The Blue Halo project could serve as a major economic and environmental boost for the Island, according to environmental advocate and entrepreneur Phillipe Cousteau.Mr Cousteau, the grandson of celebrated filmmaker and oceanographer Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau, has been brought to Bermuda by the Pew Environmental Group to continue the campaign to establish the proposed Blue Halo — a massive marine reserve which would cover a vast portion of the Island’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).“Marine reserves are not just a tool, but one of the most important tools in helping to restore biomass, or the life of the oceans,” he said.“Anything that benefits the environment benefits the community. In addition, it’s an opportunity to revitalise the brand of Bermuda.“I think about here we stand on the cusp of an opportunity for Bermuda to establish a marine reserve larger than the Great Barrier Reef. Everybody knows the Great Barrier Reef, and Australia to a great extent because of the Great Barrier Reef.“It is a very exciting opportunity that I think has a very big economic line to it as well.”Mr Cousteau said moving forward with the Blue Halo project could help to revitalise the Island’s tourism industry as the younger generation becomes the target market for tourism.“One of my businesses is running a consultancy company, and we consult with resort developments around the world,” he said. “What we see increasingly is that, as a destination, sustainability is very important.“I’m reminded of an article I read just a few weeks ago about a conference in Orlando from Marriott Hotels. They were talking about how over the next 20 years the primary market for them will be Millenials. Baby boomers are ageing out. Sustainability is a real issues and Millenials are very sensitive to it.“I certainly counsel everybody that we work with all over the world, folks in Asia, the United States, the Middle East and Latin America, that to be relevant in the global tourism marketplace, eco-tourism is a critical part.”Asked about other potential uses for the Island’s EEZ, he said based on the information he has, deep sea mining in Bermuda is a “non-starter”.“I was speaking to Teddy Tucker about it this morning,” he said. “He worked with a group of Russians several years ago who had come and spent four years doing extensive research around the Island and investigating the viability of deep sea mining, and their conclusion was there is none. I think deep sea mining is something we should put to rest.”Mr Cousteau said an offshore fishing industry on the Island would also face major challenges, saying: “It just doesn’t seem, from the data I’ve seen, to make economic sense. The cost of fuel, versus demand on the Island, versus any cost of exporting to compete with the US fisheries, it’s not viable.”He also stressed that the Blue Halo would not negatively impact existing fishing practices on the Island, with the reserve starting around 50 miles offshore and continuing to the edge of the Island’s EEZ.“Most fishermen don’t go out past 25 miles, so it’s not like we are taking resources off the table that people are actively using. In fact, I think the way to look at it is here we are taking a vast area of ocean and allowing Bermuda to start using it, making it a performing aspect so to speak.”During his stay on the Island, Mr Cousteau said he will be talking to a number of stakeholders, including some of the most important — children.“At the end of the day, no one individual or group owns any of these natural resources,” he said. “This is the heritage of the future.“I love spending time with young people because they always remind me with their passion, and with their enthusiasm, that conservation and the environment should be first and foremost in our minds. It’s never a debating issue for young people if we should protect these resources.“I hope to come back in the Fall to work with the schools to develop some education programmes for the children here. They are the true owners of these resources.”Mr Cousteau will be giving a public talk tomorrow at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute at 6.30pm.