With a majority of the country's area being the ocean, the Maldives relies on it for everything. It not only feeds the population, but supports the country's economy through the Maldives' tourism and fishing industry.
With centuries of human activity in the archipelago, many of the beautiful marine life have been affected, leading to numerous marine conservation efforts by hotels in the Maldives, NGOs, and the local government. Let's take a look at some of them.
Sustainability has always been a major part of Club Med. At our Maldives hotels on Kani and Gasfinolhu islands, we strive to minimise our impact on, and preserve the environment. Below are some of our efforts:
We've greatly reduced plastic use at our resorts. For instance, we have removed all single-use plastic straws and utensils.
At The Finolhu Villas, the Club Med team has grown 95% of the island's plant life. Only 5% were brought in from off the island.
We also house plants with low water consumption and only use grey water.
At The Finolhu Villas, we've installed 6,000 square metres of photovoltaic panels, which generate 30% of the resort's electricity.
We've installed artificial reefs at Club Med Kani and a fish refuge at The Finolhu Villas.
The Maldives Whale Shark Research Programme (MWSRP) started out as a scientific expedition in 2006 and has grown to become a well-known organisation dedicated to studying and protecting whale sharks in the Maldives.
By engaging with the local community of the South Ari Atoll and throughout the archipelago, they play a big part in helping young Maldivian students learn about the importance of the surrounding marine environment by bringing them out to the ocean to get first-hand experience at collecting data about whale sharks.
They're also a regular fixture in the Maldives tourism scene as their Assistant Research Volunteer program attracts numerous volunteers in its efforts to learn more about whale sharks.
Save the Beach Maldives is a local NGO dedicated to protecting the local marine environment, where many of the coral reefs have suffered extensive bleaching. They were founded as a youth movement to educate the local community of the importance of protecting the ocean's biodiversity and is now a nationally recognised organisation involved in beach clean-ups, waste management, coral rehabilitation, and scientific research programmes.
As a participant in the Maldives' eco-tourism industry, they also provide marine conservation tours to visitors where you can learn in detail about the Maldives marine ecosystem, conservation challenges and solutions, and so much more.
There are numerous other marine conservation programs in the Maldives which have been effective at protecting and rehabilitating the ocean's ecosystem. Below are some prominent ones:
The Sustainable Fisheries Resources Development Project - Launched in partnership with the World Bank in 2017, the Maldivian government have set out to improve the management of fisheries in the country. As a result, they've put into effect the Maldives Fisheries Act in 2019, though more efforts are ongoing.
The #Protect Maldives Seagrass Campaign - This is a social media launched by the Blue Marine Foundation to engage with the public to call on resorts to preserve the seagrass around their resort island. Seagrass provides a host of benefits including storing carbon dioxide and producing oxygen, besides being a natural habitat for many creatures.
Turtle Conservation - Five of the world's seven turtle species call the Maldives home, and to protect them, the government has banned the catching, killing, importation, and sales of all sea turtle species, including turtle products. There are also multiple government-approved turtle conservation centres and programmes around the nation.
The natural beauty that you see around many of the Maldives' hotels and resorts have been preserved thanks to the various marine conservation efforts in the country.
At Club Med Kani and The Finolhu Villas, we strive to do our part to provide sustainable tourism in the Maldives and ensure that our guests have the best time of their lives. If you're planning a holiday in the beautiful Maldives soon, do check out Club Med or get in touch with us!