ENVIRONMENTAL
INFORMATION
There are numerous factors which contribute
towards maintaining a balanced and sustainable
environment. Knowledge about the environment
will enable us to make informed decisions. Respecting
earth’s fragile ecosystem can have a positive
and long lasting effect which will benefit all
stakeholders of our planet, earth. Being informed
of the endangered spices, protected areas, and
what is at stake etc… would keep us in
a much better position to act.
The Maldives authorities have taken some positive
measures in order to protect exploitation of
our environment. Among this includes protected
marine sites, prohibition of catching turtles
and other endangered species, and banning shark
fishing in some areas. These actions are a minor
effort considering the vulnerability of the
Maldives ecosystem. This is not the trend only
in the Maldives. In the whole world only less
than one percent of ocean is protected from
exploitation. Declaring a protected area or
park will not achieve its objectives. The problem
for these ‘declared sanctuaries’
is often inadequate management. The same problem
haunts in our protected marine areas and other
sanctuaries. One of our objectives is to provide
information about these protected marine sites,
species and sanctuaries.
BIODIVERSITY FEATURES
Marine environment is the dominating environment
of the Maldives, with coral reefs forming the
major ecosystem. The 1190 coral islands of the
Maldives make up less than 1 per cent of the
total area of the country. The other ecosystem
includes, sea grass beds, mangroves and swamps.
|Read details of
Biodiversity Features of the Maldives|
PROTECTED MARINE SITES
Marine protected areas offer a range of benefits
for fisheries, tourism, local economies and
the ecosystem:
• a safe haven for fish stocks to recover
• revenue for tourism industry from recreational
divers and sea lovers
• alternative sources of income for local
people
• prevention of habitat damage
• maintenance of biodiversity and much
more |Read
details of Protected Marine Sites in the Maldives|
MARINE TURTLES IN THE
MALDIVES
Although the Maldives has a long history of
trade in marine turtle shells and offer vast
areas of tropical nesting beaches and feeding
grounds ideal at least for Hawksbill and Green
turtles, only four species of turtles are known
to nest in the Maldives and the fifth one is
an occasional visitor to the Maldives' seas.
|Read about Marine
Turtles in the Maldives|
|
