Rasfari coral restoration faces losses from bleaching
The company deposited a total of $10 million (MVR 154 million) into a public bank account at the central bank in late 2021.
Many of the corals planted to restore the reefs of Rasfari have died due to coral bleaching, according to the Environmental Regulatory Authority (ERA).
The ERA stated that a vessel was wrecked in an area where corals had been planted along the Rasfari reef, causing damage to the reef.
The authority released its annual report for last year outlining progress and setbacks in the restoration of the Rasfari area.
Rasfari, a designated Marine Protected Area, was damaged after the Indian vessel Navios Arilis ran aground. The grounding affected an area of 8,867 acres within the protected zone.
The former Environmental Protection Agency, now operating as the ERA, imposed a fine on the vessel’s owner, the highest permitted under the law. Following consultations with the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Transport, the owner agreed to fund the required restoration work.
The company deposited a total of $10 million (MVR 154 million) into a public bank account at the central bank in late 2021.
The ERA reported that bleaching and other impacts on corals last year led the authority to prioritise the maintenance of coral nurseries and the planting of new coral fragments. The damaged area has been monitored, with emphasis placed on sustaining nursery operations.
A methodology has been introduced to support long-term monitoring of sites within the restored sections of Rasfari. The monitoring programme assesses reef conditions and environmental changes over extended periods.
Two control sites have been established to measure coral growth and recovery rates in the restoration area. Temperature loggers have also been installed to monitor site conditions.
The ERA further reported that a pilot programme using Passive Acoustic Monitoring technology began in April last year. China’s Third Institute of Oceanography donated six artificial structures under the Reef Ball Project to assist reef recovery.
In addition, a pilot project using ‘reef seed’ instruments was launched to support coral regeneration in affected areas of the Rasfari reef in Maldives.
