Ecological concerns and the promotion of environmental awareness are major factors included in the development of the Lusail marina, according to director of operations for Mourjan Marinas IGY, Matthew Bate. Lusail Marina is developed by Qatari-owned Mourjan Marinas IGY. He said that with the environment representing his company's product, the importance of promoting its safekeeping was a significant part of their work in Qatar and the region. Lusail marina has a number of factors incorporated into its design to achieve this aim, and Bate discussed some of these features with Gulf Times earlier this week. "Next season, we will have planting of sea plants and mangroves all throughout the marina and the pontoons," he said, adding "the planting is actually just underneath the water, so rather than plant pots all over the place, the plants will actually be coming out of the water and using the saltwater to grow." As well as this, the marina will eventually include an underwater viewing platform, where visitors will be able to take a closer look at the plant and marine life being cultivated in the area. "We will be getting schoolchildren and university students along to the marina to have a look at the environment there, and raise their awareness of environmental issues," said Bate. He said that visitors would also be able to participate in fish feeding around the marina. Environmental concerns are a major issue, particularly in this region where although awareness of green living and sustainability is certainly increasing, there is still a lot of work to be done. And, as Bate asserts, without a beautiful and healthy marine ecosystem to embrace and experience, yachting, boating and marine exploits are rendered almost obsolete. With a mission to develop the young yachting industry in Qatar, and to construct and operate a number of marinas at Lusail, Bate is realistic about the long-term aims of Mourjan here and in the rest of the region. Ecological and environmental issues will be a constant consideration in the future, not just for Mourjan but for all companies in Qatar constructing and developing facilities. Bate is highly aware of this fact, and his reassurances that his organisation will do their part to preserve marine life in the areas surrounding their marinas bodes well for the development of the yachting industry in Qatar.

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