Earth temperatures soared in the decade that just ended according to local and global reports, with 2019 being the second hottest year after 2016.

(AFP 16 January 2020): In a shady patch along a pristine white beach on Mahe Island, a radio spits out reggae and snapper sizzles on the barbecue, as Seychelloise Nareen tops up her rum and coke on time off from her job aboard a luxury yacht.

Watch BBC News coverage of our Reef Rescuers project. Started nearly 10 years ago, the coral reef restoration project, Nature Seychelles' Reef Rescuers project uses the coral gardening method for coral reef restoration. First, corals are grown in underwater nurseries until they reach a size that is suitable for transplantation. Then, the nursery-grown corals are transplanted onto degraded reefs and long-term monitoring of transplantation success is carried out. You can learn more about the Reef Rescuers project on our website: http://natureseychelles.org/what-we-do/coral-reef-restoration

(Seychelles News Agency) - A Seychellois fisheries expert has expressed concerns over what he called the European Union's overfishing of yellowfin tuna in the Indian Ocean. The EU ambassador to Seychelles, meanwhile, says that the union is still investigating the official figures of 2018's Yellowfin catch obtained from its flagged vessels, with any amount overfished to be to reflected in future paybacks.

(Seychelles Nation):The Seychelles International Airport has been chosen as the ideal place for the launch of stratospheric balloons in a research project being undertaken by the National Centre for Space (CNES) based in France in collaboration with the Seychelles Meteorological Authority.

(Seychelles News Agency) - Seychelles has shown its commitment to protecting the island nation's marine environment after signing for four more legal acts of an international convention for the prevention of maritime pollution (MARPOL), a top government official said Thursday.

Fish aggregating devices are objects placed on the ocean surface to attract tuna to make it easier for fishermen to fish. The Fish Guard Initiative interviewed Keith André to find out how it's harming the traditional Seychelles fishing industry.

UK non-profit organisation Blue Marine Foundation has expressed concern following an Indian Ocean Tuna Commission report, Today in Seychelles has reported in article published on Friday 22 November 2019. The foundation says the new data is a worrying problem for the status of Yellowfin stock.

(Seychelles News Agency) - An area around the main harbour of Seychelles’ Praslin island, the nation's second-most populated island, has been demarcated as a voluntary fisheries closure zone in a bid to help maintain the fish stock.

The project, an initiative of the Praslin Fishing Association, 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 government has welcomed the voluntary project.

Three yellow buoys labelled ‘Fisheries Closure’ are indicators of the closure zones, which went into operation on November 1. All vessels are requested to keep a safe distance and to navigate with extreme precaution when approaching the demarcated areas.

The initiative aims to help maintain the fish stock in that area and give ample time for the stock to grow. The closure will remain in force until April 30, 2020.

"We as fishermen have noticed that the size of fish is decreasing and so is the amount. We have taken examples of similar projects that have been carried out in other places and have had interesting results,” said Darrel Green, the chairperson of the Praslin Fishers Association.

He said that they were inspired by a similar project carried out in Rodrigues, an autonomous island of Mauritius, where a fisheries closure has been placed on octopus.

Fishermen on Rodrigues noticed that over time, there was a significant reduction in their catch because of unsustainable fishing practices and the effect of climate change on the reefs. The community started a voluntary closure of the octopus’ fishery for two months of the year. As a result, there has been an increase in the catch during the past four years.

Green said that the voluntary closure being carried out on Praslin “is not a project through which you will see the result in six months.”

He added that the association wants the closure to be something annual.

The project is mainly targeting artisanal fishermen who make a living off species living on the reef. During the months the bay will be closed, these fishermen will have to fish elsewhere.

“This is the initiative of a group of people and I think that fishermen in the Baie St Anne area need to realise that this is an idea coming from the community and everyone needs to accept and respect the initiative,” said Green.

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.

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 in a previous interview that this is a good initiative.

“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.

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.

This week, Seychelles' daily newspaper "Today in Seychelles" spoke to Dr. Nirmal Shah, Nature Seychelles' Chief Executive for its Big Interview. Dr. Shah is a well-known Civil Society leader and change-maker who has 35 years experience working nationally and internationally in various fields including sustainable development, biodiversity conservation, coastal zone management, fisheries, ecotourism, climate change, environmental education, and insect, bird and marine research.