A technical team from Ocean Country Partnership Programme (OCPP) has visited the Maldives to conduct a survey on the marine protected areas in the Maldives.
The OCPP team is conducting the survey in Baa Atoll and Dhaalu Atoll in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Technology, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the British High Commission in the Maldives.
During the visit, the OCPP team held a stakeholder workshop in Eydhafushi, Baa Atoll, to discuss the management effectiveness of the Hanifaru Bay’s marine protected area through the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The team also visited Dhaalu Atoll and held discussions with the atoll council, as well as the local community and fishermen on grouper management in the marine protected area in the atoll.
OCPP operates under the UK’s Blue Planet Fund, which supports developing countries to protect the marine environment. The objectives of the Blue Planet Fund align with the UK’s focus on protecting nature and tackling climate change in an integrated way. The fund is seeking ambitious outcomes in four interlinked areas: biodiversity, climate change, marine pollution, and sustainable seafood.