Mauritius: Mascarene Plateau - Focus On Exploration and Sustainable Management of Marine Resources

23 July 2025
Government of Mauritius (Port Louis)

The Republic of Mauritius and the Republic of Seychelles convened the 29th Meeting of the Joint Commission of the Joint Management Area (JMA) of the Mascarene Plateau from 21 to 23 July 2025 in Port Louis. The session which is being held alongside the 34th Meeting of the Technical Committee of the Joint Commission, underscores the strong collaboration between the two island nations in the sustainable management of marine resources.

The meeting was co-chaired by the Secretary to Cabinet and Head of the Civil Service, Mr Suresh Chundre Seeballuck, the Director General of the Department for Continental Shelf, Maritime Zones, Administration & Exploration at the Prime Minister's Office, Dr Mohammed Rezah Badal and the Consultant at the Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy of Seychelles, Mr Philippe Michaud.

The Joint Commission meeting served as a platform for deliberations and decision-making on key projects and initiatives under the JMA framework. Established in 2012 by virtue of a treaty between Mauritius and Seychelles, the Joint Management Area of the Extended Continental Shelf of the Mascarene Plateau covers approximately 400,000 km² and represents a unique model of shared ocean governance.

Prior to the meeting, Dr Badal and Mr Michaud signed the minutes of the Technical Committee meeting, reflecting the progress made by the working groups.

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In a statement Dr Badal emphasised that the JMA stands as a unique framework for the joint management of the seabed and subsoil of the Mascarene Plateau. He recalled ongoing initiatives such as marine spatial planning to ensure environmental compliance, exploratory fisheries for sedentary species like sea cucumbers, and efforts to assess hydrocarbon potential through a proposed multi-client seismic survey.

Mr Michaud, for his part, noted that exploratory fishing of sea cucumbers is progressing steadily through joint ventures between Mauritian and Seychellois operators. He pointed out that the initiative remains in a scientific and data-gathering phase, which will guide future decisions regarding possible commercial exploitation. He also announced that the next Technical Committee meeting is expected to be held in Seychelles by the end of this year.

The discussions highlighted several critical areas of collaboration, including environmental monitoring, geotechnical surveys, and opportunities for blue carbon initiatives and carbon credit mechanisms. Attention was also drawn to the implications of the recently adopted Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity.

Read the original article on Government of Mauritius.

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