03 June 2023
Varuna takes part in the Ocean Festival in Reunion island: from June 02 to June 17, 2023
What is the Ocean Festival?
Initially called ” Underwater Film Festival ” from 2014 to 2019, the Ocean Festival, is an event for the general public that takes place on the west coast of Reunion Island every year between Le Port and Saint-Leu.
Organised by the West Tourist Office, Science Réunion, the Reunion island Maritime Cluster Reunion island and the Reunion Island Marine Nature Reserve, the Ocean Festival is a committed event aimed at raising public awareness of the need to protect marine flora and fauna and adopt good eco-citizen practices.
Activities to immerse you in the marine world:
During the 15 days of the event, several nautical activities were on the program of this 9th edition of the Ocean Festival, which took place from June 02 to June 17, 2023:
- Free or reduced-price nautical activities: sailing, sea outings, kayaking….
- Raising awareness of the importance of preserving marine flora and fauna through games and educational outings on board.
- Discover the maritime professions
- Image projections on underwater beauty: photos and videos on the ocean and its preservation
- 3 competitions:
- Drawings: for primary and secondary school children
- Photos
- Videos
Varuna participation:
The Varuna program, through its partner Réserves Naturelles de France, took part at the festival on Saturday June 03, and was able to present its activities to the general public and local marine stakeholders. These activities aim to support the structuring of a network of managers of marine protected areas (MPAs) in the south-west Indian Ocean, in order to strengthen and improve their management.
This bottom-up networking is designed to strengthen managers’ capacities through training, technical collaboration, mentoring and concrete actions of collective interest, in response to the needs expressed collectively by the region’s MPA stakeholders.
Many thanks to the Réserve Marine de La Réunion, a member of the Varuna network of MPA managers, for welcoming us to its stand.
For further information on the project supported by Réserves Naturelles de France within the Varuna program: click here.
