Africa-Press – Mauritius. A community-based coral farming project was launched by the Minister of Blue Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping, Mr Sudheer Maudhoo, this morning, at Pointe Cassis Public Beach, Le Morne, to mark World Oceans Day (WOD) 2022.
On the same occasion, mangroves were also planted by students of the locality. The theme of WOD this year is “Revitalization: Collective Active for the Ocean”.
The Minister of Land Transport and Light Rail and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Mr Alan Ganoo; the Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS), Mr Nand Prakash Ramchurrun; the Member of Parliament, Mrs Marie Sandra Monia Mayotte, and other personalities were present on the occasion.
In his address, Mr Maudhoo highlighted that the objective of this 18-month project is to implement a coral farming and fish farming assistance plan by training and building the capacity of coastal communities in coral farming and reef rehabilitation techniques.
To this end, he pointed out, a grant of Rs 25 million has been allocated for the implementation of this project in four regions around the island, namely at, Le Morne, Bel Ombre, Belle Mare and Grand Gaube.
This project, stated the Minister, involves the mass cultivation of fast-growing, resistant coral species in nurseries before being transplanted to the identified degraded reef sites. The installation, monitoring, maintenance and management of the coral farms and gardens will be carried out by trained community members.
A total of 401 coastal community members will be enrolled in the training programme, which will be carried out through both theoretical courses and practical sessions at sea, he added.
Speaking about WOD 2022, both Minister Maudhoo and Minister Ganoo recalled that the ocean regulates the climate, feeds millions of people every year, produces most of the oxygen we breathe, is the home to an incredible array of wildlife, and provides the population with important medicines.
Hence the need, they stressed, to ensure the health and safety of communities and future generations by taking care of the ocean. Both Ministers also appealed to the population in particular the youth to think about what actions to be taken to safeguard vulnerable ocean communities.
With regards to measures listed out in Budget 2022-23 to boost the growth of key marine sectors, Ministers Ganoo and Maudhoo stated that Government is taking several initiatives to unleash the full potential of the ocean economy.
These include areas such as: fishing, aquaculture, biotechnology, ocean energy and shipping. Minister Ganoo further underscored that nature provides human beings with a large number of resources on which they are fully dependent for their survival.
He thus called for a change of mindset to keep the environment clean and urged citizens to denounce those who engage in acts of pollution and destruction.
Speaking about mangrove plants, Mr Ganoo and Mrs Mayotte joined Minister Maudhoo to highlight that mangroves provide substantial benefits to human beings including coastal protection and climate change mitigation, among others.
According to Mrs Mayotte, mangroves are essential for the welfare, food security and protection of coastal communities as well as to prevent erosion. However, she lamented the loss of about 50% of mangrove plantations in the past years and urged the population to act responsibly.
PPS Ramchurrun, for his part, stressed that while Government and relevant authorities are putting in all the relevant efforts and providing adequate facilities to prevent littering and illegal dumping, citizens should change their attitude and better manage their waste disposal with a view to preventing the degradation of the environment.
For More News And Analysis About Mauritius Follow Africa-Press
