MAURITIUS

BOOSTS ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS WITH CORAL PLANTING

The first International Conference on Digitalisation and Sustainable Tourism was recently held at the Le Méridien Hotel, Pointe aux Piments, in Mauritius. On the 2nd day of the conference on Digitalisation and Sustainable Tourism, guests were invited to witness a coral planting event organised by the Ministry of Tourism.

the two day high profile event attracted decisionmakers and stakeholders from all spheres within the tourism industry internationally, including a number of African countries, and was hosted by the Mauritius Ministry of Tourism with well over 400 delegates in attendance. On the 2nd day of the conference on Digitalisation and Sustainable Tourism, guests were invited to witness a coral planting event organised by the Ministry of Tourism. VIP’s were taken to the exclusive Trou aux Biches hotel resort and among leisure water sports and magnificent white beaches that Mauritius has to offer, four small boats were launched from the hotel

beach pier to take guests on a glass bottom boat tour off the island to witness the coral planting. Coral farming is the process of planting fragments of corals that were cultivated in a nursery, which are then re-planted back into the ocean on empty new spots. Mauritius has ideal conditions in order for corals to flourish – warm temperature water, which is clean and a shallow ocean floor, where corals will be able to grow consistently. Mr Anil Gayan SC, Mauritian Minister of Tourism said: “We are very keen in preserving what we have, this why we have marine parks set up in various parts of the island. We are doing a lot to give back to nature what we took from nature and we hope that what we are giving back to nature is going to be an improvement”. “If the coral reefs get destroyed, then the habitat for the fish will also. We don’t want that to happen,” he added. The event coincided perfectly with the conference with most guests never having experienced coral planting – a most opportune exercise boosting awareness of the environment and letting guests participate.

Up Above: Mauritius Tourism Minster Anil Gayan, assisting with the coral planting. Left: Divers invite Ghainain Minister of Tourism, Arts & culture, Catherine Afeku, to tie a fresh young coral to the nylon rope. Above: Divers explain to guests the procedure of attaching the freshly cultivated corals to the ropes.

Up Above: The corals are planted underwater by divers meticulously on a steel grid in horizontal lines with each coral firmly placed at intervals on the nylon ropes. Above Left: Samples of the corals in basket placed in a bowl. Above Right: Lesotho’s Minister of Tourism, Environment & Culture Motlohi Maliehe and Nomad Africa Magazine’s Pumzile Mlungwana sharing a moment.