10 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have been established on Rodrigues Island, as shown in Figure.
These include:
5 Fishing Reserves: The Fishing Reserves (not shown in Figure) were established under Sections 2 and 38 of the Fisheries Act, 1980, with specific regulations outlined in the Fisheries (Reserved Areas) (Rodrigues) Regulations 1984. The boundaries of the Fishing Reserves have been identified using specific landmarks on land and at sea. Currently, formal management of the Fishing Reserves is limited, with oversight primarily consisting of sea patrolling conducted by the Fisheries Protection Service. The 5 Fishing Reserves are Pointe La Gueule to Pointe Venus; Anse Quitor (within SEMPA); Grande Passe (within SEMPA); Manioc to Pointe La Gueule; and Baie Topaze.
4 Marine Reserves: The Marine Reserves, of coastal/pelagic type, have been promulgated under the Rodrigues Regional Assembly (Fisheries and Marine Resources: Marine Reserves) Regulations of 2007.
The Marine Reserves, covering around 20 km², are all located in the northern sectors of the lagoon Rivière Banane, Anse aux Anglais, Grand Bassin, Passe Demie. The Marine Reserves face challenges such as lost demarcation buoys and insufficient local capacity for effective management. Efforts involving stakeholders like fishers, NGO officers, and MPA officers are underway to address these challenges.
1 multiple-use MPA, proclaimed in 2009 - South East Marine Protected Area (SEMPA) in the southeast of Rodrigues. SEMPA spans approximately 43 km², encompasses diverse habitats including reef slopes and seagrass beds. However, its management plan has not yet been fully implemented, indicating a need for increased local capacity in MPA management.
Excluding the Fishing Reserves, the other MPAs on Rodrigues cover a total area of approximately 67.3 square kilometers, which constitutes about 28% of the lagoon area.
Within all Marine Protected Areas of Rodrigues Island, limited extraction activities are permitted at specific locations, but only with written authorization from the Departmental Head of the Commission for Agriculture, Environment, Forestry, Fisheries, and Marine Parks. Fishing methods and equipment are tightly regulated.
Source : Forestry Service and Commission for Environment, Tourism, Fisheries and Marine Parks, Rodrigues Regional Assembly
