(Published in MTimes 29 03 2019)
Since the release of ‘The Ocean Economy: A Roadmap for Mauritius’ in July 2013, successive governments have identified the Ocean Economy (OE) as another important economic pillar.
Government aims to double the contribution of this sector to GDP in the medium term. By just by committing yearly investments equivalent to 1.6% of GDP over a period of 10 years, the OE’s share to GDP can be increased by 5%. The key sectors, including port infrastructure development, sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, offshore renewable energy, marine ICT and capacity building have been identified for investment opportunities.
Budget 2018-2019 also lays emphasis on the ocean economy of Mauritius as the next avenue for the import substitution strategy and for export growth in the medium- and long-term. As recommended in the 2017 World Bank report –‘The Ocean Economy in Mauritius: Making it happen, making it last’, the budget announced the setting up of an Ocean Economy Unit with the responsibility of preparing a National Ocean Policy Paper. A series of other activities were also envisaged including the development of an Ocean Observatory E-Platform to support the Marine Spatial Planning Initiative of Mauritius and a geotechnical study to be conducted in the extended continental shelf management area of the Mascarenes region to explore its potential for developing the ocean economy.
There is very little information on the website of the Ministry of Ocean Economy, Marine Resources, Fisheries and Shipping on the status of these activities/projects. The Minister seems to have gone for a long off-lagoon trip in search of whales. It is to be hoped that responsibility for driving the Ocean Economy agenda would be entrusted to more dynamic minister in the next government.
Besides the regrouping of various institutions, no new developments seem to be taking place. Some time back, we were told that the Ministry has signed an agreement with the Commonwealth Secretariat to develop a National Ocean Policy Paper for the next five years and an action plan for the development of the sector. Has there been any development on that front?
And where are we with the Deep Ocean Water Applications project (DOWA)? Government had given the permit to a Mauritian firm, Sotravic Ltd, for the project at Bain de Dames. It consisted in pumping deep-sea water off the coast to be used as a cooling agent for offices in Port Louis. There were also other projects in the pipeline, namely, a) the bottled fresh water project involving the extraction of fresh water from the ocean depths, its bottling and export, b) the seabed exploration for hydrocarbons and minerals project, c) the fishing, seafood processing and aquaculture project where farming of high-value and niche products such as seaweed, oyster and oyster pearls, crabs, sea-urchins and other shellfish would be promoted, and d) the setting of a proper legislative framework. Have there been any developments?
We are aware that the sector is still in its infancy and will take 10 to 15 years to be fully operational. But like in the case of the Metro project where we are being regularly informed of its progress, it behoves the Government to keep the public fully informed about initiatives being taken to make things happen. Are we moving ahead to realise our target of doubling of the share of the OE to GDP within the next 15 years?
