Transcript Ecosystem resilience in the Seychelles

Biodiversity Conservation in the
Seychelles : A path to Sustainable
development
Denis MatatikenJeju -July 6th 2015
Seychelles
 115 coral and granitic islands
 455 km sq. and EEZ of 1.3
million square km
 SIDS=Large Ocean State
 Young nation with est.
population 91,000
 Economy:-Tourism & Fisheries
 Middle income
 Unique Biodiversity
Seychelles Biodiversity
• high endemism in terrestrial
habitats (e.g Amphibians 100%,
67% Mollusca, 65% Coleoptera)
• Species of African and indoMalayan origin-geological
history
• Gigantism in plants and animals
(e.g Coco de mer, Giant Land
tortoises)
• Dwarfism (e.g sooglosid frogs)
• Government is committed to
environment protection
Biggest
Smallest
Heaviest
Rarest
Biodiversity Conservation
 The Constitution of the Seychelles makes
reference in the preamble on the need to
‘…participate in the sustainable economic and
social development of our society.’
Furthermore, Section 38 (Right to safe
environment), Part (b) of the Constitution also
states the intention ‘…to ensure a sustainable
socio-economic development of Seychelles by
a judicious use and management of the
resources of Seychelles
 The need to protect food security and
ecosystem services (e.g. food, water, coastal
protection) and also protect the livelihood
 Sustain the Economy of the Seychelles
Tools to Biodiversity Conservation
 Seychelles has a good PA network -50% of its land
territory are legally protected- 2 WHS
 <1% of the marine Environment is protected but plans
to increase marine environment to 30% (MSP)
 Protected area management is guided by the PA
Policy which take into account the conservation,
sustainable use and also provision for equitable
sharing of benefits
Seychelles Sustainable Development
Strategy
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Government has a comprehensive
regulatory and policy framework
The Seychelles Sustainable Development
Strategy (SSDS) 2012-2020 incorporates
national priorities for sustainable
development and lays out a roadmap for
the implementation of those priorities
3rd generation of the EMPS
10 thematic areas for sustainable
development with three cross cutting
issues
It provides a framework for biodiversity
conservation (National and local scales)
http://www.env.gov.sc/ssds/SSDS_Volume_2.pdf
Managing Land for Biodiversity
conservation : Land Use planning
 SSDS makes provision to also protect species that are
found outside the PA network.
 LUP is an important tool used to guide local land use and
development
 Completed for the three most populated island where
increasing pressure of land resources
 LUP use to strike the balance for the land resources for
investment and residential development and the
protection of key biodiversity areas, important habitats
and sensitive zones
Managing the EEZ (Blue Economy):
Marine Spatial Planning
 < 1% of EEZ is protected and yet it has one of the
highest catches of tuna and potential for offshore
petroleum reservoirs and government plan to
increase that area by 30%
 Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) initiative provide a
practical, transparent way to create and establish a
more sustainable use of the marine space and the
interactions between its uses; to balance demands
for development with the need to protect the
environment; and to achieve social and economic
objectives in an open and planned way.
 All major sectors -fishing, tourism, conservation
and petroleum development are participating in the
process
 More information:http://www.seychellesmarinespatialplanning.com/
Challenge in managing the space
 Apart from the threats (e.g. climate change)
and also challenges (e.g financial resources),
IUU (Illegal, Unreported and unregulated
fisheries) and maritime security is also
another affecting the fisheries sector
(PIRACY)
 Seychelles Regional Anti-Piracy Prosecution
and Intelligence Coordination Centre
(RAPPICC) is fully operational in the
Seychelles
 Stronger collaborations with the Europeans
and other nations (E.g India- donation of
boats, search plane and a good radar system)
Seychelles Tourism Sustainable Label
 SSDS identify the needs to maintain sustainability
practices in hospitality industry
 SSTL was created with the vision that every hotel
integrates sustainability practices in their business
operations
 Such sustainable practices have shown to reduce
operational cost
 E.g Constance Ephilia and Lemuria Resort
 Use of solar energy (photovoltaic cells and solar
water heater –save over 200,000 l of diesel fuel
 Water conservation measures- 40,000,000 l of
water
Conservation and management of
species
 Engage fisherman groups to help with the
management of coastal resources (e.g Rabbit Fish)
 IOTC to manage tuna stocks
 Sustainable fisheries management plans (e.g red
snappers-quotas, size, number of fish traps ect)
 Number of licenses regulated for targeted species –
e.g lobsters, holothurians- open and close season
 Policy to add value to by catch (e.g. tuna industries) –
package and exports
Engage stakeholders in biodiversity
conservation
 A platform where Government
works closer with NGOs, CBOs
and Private Sector
 These stakeholders ‘champion’
biodiversity conservation with
the support of Government
 Assist with environment
education
 Contribute to the financing of
biodiversity conservation
Example: coral reefs restoration by the NGO
sector
Cousin Island Reef
Rescuers Project
[NOTE: WE USE A
BETTER MAP
Control sites:
Degraded & Healthy
Habitat restoration and animal
translocation (Private Hotels)
 Successfully
restored degraded
habitats
 Remove alien
invasive species
and introduced
endemic birds
 Fund conservation
programme
through their CSR
Threats to biodiversity
Forest fire
Spread of invasive
Species
Natural disasters
Coastal erosion
Coral Bleaching
COTS
 The environment is a life support
system. ‘We have inherited it from our
ancestors and borrow it from the
future generation’. Therefore we
need to Protect it (President of Palau,
2015)
H.E James Alix Michel and H.E Tommy
Remengesau, 2015
Thank you