Kalipso

Kalipso's mission is to defend the rights of people, communities and their traditional access to the sea, while promoting the protection and sustainable use of the marine environment. Kalipso, a coalition of fishers, boat owners, community organisations, divers and other stakeholders, is a widely supported platform encouraging public awareness and action within Mauritius' coastal communities.

With over 300 kilometres of coastline, the ocean plays a vital role in the lives of Mauritius' 1.2 million inhabitants. Healthy and productive marine ecosystems provide essential livelihood income through artisanal and commercial fisheries, and marine tourism. Fish is also crucial to Mauritian food security, providing 25% of animal protein to the island's population. The current legal framework prohibits the privatisation of marine areas; nonetheless there have been efforts to enable commercial development to the exclusion of communities dependent on the sea. Many communities now feel that their access to a healthy sea and the source of their livelihoods is under threat.

Kalipso is working to ensure that sustainable livelihoods and healthy marine ecosystems are protected through active campaigning, advocacy and public mobilisation. In collaboration and with support from the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), Kalipso is also bringing the challenges facing the world's oceans and fishing communities into the international arena.

EJF and Kalipso are partnering on a programme to end fishing vessels using Flags of Convenience, a legal loophole that enables illegal fishing boats to operate beyond the law by avoiding detection and penalty for their wrongdoing.