Fixed Mooring Buoys Project

Fixed Mooring Buoys (FMBs) are deployed at popular dive and snorkel sites to protect the coral from anchor damage caused by the indiscriminate use of anchors at these sites, which breaks the coral and degrades the ecological integrity of the area. These are an essential aspect of coastal management and conservation of corals and fish in these areas. The buoys are special marks which in this case define dive sites and therefore play an important role in the safety of divers and snorkellers in the water. Vessels should keep clear of special marks (as defined by international law) and should only approach these areas slowly and with caution as there are likely to be people in the water. Moving boats and people in the water do not mix and represent a serious hazard for the divers. In addition, if such sites are not fished, the fish populations in these areas will have a chance to regenerate. As the fish populations increase there will inevitably be a spill over from these sites to adjacent sites where people are able to fish. They are therefore important for both the tourism industry and the artisanal fisheries.

The project was first implemented as a pilot project by the Shoals of Capricorn Programme and the Mauritius Marine Conservation Society in 2000, funded by the UNDP GEF SGP. A total of 4 buoys were deployed, two at Grand Baie Aquarium and two at Pereyebere Aquarium. During the pilot project the Buoys were redesigned to be able to better withstand heavy weather and allow for easier deployment and recovery for maintenance. On completion of this project, the then Minister of Environment requested the project to be expanded on a nationwide basis. The Marine Conservation Management Consortium (Reef Conservation Mauritius) was created in 2003 to undertake this project and received the necessary funding from the UNDP GEF SGP.

The design for the buoys and the mooring systems have been further developed and to date a total of 16 FMBs have been deployed at 8 sites. Two of the buoys have been broken by mishandling by the boat skippers tying up directly to the pick up line resulting in the buoy banging off the boat and breaking. This is a problem that has to be addressed through sensitisation of the stakeholders. Sensitisation meetings with stakeholders have been planned for 2006. Reef Mauritius is working with the Ministry of Tourism Pleasure Craft Division on the skipper licence training courses, providing training in the importance and the use of the FMBs. This provides a platform from which to sensitise most of the current and potential boat skippers nationwide on the FMB project and other important ecological conservation issues.

How to use a Fixed Mooring Buoy

Do not attach the pick-line directly to your boat. This puts excessive strain on the mooring.		Make sure that there is about 5-10 m of rope between your boat and the mooring buoy.

Coral Reef Monitoring

In order to assess the efficiency of the FMBs, regular ecological monitoring is necessary to record any regeneration of corals and/or fish population increase at related FMB sites. Benthic Monitoring slates and Common Reef Fish slates have been developed to standardize this process and so that volunteer divers and snorkellers can be trained and participate in the monitoring. A coral reef monitoring training session was given to volunteer divers of the Mauritius Underwater Group in Phoenix on August 12, followed by practical training at Balaclava on Saturday 10 September. The monitoring focuses on the state of coral health and the number of key fish species which will provide an indication of any ecological change at these sites. Benthic monitoring is carried out using quadrats, for measuring the percentage cover of corals and other important sessile organisms. The quadrat is divided into 100 cells, each corresponding to 1% of the total surface. The size of common reef fish populations are monitored using a visual census technique called the Belt Transect, which is a line 50m long and 2m wide, covering a total area of 100m². Over time, the data collected will be distributed at both local and international levels to all stakeholders and will serve in the education project to show the importance of coral reefs in Mauritius and the impacts of human activities on the lagoon. Finally, it will consolidate local knowledge of the marine environment of Mauritius, so as to ensure better management of our marine resources.

SOME FACTS ABOUT CORAL REEFS

Coral Reefs occupy only 0.7% if the ocean floor, but provide a habitat and vital nursery grounds for 25% of all marine species on the planet – including many commercial fishes such as ‘capitaine’, ‘vieille rouge’, and ‘ourites’ in Mauritius. No coral reef, no fishery!

Coral reefs support 4,000 species of fish, 700 species of coral, and thousands of other plants and animals.

Corals are composed of thousands of tiny animals called polyps, and are responsible for building the largest biological structure on earth – the Great Barrier Reef.

Coral reefs protect shorelines from erosion and storm and wave damage. For example, it is estimated that each square meter of reef protects US$ 47,000 in property value in the US.

Corals provide an incredible diversity of beneficial medical pharmaceuticals, and contain pharmaceutical compounds found to help fight heart disease, asthma, viruses, cancer and HIV/AIDS.

Our coral reefs attract thousands of visitors each year. Tourism is one of the largest industries in the world and sustains 10% of all jobs on earth. In 1992, tourism associated with coral reefs generated world-wide US$ 1.9 trillion, over 27 times that generated by the world’s fisheries. In Mauritius as well, many people’s livelihood depends on tourism, and the hotel industry and related tourist activities have become one of the main pillars of our national economy.