Mauritius advances Marine Spatial Planning for sustainable ocean management
A one-day National Workshop on Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) was held yesterday at the Caudan Arts Centre in Port Louis, with focus on strengthening the planning and sustainable management of activities across Mauritius’ ocean space. The WAMAN Wave Buoy Data Dashboard, an online platform providing access to wave monitoring data, was also launched on the occasion.
The Minister of Agro-Industry, Food Security, Blue Economy and Fisheries, Dr Arvin Boolell; the Junior Minister, Mr Gilles Fabrice David; the Deputy High Commissioner of India to Mauritius, Mrs Aparna Ganesan; the Director of the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Dr Nair Balakrishnan; the Programme Manager, International Training Programmes at the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SwAM), Ms Elin Frändberg; and the Director General of the Department for Continental Shelf, Maritime Zones Administration and Exploration (CSMZAE), Dr Rezah Badal, attended the opening ceremony.
In his address, Minister Boolell highlighted that the ocean is a key asset for Mauritius’ future development. With activities ranging from fisheries and tourism to shipping, renewable energy and scientific research taking place at sea, he emphasised the need for effective planning to enable their sustainable development while safeguarding the marine environment.
The Minister also underscored the importance of reliable ocean data in supporting informed decision-making. He welcomed the launch of the Wave Buoy Data Dashboard and acknowledged the contribution of SwAM and INCOIS to strengthening Mauritius’ technical expertise, ocean observation capabilities and capacity for sustainable ocean management.
The workshop was organised by the CSMZAE of the Prime Minister’s Office, in collaboration with SwAM and INCOIS, and aimed at reviewing and validating the draft Marine Spatial Planning Legal Framework for Mauritius. Around 40 representatives from Ministries and Departments, parastatal bodies, academia, research institutions, Non-Governmental Organisations and other organisations involved in marine and coastal management participated in the workshop. International experts from SwAM and INCOIS also joined virtually.
The WAMAN Wave Buoy Data Dashboard, developed by CSMZAE in collaboration with INCOIS, is accessible through the Mauritius Ocean Observatory E-platform. It provides current and historical wave data collected through the Directional Wave Rider Buoy to support research, coastal monitoring, forecasting and improved planning of activities at sea.
Source : GIS Mauritius
