E360 VIDEO CONTEST WINNER – THIRD PLACE

Off the African Coast, a Struggle to Revive a Battered Fishery

The third-place winner of the 2018 Yale Environment 360 Video Contest looks at a campaign to enlist local fishermen to help reverse a sharp decline in the marine resources of the tiny island nation of Mauritius.

 Located 1,200 miles off the southeastern coast of Africa, Mauritius — population 1.35 million — was once a tropical marine paradise with miles of lagoons filled with healthy coral reefs, a largely undeveloped shoreline, and hundreds of fish species that supported a thriving artisanal fishery. But overfishing, rapid population growth, coastal development, and, most recently, severe coral bleaching have taken a major toll on the marine life of this Indian Ocean island.

In their documentary film, “Vey Nou Lagoon” — the third-place winner of the Yale Environment 360 Video Contest — videographer Vanina Harel and conservationist Zara Currimjee tell the story of the fishermen, scientists, and government officials who are battling to turn around the situation on Mauritius. Focusing on several of Mauritius’ fishermen, the film describes how the creation of marine protected areas and the introduction of stricter fishing regulations have begun to have a positive impact…