Conservation and Collaboration

May 2024

Conservation and collaboration go hand in hand, as protecting the environment or even an animal is not a job that can be done by one person; it is the effort of many that makes it a reality.

The Maldives is an island nation that is so geographically dispersed. It is difficult for just one person or organisation to protect and do research on the beautiful ocean that surrounds the country. Which is why collaboration is so crucial in helping to understand our surroundings. As more people around the country can work together to help fill in the blanks to better understand the ecosystems that surrounds us. Coming together and working collaboratively is the only way a lasting effect can be made on these fragile ecosystems and the animals that live in them.

On 18th March 2024 Maldives Manta Conservation Programe hosted a stakeholder meeting at Intercontinental Maldives Maamunagau Resort, to discuss a proposal to declare Maamunagau (MMG) lagoon as a Marine Protected Area (MPA). Important stakeholders from all corners of the atoll who utilize MMG lagoon for a variety of different reasons were invited to attend this meeting. This included fishermen, tour operators, representatives from guesthouses and resorts as well as, representatives from the Raa atoll council, Environmental Protection Agency, and the Tourism Ministry. This resulted in over 20 participants joining the discussions and exchanging information that would be crucial for creating management plans going forward.

The main reason MMG lagoon was proposed as an MPA is because of the potential it has to be a nursery site for manta rays. As mantas are a vulnerable species, areas like this are very important for the safety and future of manta rays.

Stakeholder meetings are crucial when proposing an MPA, as many people utilise these areas for different reasons including recreational purposes to bait fishing. When making decisions that may have an impact on everyone that uses this area, it is important to bring those resource users under one roof to give them a chance to voice suggestions and concerns. When an MPA proposal is made there is a lot of planning that needs to be done before protection methods can be implemented, from financial planning to creating rules and regulations and management plans. To make sure all of this goes as smoothly as possible, it is important that all decisions take into account input from all concerned parties. This ensures that planning and management goes forward as amicably as possible, so the benefits are shared and the area is being protected in a proper way that still can be utilised by everyone.