Mauritius advances plans for Chagos Archipelago Marine Protected Area

“Mauritius did not pursue sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago for half a century in order to deplete its natural heritage. We pursued it because the islands and its waters are ours and we intend to protect them rigorously, transparently and in accordance with science.”

This statement was made, on 31 March 2026, by the Attorney-General, Mr Gavin Patrick Cyril Glover, SC, at the opening ceremony of a three-day workshop on the Chagos Archipelago Marine Protected Area (CAMPA) at the Labourdonnais Waterfront Hotel in Port Louis.

It is recalled that the Government of Mauritius has initiated action to establish CAMPA which will cover approximately 645,835 km2, in line with its commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and to the protection and preservation of the terrestrial and marine environment of the Chagos Archipelago.

In that context, the Department for Continental Shelf, Maritime Zones Administration & Exploration of the Prime Minister’s Office is organising the workshop in collaboration with the Zoological Society of London and with the support of the British High Commission. The main objective of the workshop is to bring together national stakeholders, international practitioners and technical specialists to exchange knowledge and practical experience to inform the planning, implementation and long-term management of CAMPA. Moreover, the workshop will promote international cooperation, build national capacity, and enable the adoption of best international practices in marine protected area governance.

Several personalities were present at the opening ceremony including the British High Commissioner to Mauritius, H.E. Mr Paul Brummell; the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the European Union, H.E. Mr Oskar Benedikt; the UN Resident Coordinator for Mauritius, H.E. Mrs Lisa Simrique Singh; the UNDP Resident Representative, Ms Alka Bhatia; and the Lead of the Bertarelli Foundation's Marine Science Programme at the Zoological Society of London, Prof. Heather Koldewey.

In his opening address, the Attorney-General reiterated that Mauritius’ sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, including Diego Garcia, is undisputable and that the country remains firm and unwavering in defending its sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago. He recalled that Mauritius and the United Kingdom are currently engaged in constructive discussions concerning the implementation of the Agreement on the Chagos Archipelago which the two countries signed in May 2025.

“These discussions are taking place in the spirit of partnership and mutual respect guided by a shared commitment to address issues that will facilitate the smooth implementation of the Agreement while ensuring that the unique environmental value of the Archipelago is safeguarded,” he said.

Moreover, the Attorney-General elaborated on the vision behind the development of CAMPA. “The vision of CAMPA is to establish a scientifically grounded, internationally credible and effectively managed marine protected area that will ensure the long-term conservation of one of the world’s most valuable ocean ecosystems,” he stressed.

Furthermore, the Attorney-General informed that a comprehensive legal framework is being developed for the establishment of the long-term management of CAMPA, drawing on the existing national legislative architecture governing maritime zones and environmental protection and incorporating principles of international marine conservation law. He added that the legal framework will include provisions relating to transparency, stakeholders’ participation, and community inclusiveness including mechanisms for the participation of the Chagossian community in the governance and stewardship of CAMPA. He underlined that the Government of Mauritius is fully committed to ensuring that the perspectives, heritage and aspirations of the Chagossian community are taken on board in the establishment of CAMPA.

The Attorney-General also highlighted the commitment of the Government of Mauritius to provide dedicated funding in the yearly national budget for the management and surveillance of CAMPA, starting 2 years after the entry into force of the Agreement between Mauritius and UK on the Chagos Archipelago. The amount of this dedicated funding will be based on the yearly maritime security-related expenses to be incurred by Mauritius and UK during the transitional period of 2 years commencing on the entry into force of the Agreement, and which are currently estimated to be around Rs 375 million per year.

For his part, the British High Commissioner underscored that the workshop marks an important step in the shared environmentally ambitions of the United Kingdom and Mauritius. “It comes at a time when our two countries are deepening collaboration under the UK-Mauritius Strategic Framework, permitting us to working together across key areas such as environmental stewardship, marine conservation, capacity building and scientific cooperation,”, he said.

The importance of CAMPA was also put forward by His Excellency Mr Paul Brummell. He indicated that the Chagos Archipelago holds some of the most pristine marine ecosystems on the planet. He mentioned the wonderful biodiversity of the Chagos Archipelago which is home to globally significant coral reefs, deep sea habitats, and migratory species.

As for Prof. Heather Koldewey, she affirmed that the Zoological Society of London was deeply honoured to be part of the incredible initiative of establishing CAMPA and that this would expand its existing collaboration with Mauritius. She dwelt on the role that the Zoological Society of London would play in integrating the science, conservation and human dimensions to make CAMPA a success.

Some 45 Mauritian participants from various Ministries and institutions comprising representatives from public agencies, universities, non-governmental organisations, and the Chagossian community are attending the workshop. The resource persons and experts are from the United Kingdom, the United States of America and other internationally recognised organisations and institutions such as the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Stanford University.

02 April 2026

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