U.S. Introduces Marine Protection Program in Maldives

October 19, 2012

The U.S. Department of the Interior will introduce an Integrated Marine Protected Area Management program on October 21 and 22 in Male’. The program is part of the Department of Interior’s International Technical Assistance Program and will highlight how to protect the long term sustainability of the marine resources of Maldives. It is being developed for Maldives in partnership with the Maldives Marine Research Center (MRC) and the Maldives Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  

The program will comprise of a series of workshops which will educate participants on biodiversity conservation, fisheries management, and the need for regulatory frameworks in tourism management. Through this program the Maldives MRC and EPA will receive technical assistance from the United States to build capacity for innovative approaches to the adaptive management of the country’s coral reefs in the face of climate change and other threats, including key areas such as coral reef monitoring, marine law enforcement, and the development of a national marine resources training center on an island near Male.