Displaying items by tag: Seychelles

(Seychelles News Agency) - The deep ocean around the Seychelles islands will be explored as part of a bigger expedition to study and better understand the Indian Ocean’s ecosystem. The mission led by Nekton Deep Ocean Research Institute is expected to take place in March

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Seychelles News Agency: A new campaign is to be launched in Seychelles to better inform the public on the world’s first sovereign blue bond, a financial instrument designed to support sustainable marine and fisheries projects.

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Danger, Danger! A new study reveals that Seychelles, Bangladesh and Cocos Keeling Islands have high rates of sea level rise. These regions are therefore highly vulnerable to coastal flooding induced by the accelerating sea level rise in future decades, posing significant threats to coastal communities and ecosystems. The findings published in the Journal of Hydrology indicate that vertical land motion is an important factor affecting sea level changes for the regions of Seychelles and Cocos Islands. There is a strong relationship between air temperature and sea level rise for all studied regions. The study, Characterizing the Indian Ocean sea level changes and potential coastal flooding impacts under global warming, is a first attempt to examine regional changes in sea level of the Indian Ocean.

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[Seychelles, December 10, 2018] The toolkit derives from a ground-breaking large scale coral reef restoration project the NGO has carried out in the Seychelles, an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean off of East Africa.

Nature Seychelles, a leading NGO in the Western Indian Ocean, has announced the launch of a coral reef restoration toolkit developed in the Seychelles today.

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Nature Seychelles uses the coral gardening method to restore coral reefs affected by bleaching. Jake Letori, one of our Reef Rescuers volunteers illustrates the last stage of the method in this video  to demonstrate the coral restoration process happening on Felicite Island, Seychelles:

Acroporid and pocilloporid colonies have been growing in a mid-water nursery for the past 12-months. My role was to help move these corals from the nursery and onto the reef. Here’s what you need to do.

[Step 1] Find a suitable space for a coral colony, preferably away from other corals. Make sure the position is a good fit, not easily dislodged by a hungry fish and secure enough to withstand wave and tidal movements.

[Step 2] Once in place you need to scrub. Scrubbing the reef surface will remove any algae and encrusting organisms that could slow coral growth and prevent you from cementing the coral.

[Step 3] Transplant your coral. We use the piping technique, maneuvering around the coral and cementing points of contact between coral and reef substrate.

Video: @j_letori on Instagram

 

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Seychelles News Agency: An association of local fishermen from Praslin, the second-most populated island in Seychelles, has embraced a project that will help maintain the fish stock at one of the island’s bays, said the chairperson of the association. Darell Green said the project aims to conserve part of the Baie St Anne by limiting fishing activities from taking place in that area for a period of time.


 “The initiative will help maintain the fish stock in that area such that it will give ample time for the fish stock to grow,” he said.

Spearheaded by Praslin Fisher’s Association, the project is an example whereby fishermen take the initiative to develop sustainable fishing.

The coordinator of the project, Jude Bijoux, said the area chosen will be demarcated and a date will be fixed for when the implementation starts.

Bijoux said that this is “the first time fishermen of the island has agreed voluntarily among themselves to bring a proposition to limit fishing in an area for a period of time to allow the fish stock to replenish.”

Another aspect of the project is to serve as an educational model for the fishermen community on Praslin.

“We don’t need the government to always come and tell us to protect our own resources. As fisherman we need to put our heads together to realise this project and conserve what we have for the future generation,” said Green.

A local fisherman, Wilfred Morel, said that this will benefit all fishermen on the island as it will ensure that there is fish to catch in the area even during the most difficult season – the south-east trade wind. This period which goes from May to October can make the sea rough especially along the coasts exposed to the east and south and this can negatively impact the availability of fresh fish on the market.

Fisheries is the second top contributor to the Seychelles economy.

The Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture has welcomed the project. The principal secretary of the fisheries department, Jude Talma, said that this is a very good initiative on behalf of the local fisherman.

“For many years now, we have been talking about sustainable fishing and it is finally getting through to the fishermen. This sector really depends on them and the action they take. I would like to congratulate them for taking this step,” said Talma.

The chief executive of the Seychelles Fisheries Authority, Ronny Renaud, said that the authority supports this initiative. He added that the fishing community is through the project supporting SFA in managing its own fishing activities.

Renaud said that other communities have expressed their willingness to conduct similar projects and this is an example they can follow.

Prior to the implementation of the project, fishermen on Praslin have agreed to sign an agreement not to fish within the demarcated area. Fishing activity in the area to be demarcated is expected to close on November 1 each year and reopened on April 30 the following year.

The project coordinator, Bijoux, said that the Praslin Fisher’s Association intends to extend this project on other islands and the next one will be along the reef of Anse Reunion on La Digue, the third most populated island.

Over the years, Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, has put a lot of emphasis on sustainable fishing. One of the initiatives is a marine spatial planning exercise to expand protected areas and a fisheries management plan for the Mahe Plateau to progressively move from an open-access fishery to a more controlled fishery.

 

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(Seychelles News Agency) - A greater number of fishing vessels will be catered for in Seychelles after phase two of the Providence Artisanal Fisheries Facilitieswas inaugurated on Thursday, September 6th.

Phase two of the development, costing approximately $10 million, includes the expansion of 216 metres of quay, ten mooring buoys, a landing shed and a ten-tonne ice-making facility among others. The project was financed by the government of Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency(JICA).

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Wednesday, 29 August 2018 04:40

Coral nurseries – preparing corals for the reef

Watching, nurturing and documenting the growth and development of corals in a nursery, from a 5 cm fragment to a colony as big as a football, is truly rewarding for the Nature Seychelles' Reef Rescuers team. The nursery and all the work that goes into its care is an essential part of the reef restoration process, helping prepare coral fragments for the reef. 

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(Seychelles News Agency) - Seychelles has become a leader in the worldwide effort to restore corals grown in underwater nurseries that could help the fragile species adapt to rising water temperatures and climate change. The pioneer in this regard has been Nature Seychelles with their Reef Rescuers project that started eight years ago.

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Seychelles News Agency: Seychelles and New Zealand, both members of the Commonwealth, will cooperate in the fields of economic relations, the blue economy, and climate change, the newly accredited High Commissioner said on Tuesday.

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