Fisheries biodiversity conservation and sustainable tourism in Mauritius

Abstract

This paper addresses the sustainability of the tourism sector from the perspective of a Small Island Developing State (SIDS), Mauritius. In this respect, the relationship between tourist earnings and fisheries biodiversity is examined. We begin, in the first place, by tracking and analyzing the evolution of fisheries biodiversity, a catalyst of the island's tourism, through the computation of Shannon's entropy index applied to 20 categories of fish experimented over a period of 25 years. In the second stage, this index is introduced, along with other control variables, in a regression equation to ascertain its potential impact on the value added of the tourism sector. Our empirical findings based on 25 years of observations undeniably reveal that fisheries biodiversity does play a major role in enhancing the revenue generated by the tourism sector. Hence, it is vital to promote biodiversity conservation, at least within the fisheries sector, to sustain economic progress; more so, given that tourism constitutes a major pillar of the economy of Mauritius and which is expected to grow even further.