Mauritius and Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust explore further cooperation on Biodiversity Conservation

Mauritius and the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust (DWCT) are exploring further avenues of cooperation to strengthen biodiversity conservation, ecosystem restoration and capacity building in Mauritius. This was the focus of a meeting held, today in Port Louis, between the Minister of Agro-Industry, Food Security, Blue Economy and Fisheries, Mr Arvind Boolell, and a delegation of the DWCT, in the presence of the British High Commissioner to Mauritius, Mr Paul Brummell.

The meeting provided an opportunity to take stock of the longstanding collaboration between the Government of Mauritius, the DWCT and the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation (MWF), and to identify new areas of cooperation aimed at protecting endangered species and restoring fragile ecosystems.

The DWCT, an international conservation organisation founded in Jersey in 1959 by British naturalist and writer Gerald Durrell, has been working in Mauritius for around 50 years. Gerald Durrell visited Mauritius in 1976 to support efforts to save highly threatened endemic species, notably the Mauritius Kestrel and Pink Pigeon. Over the years, the collaboration between Durrell, the Government and local partners has contributed to major conservation achievements and enhanced expertise in island biodiversity conservation.

Minister Boolell highlighted the important contribution of Durrell and its partners to some of Mauritius’ most successful conservation programmes. He referred in particular to the recovery of the Mauritius Kestrel and Pink Pigeon, which are recognised as important conservation success stories.

He also spoke of the Mauritius Islands Restoration Programme, which works across 11 offshore islands, including Round Island. These islands host some of the world’s rarest species and constitute important habitats requiring continued protection and restoration.

The Minister further emphasised the importance of the tripartite collaboration between the Ministry, the DWCT and the MWF, particularly in the fields of training, scientific research and capacity building. He recalled that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Agro-Industry, Food Security, Blue Economy and Fisheries, Durrell Conservation Training Ltd and the MWF was signed in June 2022 and is valid until June 2027.

The agreement provides for training programmes to strengthen the skills and knowledge of conservation professionals, as well as the identification of areas for scientific research. Minister Boolell indicated that a new MoU between the Ministry, Durrell Conservation Training Ltd and the MWF, focusing on cooperation and collaboration for the conservation of biological diversity, is currently being finalised.

For his part, High Commissioner Brummell commended the work undertaken by Durrell and its local partners to protect wildlife and restore Mauritius’ offshore islands. He described the conservation work carried out as remarkable and expressed appreciation to all those involved in protecting native species and their habitats.

The DWCT delegation, comprising Chief Executive Officer Ms Rebecca Brewer, Director of Field Programmes, Dr Chris Ransom, Chief Scientist/Scientific, Director Prof. Carl Jones and Island Restoration Programme Manager, Dr Nik Cole, reaffirmed Durrell’s commitment to Mauritius.

They noted that the meeting provided an opportunity to strengthen the longstanding partnership and identify new areas of collaboration. The team believed that the strengthened partnership is expected to further support Mauritius’ efforts to protect its unique biodiversity, restore vulnerable ecosystems and build national capacity to ensure the long-term conservation of its natural heritage.

Wide-ranging conservation initiatives

The partnership between the Ministry, DWCT and MWF, implemented through the National Parks and Conservation Service (NPCS), covers a broad range of conservation initiatives. These include the Reptile Conservation Project, launched in 2006, which focuses on captive breeding of endangered native reptiles and their release into their natural habitats, particularly on offshore islets.

The collaboration has also supported the recovery of endemic bird species through ex-situ captive breeding and release programmes involving the Mauritius Kestrel, Pink Pigeon, Echo Parakeet, Olive White-eye and Mauritian Fody.

Capacity building remains another important area of cooperation, with conservation personnel benefiting from training through the Durrell Conservation Academy and the Durrell Endangered Species Management Graduate Course.

Island ecosystem restoration programmes on Round Island, Gunner’s Quoin, the south-east islets and Île aux Aigrettes, among others, involve invasive species removal, replanting of native species, species conservation and scientific monitoring. Biodiversity conservation projects covering flora and fauna are also undertaken in Rodrigues.

Cooperation also extends to marine-seabird conservation, including ecological mapping, population assessment and monitoring of species such as petrels and shearwaters in the Indian Ocean region.

05 October 2026

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