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Sonu Shivdasani Shares How a Mosquito-free Maldives is Now Possible

mosquito sucking blood
Imagine a Maldives without mosquitoes – This no longer needs to be a dream; it is fast becoming a reality.

Imagine a Maldives without dengue. Imagine a Maldives without chikungunya. Imagine taking your children for an evening stroll without having to fear being bitten by mosquitoes. In short, imagine a Maldives without mosquitoes.

This no longer needs to be a dream; it is fast becoming a reality. In the past 15 months, the mosquito population at Soneva Fushi, Baa atoll Kunfunadhoo, has collapsed by 98%. Over the same period, we stopped all chemical fogging. How did we make the seemingly impossible, possible?

The answer is a revolutionary, integrated approach to mosquito control, using traps instead of chemical fogging. Five hundred mosquito traps have been placed all over Soneva Fushi. The traps come in two types: the BG-GAT trap targets Asian tiger mosquitoes that have bitten someone and are searching for a place to lay eggs. A second trap, the BG-Mosquitaire, attracts mosquitoes searching for blood, by using a combination of carbon dioxide and lactic acid to make an irresistible aroma mosquitoes mistake for a human.

In addition to the traps, Soneva’s mosquito-hunters-in-chief, Bart Knols and Akib Jahir, scour the island removing pools of stagnant water where mosquitoes lay their eggs, often found in tarpaulins, coconut shells or flower pot saucers.

By around the end of the year, Soneva Fushi hopes to eliminate the few remaining mosquitoes and declare itself the Maldives’ first ‘mosquito free island’.

To reiterate the point, we’ve managed to do this without using chemical fogging. That’s because there’s a dirty little secret about mosquito fogging that nobody in the pest control industry that provides fogging services wants to talk about: fogging doesn’t really work.

Chemical fogging has been done so much in the Maldives over the past decades that mosquitoes have built up an extraordinary level of resistance to the chemicals used. Before we started our mosquito trap initiative on Soneva Fushi, we used standard WHO insecticide-resistance assays and found, to our shock, that the chemicals we sprayed year after year, at a high cost, killed less than 25% of the exposed mosquitoes.

There is another advantage to managing mosquitoes without using poisonous chemicals: biodiversity on the island is booming. Soneva Fushi now teems with native Maldivian insects such as butterflies, dragonflies, bumblebees and beetles. Since natural pollinators such as bees have come back in abundance, we’ve noticed more wildflowers and fruit bushes growing.

With the increase in insects and fruits on the island, more birds visit. Fireflies are once again spotted at night. There has also been an uptick in the production of the organic gardens that produce food for our restaurants.

Written by: Sonu Shivdasani, Founder and CEO of Soneva

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Hulhule Island Hotel and Madifushi Private Island Strengthen Teams with Key New Appointments

Hulhule Island Hotel and Madifushi Appoint New Leaders

Hulhule Island Hotel and Madifushi Private Island recently made exciting new additions to their teams, further reinforcing their commitment to providing exceptional hospitality and operational expertise in the Maldives.

A New Leader in the Kitchen at Hulhule Island Hotel

At Hulhule Island Hotel, Chef Ismail Naseer has taken on the role of Executive Sous Chef. Chef Ismail’s journey with the hotel is remarkable—he started as a Commis I and, over time, rose through the ranks thanks to his hard work and passion for the culinary arts. His dedication has earned him several awards, including first-place finishes at prestigious national culinary competitions.

Chef Ismail extends his culinary expertise beyond the kitchen. He is also a certified culinary judge with the World Association of Chefs’ Societies. Before returning to Hulhule Island Hotel, Chef Ismail served as the Sous Chef at Skyfall Lounge & Restaurant, where he further honed his leadership skills. Now, back at Hulhule, he’s ready to bring even more creativity and excellence to the hotel’s dining experiences.

Enhancing Operations at Madifushi Private Island

Meanwhile, at Madifushi Private Island, Ahmed Aneel has joined the team as the new Assistant Transport Manager. Aneel is no stranger to the hospitality industry. He began his career in transport management at Kuramathi Island Resort and Spa. His experience grew at VARU By Atmosphere Hotels & Resorts, as well as Oblu Xperience Ailafushi and Oblu Select Lobigili.

With a strong background in logistics, scheduling, and transport operations, Aneel’s expertise will be key in improving the guest experience at Madifushi. He will focus on streamlining operations and ensuring smooth transportation for guests, which is crucial for creating seamless stays on the island.

A Commitment to Nurturing Local Talent

Ali Shakir, the Group General Manager, shared his excitement about the new appointments.

“We are proud to welcome both Chef Ismail and Aneel to our properties. Their individual journeys are a true testament to the strength and promise of Maldivian hospitality talent. With proven track records of consistently going over and above to deliver nothing but the best, I believe these two leaders embody our ongoing commitment to nurturing local professionals and elevating the standard of service across our hotel and resort.”

Both Chef Ismail and Aneel have already begun their roles and are ready to make a real impact on their teams and the overall guest experience at the properties.

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