Sustainability In The Heart Of Kanuhura
Sustainability is one of our core values and central to Six Senses Kanuhura. It represents who we are, and this ethos reflects in all our offerings, initiatives, and operations. Our sustainability strategy is deeply woven into every decision we make, and our approach is designed to meet the needs of our guests, hosts, and stakeholders, while ensuring we don't negatively impact the planet. We carefully consider the social, environmental, and economic effects of our operations to ensure that we do not cause harm, now or in the future. Such a strategy can only be successful through the commitment of our entire team on this continuous and evolving journey, achieved by motivating, encouraging, training, educating, and leading by example. This is evident in our extensive orchid nursery which houses over 3,000 orchids, including the endemic and rare Dendrobium Kanuhura, a certified new species by the UK Horticultural Society. Our hydroponic farm grows over 25 varieties of herbs and greens, and when fully operational, over 760 plants thrive here. From microgreens to salad greens, aromatic herbs and more, we have grown over 90 kilograms in one month from our system. While it does not offset our entire produce needs, we have become self-sufficient in certain lettuce and herb types. Given our remote location, and a scarcity of soil coupled with vast quantities of saltwater, our hydroponic system helps us lower our emissions, increase our nutrient intake, and inspire our chefs with fresh ingredients to experiment with.
Environmental Responsibility
It is our mission to protect the turtle population of our island and of Lhaviyani Atoll, along with the habitats they need to thrive. Along with our partners, our resident marine biologist studies and conducts research on the local turtle population and monitors turtle nests on Kanuhura and our neighboring islands. Our overarching aim is to support responsibly managed fisheries and a healthy marine ecosystem.
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Sea Turtle Conservation
In collaboration with our partner Atoll Marine Centre, a local marine conservation and education NGO, research on the local turtle population is conducted using photo identification, and submitted and aggregated into a global database, overseen by Olive Ridley Project. We aim to better understand the status of sea turtle populations local to the hotel, promote responsible tourism, and safeguard sea turtles from threats such as ghost nests.
Furthermore, with guidance from experts, scientists, and conservationists throughout the Maldives, we monitor and research endangered green sea turtle nests laid on the beaches of the resort and neighboring islands. Assuring nests are protected, and understanding their success rates further helps protect this vulnerable species and assures a good start in life.
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Sustainable Fisheries
With guidance from our colleagues at Maldives Resilient Reefs, a Maldivian branch of Blue Marine Foundation, we are working to strengthen local capacity to protect natural resources through a sustainable fishing program.
“Laamaseelu Masveriya”, meaning ‘exemplary fishermen’ in Dhivehi, is a program developed by Blue Marine Foundation that sets a code of conduct for local fishers and the resort to follow to ensure that the entire process, from fishing to purchasing, is done sustainably. As the first resort in the Lhaviyani Atoll to embark on establishing traceable fisher-to-resort supply, this program aims to provide economic support and social safeguards to fishermen who use sustainable catch methods, abide by size guides, and adhere to the rules of marine protected areas.
