The government has suspended coral fragmentation in lagoons, triggering anger among NGOs. They denounce a lack of consultation and fear a setback in marine restoration efforts.
A shockwave has hit the marine conservation community in Mauritius. Without prior notice, the Council of Ministers approved on May 16 a series of measures suspending coral reproduction through fragmentation in the lagoons. This decision abruptly ends the operations of coral farms at sea, despite years of work carried out by local NGOs and international partners.
The Ministry of Agro-Industry, Food Security, Blue Economy, and Fisheries justifies the move with what it describes as alarming scientific reports, supported by photographic evidence: survival rates deemed too low — often below 10% — along with non-compliant or even abandoned structures posing navigation hazards. From the Ministry’s perspective, these issues make the coral fragmentation method both ineffective and problematic (see more below).
Source: defimedia
