration by representatives from Bermuda, the Azores, Monaco, the UK and the US.

In their declaration, the students pledged stewardship of endangered and threatened species in the Sargasso Sea and a commitment to education and awareness of overfishing and the growing issue of marine debris.

During the two-day conference, the students studied the Sargasso Sea and the broad spectrum of life that live, breed and migrate through the region.

Minister of Health and the Environment Trevor Moniz said he was honoured to receive the declaration, saying: “Their passionate declaration expressed concerns about the need for conservation and international cooperation to help solve some of the problems.

“Students learning about the problems facing the Sargasso Sea and developing ideas on how better management can reduce negative impacts is an inspiration.

“It is also important for them to learn that solutions are not always easy, which is why Bermuda has so many distant nations interested in helping protect and conserve the Sargasso Sea.”

BZS president Richard Winchell said: “I am proud that these young people recognise the challenges facing our shared environment and that they have come together to express the need for change.”