Mauritius and Conservation

I went to take a look at the Nauticaz conservation education project at one of the Attitude Hotels. Nauticaz is managed by Reef Conservation which is an NGO tasked with educating children in environmental awareness, the entire facitlity sponsored and paid for by the Attitude Resort Group, headed up by Jean Michel Pitot.

Jean Michel has an unusual view of his role. He regards his staff as part of his family, and the team vibe there is amazing.

While I was there, I was surprised to learn that Mauritius schools are all taught in English, which is the official language of Mauritius, and they write Cambridge School Certificate and Higher School Certificate.

Today they were learning about the importance of the mangroves, which have recently been replanted in the area.

Conservation measures taken on land have a direct impact on the reefs and the marine life. By educating the children, Reef Conservation is also re-educating their parents.

Eugene Virty of Reef Conservation talking to a group of Mauritius School Children on a Conservation outing with their school

Many of these children came from poor families and subsistence fishing villages, and understanding the nature of what they own on land reflects back to how they regard the ocean. The number of fishermen in the North has reduced substantially thanks to a gorernment incentive to buy back lisences and fishing nets.

The fishermen have found other occupations in the Construction industry, sometimes with hilarious results. My plumber, an ex-fisherman, connected the inflow pipe to the exit pipe in my emergency water supply. As fast as the tank filled, it emptied.