Press Release - MATI

PRESS RELEASE

The Maldives Association of Tourism Industry (MATI) welcomes and strongly supports the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) decision to instil measures aimed at mitigating the impact of the ongoing mass coral bleaching event.

These measures include the temporary halt of all major coastal development projects and activities until the 10th of June 2024, encompassing, but not restricted to:

• Land reclamation

• Dredging

• Beach nourishment

• Sand pumping

• Installation of pipelines and cables on reefs

• Construction of bund walls

More details can be found in EPA’s press release (no. (PR)203-LAW/1/2024/1) published on the 9th of May 2024.

Furthermore, we urge all of our members and all stakeholders of the Tourism Industry to provide full cooperation and adhere to these mitigation measures. We are confident that effective implementation of these measures will undoubtedly aid in lessening the effects of the current mass coral bleaching event, identified by experts as one of the most severe on record.

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