As the world convenes at UNOC3, the island nation calls for global support to enshrine the Blue Corridor as the SSR Marine Protected Area As global leaders prepare to gather in Nice for the Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), a small island state in the Indian Ocean is quietly positioning itself as a moral and strategic leader in marine conservation. Mauritius, long celebrated for its natural beauty, is now stepping forward with a message of global significance: the ocean can no longer wait and neither can we.

The Government of Mauritius, under the leadership of Prime Minister Dr Navin Chandra Ramgoolam, has made a decisive commitment to marine and coastal resilience in its 2025–2026 national budget. A dedicated investment of Rs 164 million to combat erosion, curb pollution, and restore habitats marks a turning point. For conservationists and communities alike, this is more than a fiscal line it is a signal of national resolve. #Savetheblu, a citizen-led marine protection initiative, warmly welcomes this budgetary milestone and calls upon the international community to align its support behind Mauritius' most urgent conservation frontier: the Blue Corridor.

The Blue Corridor: A Critical Ecological Artery

Running from Flic-en-Flac to Souillac, the Blue Corridor is a 40-kilometre marine stretch teeming with life. It serves as a migratory passage and nursery for iconic species including humpback and sperm whales, spinner dolphins, coral reefs, and seagrass meadows. These calm waters are not just biodiverse they are sacred to generations of Mauritians who have lived in symbiosis with the sea. Yet this sanctuary remains unprotected, increasingly imperilled by unregulated tourism, underwater noise pollution, and high-speed maritime traffic. The environmental degradation is silent, but it is no less severe. And so, at this pivotal moment, a proposal emerges one that weaves together heritage, science, and national pride.

The SSR Marine Protected Area: Where Legacy Meets Leadership

#Savetheblu proposes that the Blue Corridor be formally designated the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam (SSR) Marine Protected Area, in honour of the Father of the Nation. Such a designation would immortalise his legacy not only as a statesman but as a steward of natural heritage. It would also provide the legal framework necessary to safeguard marine life, regulate traffic, and elevate Mauritius as a regional beacon of conservation. This initiative reflects the very essence of what the United Nations Ocean Conference seeks to champion: the power of local action to deliver global impact.

A Four-Pillar Plan for Ocean Protection

In support of government priorities, and in preparation for a successful UNOC3 showing, #Savetheblu offers the following framework for advancing the SSR MPA:

1. Real-Time Acoustic Monitoring Deploy underwater hydrophones to detect marine mammal presence, track vessel traffic, and measure acoustic pollution. This network will help prevent ship strikes and facilitate evidence-based maritime planning.
2. Eco-Guide Certification Programme Establish a national licensing and training scheme to certify youth and women from coastal communities as marine eco-guides. This will boost sustainable tourism, raise safety standards, and foster local ownership of marine conservation.
3. Legal Enactment of the SSR Marine Protected Area Formal MPA status will unlock tools for zoning, regulation enforcement, and seasonal protection near whale calving grounds transforming political will into enduring environmental safeguards.
4. Marine Education for All Schoolchildren Mauritius should become a global model for ocean literacy by embedding marine science and stewardship into the national curriculum. This initiative would span classroom learning, visits to marine reserves, teacher training, and a youth-led Ocean Ambassadors Programme. “A nation attuned to the ocean will defend it with its soul.”

From Promise to Protection

The budget has laid the groundwork. The science is clear. The community is ready. What remains is to translate these elements into binding law and international leadership. Mauritius is not asking the world for charity. It is offering a partnership. We call upon: • The United Nations to recognise the SSR Marine Protected Area as a Voluntary Commitment at UNOC3 • International donors and foundations to support real-time acoustic monitoring, education programmes, and eco-tourism development • Academic institutions to co-develop curricula, data systems, and applied research in marine sciences • Regional and global actors to treat the Indian Ocean as a strategic pillar for ecological and climate stability

A Defining Moment for Mauritius and for the World

In enshrining the Blue Corridor as the SSR Marine Protected Area, Mauritius would signal to the world that leadership is not measured by size, but by vision. This is a nation choosing to honour its heroes not only with monuments, but with living legacies reefs, whales, and future generations. We have the science. We have the resolve. We have the memory of Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam. Let this marine protected area be his gift to the children of Mauritius and to the children of the world. The ocean is watching. And thanks to the people of Mauritius and the government that listens there is still time to act.