Posted in News on Tuesday, July 16, 2024 by The Beachcomber Correspondent

We've added an interesting article from Le Mauricien - 24 June 2024:

Beachcomber Resorts & Hotels is initiating a coral restoration and preservation program in the Morne lagoon, in partnership with the NGO Reef Conservation and the European Union. The official launch of the Land Based Coral Culture for Restoration, Conservation and Education project took place on Friday, 21 June 2024 at the Paradis Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa, in the presence of the ambassador of the European Union, Oskar Benedikt, the president of the Reef Conservation, François Rogers, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Beachcomber group, Stéphane Poupinel de Valence. This initiative provides for the creation of a terrestrial coral nursery and the establishment of an educational space to raise awareness about the protection of marine biodiversity.

"Safeguarding coral reefs is a crucial issue for Mauritius. The Mauritian destination, recognized for the beauty of its lagoons and its rich marine biodiversity, has suffered accelerated degradation of its corals in recent years. As a pioneer and leader in the hospitality industry in Mauritius, Beachcomber has a duty to act to preserve this marine ecosystem, essential to our industry. Our hotel establishments, being mainly resort hotels, are very aware of the impact of climate change and the importance of conserving marine biodiversity. The preservation of biodiversity is also one of the 8 pillars of the Environmental and Social Charter of Beachcomber's 52 Commitments,” declares Stéphane Poupinel de Valencé . “I would like to thank our two partners, Reef Conservation and the EU, for their support in making this program a reality, which will allow us to implement concrete actions to restore and regenerate coral, a pillar of the marine ecosystem."

The project to create a coral sanctuary at Paradis Beachcomber Golf Resort & Spa started from a worrying observation. Mauritius has 243 square kilometers of lagoon that is protected by 150m of reefs, home to 159 varieties of coral and 340 species of fish. Today these coral beds are highly degraded and threatened, largely due to bleaching phenomena in 1998, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2016 and 2018, linked to global warming. Live coral cover around the island has decreased from 50% in 2002 to around 20% in 2018. Additionally, recent studies indicate that several coral species have become rare and are locally threatened with extinction.

To respond to this situation and help reverse this trend, the Land Based Coral Culture for Restoration, Conservation and Education initiative has four objectives: establish an inventory of corals; establish a sanctuary for these marine organisms; develop an educational center to raise awareness and educate; and create Voluntary Marine Conservation Areas to protect biodiversity.

Lasting five years, the project will be carried out in three phases. The first step will establish a complete inventory of corals and identify the areas most suitable for their restoration. The second stage will include the development of a coral nursery at Paradis Beachcomber to cultivate rare corals before transplanting them to natural reefs.

Construction of the nursery will begin early next year and will be operational by 2026. The goal is to produce enough corals to restore at least 0.8 hectares of reefs over the next four years. Finally, the third component integrates an educational dimension, with the opening of a center at Paradis Beachcomber to raise awareness and educate communities as well as the general public about the importance of the coral reef system. The center will welcome hotel teams, guests and local residents for awareness workshops on the importance of reefs.

The President of Reef Conservation welcomes this project to create a coral sanctuary supported by the EU and Beachcomber. “Not only will this be a major asset for the repopulation of coral, but it also includes an important educational dimension, with the planned development of a center which will welcome school children, the local community, and tourists for awareness workshops on the importance of coral in the marine ecosystem, as well as their essential role in protection against erosion, among others ,” says François Rogers.

The EU ambassador affirms that the protection of the environment and the fight against the effects of climate change are one of the priorities of the partnership between the European Union and Mauritius. “Protecting the environment and combating the effects of climate change are one of the priorities of the partnership between the European Union and Mauritius. We work alongside the Mauritian authorities in the development and implementation of environmental policies. But the European Union in Mauritius also provides important support for local actions implemented by civil society. Mauritian NGOs do remarkable work, supported by men and women who are highly committed, passionate and have excellent expertise in environmental matters. Our financial support allows them to carry out numerous activities to protect biodiversity and restore terrestrial and marine ecosystems, without forgetting important work to raise awareness among young people and mobilize local communities. I am also delighted to see that the private sector is also contributing to these local initiatives,” he emphasises.

This project aims to preserve biodiversity, one of the 8 pillars of the Environmental and Social Charter of Beachcomber's 52 Commitments. It also fits perfectly into our group's EarthCheck certification. We are also rewarded this year with the EarthCheck Gold label for all of our hotels in Mauritius and our headquarters,” declares the management of the hotel group.