Two Marine Areas Protected to Offset Gulhifalhu Reclamation
Two marine areas in Male’ Atoll have been declared protected areas as part of the biodiversity offset plan for the Gulhufalhu reclamation project, the Ministry of Climate Change, Environment and Energy announced last week.
The newly protected areas are K. Boduhithi Thila and K. Okobe Thila, encompassing a total of 506.78 hectares. The Ministry highlighted that both sites are popular among tourists and locals for diving.
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As part of the Biodiversity Offset plan for the Gulhifalhu reclamation project, the Government of Maldives has declared two new areas as Marine Protected Areas under the Environmental Preservation and Protection Act 4/93.@MoCImv https://t.co/MNUOrt5G7Lhttps://t.co/Noj5VdE4gj pic.twitter.com/ElV7jnJQGl— Min. of Climate Change, Environment and Energy (@MoEnvmv) August 1, 2024
K. Boduhithi Thila
Boduhithi Thila, located on the western side of Kaafu Atoll, is a shallow reef positioned in the channel between Rasfari and Ulaanee. The reef hosts several nationally protected and globally endangered species, including the Napoleon wrasse, manta rays, hawksbill turtles, grey reef sharks, silvertip sharks, and oceanic white-tip sharks. It is also a recorded cleaning station for manta rays during the northeast monsoon.
K. Okobe Thila
Situated on the eastern side of Kaafu Atoll, Okobe Thila is another shallow reef known for its small caves, overhangs, and high percentage of live coral cover. The Ministry’s surveys have recorded 73 species of reef fish in the area. The reef is also home to endangered species such as grey reef sharks, white tip sharks, Napoleon wrasse, and hawksbill turtles.
Both areas have been granted protected status under Environmental Protection and Preservation Act (4/1993) with a designation of “Category 7 – Protected Area with Sustainable Use” as per the Protected Area Regulation (2018/R-78).
This designation prohibits various activities, including mining, waste dumping, land reclamation and dredging, anchoring, infrastructure development, pollutant release, aquaculture or mariculture, all types of fishing except for sustainable bait fisheries, taking eggs or damaging nests, introducing new species, feeding fish or birds, lighting the area at night, making loud noises that affect animal behaviour, using lights for bait fishing, and extracting sand, rock, coral, and aggregate.
Permits will be required for activities such as visiting, research, restoration, and rehabilitation efforts. The Ministry stated that the permit process would be publicised alongside the management plan for these areas.
The reclamation carried out for the development of Gulhifalhu significantly affects two dive sites near the area; Hans Hass Place and Lions Head, both of which were designated as protected in 1995.
In 2020, the Ministry adjusted the zonation of Hans Hass Place ahead of the commencement of the Gulhifalhu project. Both Hans Hass Place and Lions Head are still listed as protected in the government’s protected area directory.
The Maldives currently have 93 protected areas covering a total of 64,095 hectares. However, only five of these areas are actively managed under specific management plans, and most remain unmanaged even years after their designation.
