The Princess Camilla of Bourbon Charitable Foundation is established as a charitable foundation under the Foundations Act 2012 of Mauritius on 7 March 2017. The main purpose of the foundation is the promotion of charitable, technical and educational causes, including, but not limited to, the protection of the environment, world ecology and marine life and promotion of scientific development in the emerging markets. The council members of the foundation consist of the following persons and association:
(i) H.R.H. Princess Camilla of Bourbon Two Sicilies, Duchess of Castro
(ii) Les Amis du Centre Scientifique de Monaco
(iii) Mr. Bashir A Currimjee, GOSK
(iv) Mrs. Syeda Najma Currimjee
The first philanthropic investment that the foundation will be funding is the Voluntary Marine Conservation Area (VMCA) Project.
The VMCA Project was started in response to the loss of hard coral cover and marine biodiversity in the heavily used lagoon patch reefs around Mauritius. Voluntary Marine Conservation Areas (VMCAs) are selected sites in the lagoon where resource users and coastal communities agree that no extractive or destructive activities will be done. The primary objective is to help marine life and biodiversity of these VMCAs and the surrounding lagoon restore themselves.
This community-based conservation project uses a multiple stakeholder approach whereby direct users and community members are engaged to participate in; identifying problems facing their marine resources, agreeing on marine conservation sites and actions and training and capacity building sessions for better understanding and managing their resources. VMCAs can only be established with the support of direct users and fishermen registered at the nearest fish landing station to the chosen site.
The success of these VMCA sites can help further promote real community co-management arrangements with local government for legally designated Marine Protected Areas and Marine Reserves. Reef Conservation has been working with fishermen and other local coastal community stakeholders to facilitate the establishment of VMCAs since 2009. There are currently two active VMCAs: one in Roches Noires and one in Anse La Raie. Reef will use the Foundation’s funds to continue to work with these villages to protect the marine resources there.