Mauritius held a one-day National Workshop on Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) at the Caudan Arts Centre in Port Louis, focusing on better planning and sustainable management of activities across the country’s ocean space. The event also saw the launch of the WAMAN Wave Buoy Data Dashboard, an online platform that provides access to wave monitoring data.
The Minister of Agro-Industry, Food Security, Blue Economy and Fisheries, Dr Arvin Boolell, attended the opening ceremony alongside Junior Minister Gilles Fabrice David, Deputy High Commissioner of India to Mauritius Mrs Aparna Ganesan, INCOIS Director Dr Nair Balakrishnan, SwAM Programme Manager Ms Elin Frändberg, and CSMZAE Director General Dr Rezah Badal.
Minister Boolell described the ocean as an important asset for Mauritius’ future. He noted that fisheries, tourism, shipping, renewable energy and scientific research all depend on the ocean, making proper planning important for managing these activities while protecting the marine environment.
He also stressed the importance of reliable ocean data for decision-making. He welcomed the launch of the Wave Buoy Data Dashboard and recognised the support from SwAM and INCOIS in building Mauritius’ technical skills, improving ocean monitoring and supporting sustainable ocean management.
The CSMZAE of the Prime Minister’s Office organised the workshop in partnership with SwAM and INCOIS. The workshop focused on reviewing and validating Mauritius’ draft Marine Spatial Planning Legal Framework. About 40 representatives from government ministries and departments, parastatal bodies, universities, research institutions, NGOs and other organisations involved in marine and coastal management took part. International experts from SwAM and INCOIS also participated virtually.
CSMZAE and INCOIS developed the WAMAN Wave Buoy Data Dashboard, which is available through the Mauritius Ocean Observatory E-platform. The platform provides current and historical wave data collected by the Directional Wave Rider Buoy. Researchers and coastal authorities can use the data for research, coastal monitoring, forecasting and better planning of activities at sea.
source: GIS Mauritius
