Surfers and the marine life of the coasts have a lot in common – including that they depend on the ecosystems that make their lives, or sport,... moreSurfers and the marine life of the coasts have a lot in common – including that they depend on the ecosystems that make their lives, or sport, possible.
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Tucked up in the far north of Peru you'll find Lobitos, a quiet coastal town known as one of the country's best places to surf. Its seven wave breaks crash and glide onto sandy beaches and rocky outcrops, and its sunsets are legendary. But the waves that draw crowds of surfers each year aren't just revered by those who ride them – their protection is enshrined in law.
In 2014, the ground-breaking Ley de Rompientes, or "law of the breakers", came into effect, making Peru the first country in the world to give its waves legal protection. Under the law, the development of infrastructure, oil and gas exploration and fishing activities that could harm top-quality surf spots were restricted. More than once it has halted activity in Lobitos that risked disturbing the waves. The law has been seen as so effective that surfers in Chile are now... less