A laborer climbs a tree to pluck coconuts at a farm on the outskirts of Bangalore, India.

By Dyna Rochmyaningsih Jul. 17, 2020 , 3:55 PM

Palm oil has a bad reputationbut is coconut oil worse?

A new study argues coconut production poses a threat to biodiversityincluding vertebrates, arthropods, mollusks, and plantsfive times greater than palm oil. But the paper, published on 6 July in Current Biology, has triggered a ferocious debate on social media, where critics have accused the authors of promoting dubious statistics and an attempt to whitewash palm oil.

Dear logging companies, should you ever need to justify your destructive and extractive (illegal) activities in the Amazon + SE Asia, or protection against nature conservation NGOs [nongovernmental organizations] or legal action, please refer to the following paper in @CurrentBiology, primatologist Adriano Lameira of the University of Warwick wrote in one of several sarcastic tweets about the paper.

Some 12.3 million hectares of land are used to cultivate coconut palms, compared with 18.9 million for oil palm. But coconut oilused in a range of foods and cosmetic products, and popular for its supposed health benefitsenjoys a much better reputation, says lead author Erik Meijaard, who directs Borneo Futures, a consulting company based in Brunei, and chairs the Palm Oil Task Force of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Consumers associate it more with tropical islands and white sandy beaches than with the deforestation linked to planting oil palm groves.

That isnt deserved, Meijaard and others write in their two-page correspondence. The authors tallied the number of species under threat from the cultivation of seven vegetable oil cropsaccording to IUCNs Red List of Threatened Speciesand divided those by the global oil production for each crop. Coconut threatens 20.3 species for every 1 million tons of oil produced, they report. For olive oil and palm oil, those numbers are 4.1 and 3.8 species respectively; for sunflower oil, its 0.05.

According to the papers supplementary information, the number for coconut oil is actually 18.3, not 20.3; when Science asked about the discrepancy, co-author Jesse Abrams of the University of Exeter acknowledged that the calculation contains an error that the authors would ask the journal to correct.

But 18.3 is still a very high number. The outcome of our study came as a surprise, Meijaard says. The reason is that coconuts are primarily grown on tropical islands, many of which possess remarkable numbers of species found nowhere else in the world, he says. Indeed, some species have already become extinct because their habitat gave way to coconut palm, Meijaard points out, including the Marianne white-eye (Zosterops semiflavus), a bird in the Seychelles, and the Ontong Java flying fox (Pteropus howensis) of the Solomon Islands, which was last spotted in 1945. Today, coconut plantations threaten to the Balabac mousedeer (Tragulus nigricans), endemic to three small islands in the Philippines, and the Sangihe tarsier (Tarsius sangirensis), a small primate endemic to the Indonesian island of Sangihe, according to IUCNs assessment.

The authors say perceptions of the environmental impacts of different oil crops often appears to be impaired by shortsightedness and double standards. Theres little attention for the millions of songbirds reportedly killed during olive oil harvests in Spain, for instance.

But others say the study paints a misleading picture. The vast majority of the species threatened by coconut palm live in small island nations that together produce only 8% of the global output of coconut oil, says Meine van Noordwijk, a senior research fellow at the World Agroforestry Center. Nearly 80% of coconut oil comes from Indonesia, the Philippines, and India. Excluding the small producers from the analysis would yield a very different number, Van Noordwijk says. He also notes that coconut palms are often planted together with other crops, so its hard to tease out the crops harm. Sheherazade, a field biologist who heads Tambora Muda Indonesia, an organization for Indonesian young conservationists, agrees. We need a finer spatial analysis to discern which crop drives deforestation, she says.

Sheherazade notes the picture is almost exactly the opposite judged by a different, more commonly used metric: Palm oil threatens 17 species per million hectares of cultivated crop, versus 5.3 for coconut oil. But Meijaard says quantifying species risk per million tons of oil is more relevant than per hectare, because consumer demand determines the business.

Other critics take issue with different aspects of the study: In absolute terms, palm oil threatens five times more species than coconut oil, according to IUCN (321 versus 66), and palm oil production is growing much faster. At least in Kalimantan where gigantic palmoil plantations of 10,000 hectare are savagely carved out of virgin rainforest, coconut gardens tend to be mom & pop operations of 10-20 ha [hectares], tweeted Birut Galdikas, a primatologist at the Orangutan Foundation.

Some critics also pointed to a potential conflict of interest: Meijaard has received funding from an Indonesian palm oil company and from the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil, a large multistakeholder group that seeks to make the industry more environmentally friendly.

Co-author Douglas Sheil, a professor of tropical conservation at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, says the authors didnt seek to vilify coconuts but instead want to enable consumers to make better judgments about which vegetable oils to buy. Consumers lack objective guidance on the environmental impacts of crop production, undermining their ability to make informed decisions, Sheil says. Coconut is seen as an innocent crop because global consumers rely heavily on information that they receive from the media, which is often supplied by those with vested interests. As to the authors own interests, Meijaard has been transparent about his funding, and It is a lazy defense to say that anyone who works with a company is somehow unreliable forever after, Sheil says.

The authors agree the data in the paper arent perfect. We wanted to raise awareness with this piece and use it as a call for more data and research, says Abrams, who notes there is a lack of data on the environmental impact of many vegetable crops. We know a lot about oil palm. Why is there such a bias? Meijaard asks.

But Sheherazade says she worries the paper will be used to undermine environmental activism against unsustainable oil palm practice in Indonesia, especially now that new plantations are springing up in pristine forests in Papua. Oil palm is still a huge threat to biodiversity, she says. The palm debate is very polarized, extra care is needed to avoid creating new myths, Van Noordwijk adds.

Read the rest here:

Claim that coconut oil is worse for biodiversity than palm oil sparks furious debate - Science Magazine

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[Guest Post]

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Cosii-Riggz is a technology enthusiast focused on showcasing the revolutionary benefits of tech, crypto, and blockchain in Africa and beyond

Follow us onTwitterfor latest posts and updates

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A Review of OverBit - A Seychelles-based Crypto Margin Trading Platform in Forex and Metals Using Bitcoin - bitcoinke.io

Located northeast of the unique Africa addendum that is Madagascar, Seychelles is an archipelagic nation with over 160 islands, according to the countrys constitution.

Historians agree that for much of recorded history, the islands were inhabited although it was sighted by Portuguese historian Thom Lopes in 1503. But it is possible that Arabic and Austronesian seafarers settled temporarily on some Seychellois islands around the time or earlier than Lopes recorded his sighting.

The Austronesian are a unit of peoples who share linguistic commonalities. They are scattered on islands from the South China Sea to Madagascar in the Indian Ocean.

A huge constituent of Seychelles 100,000 or fewer people are of Austronesian heritage. But among the people, there is also a very palpable connection to France due to 18th-century maneuvers by then King of France.

Realizing that the Seychelles were, in their perspective, no mans lands, the French began to take control from the 1750s. A French captain, Nicolas Morphey, laid claim to the islands in 1756 with the blessing of King Louis XV.

As was the tradition, the Seychelles islands were named in honor of someone of privilege, in this case, Louis XVs finance minister, Jean Moreau de Schelles. And until 1794, the islands remained under the control of the French.

When other European nations rose up in arms against the French in what is called War of First of Coalition, the British took the fight to some of Frances international territories, including Seychelles. France surrendered in First Coalition and as punishment, had to forfeit such territories as Mauritius ad Seychelles.

Frances acquiescence to the forfeitures was ratified by the 1814 Treaty of Paris. Britain then ran Mauritius and Seychelles as one colony until 1903.

In 1976, Seychelles was granted independence by the British. The country has since leveraged its geography to become one of the favorite destinations for holidaymakers across the world.

Read more from the original source:

How the Seychelles Islands came to have its name - Face2Face Africa

The new lift in air travel restrictions on the destination comes an indication of the successful progression of the implementation of the first phase of movement restrictions effective as of June 1, 2020.

As the destination tops holidays searches in the region, the availability of flights comes at an opportune time for visitors planning to find a peaceful and picturesque vacation.

It is with the aim of ensuring the safety of visitors travelling to Seychelles for a holiday and the local population that a new series of guidelines has been issued by the Public Health Authority in Seychelles and the Tourism Stakeholders.

The guidelines, which has been meticulously discussed by all the different parties within the Seychelles tourism industry, encompasses various information relating to travelling to Seychelles and the requirements for same to happen under the new normal.

The document, which also includes the list of countries, has been made available on the department of tourism website since Friday July 3, 2020.

Prominent points of the documents are highlighted below:

The following information emphasized Testing

Reservation and Stay

Continued here:

Commercial flights to be welcomed to Seychelles in August 2020 - Travel Daily News International

Key Points

Summary

The Southern African Development Community region comprises 16 mainland and insular countries: Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini (Swaziland), Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. As of July 2020, the estimated total population of the SADC region is just fewer than 370-million people.[1] Among the various regional bodies that exist across Africa, the SADC ranks among the largest, in terms of the number of member states, and their population and gross domestic product (GDP).

In common with the rest of the world, the SADC countries are suffering from the economic damage inflicted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the viruss relatively late arrival on the continent, its public health and economic consequences have been felt just as acutely in Africa as elsewhere. As has been the case elsewhere, governments have taken different approaches to managing its effects, with varying degrees of success. Southern African standouts in that regard include Mauritius, Seychelles, Namibia and Botswana. As much of the world cautiously begins opening up again, finding ways to keep or return people to employment and rejuvenate local economies is vital. Given the wealth of attractions across the SADC region, the travel and tourism industry can play a key role in doing that. The time is now advantageous for the countries of the region to work together and actively promote their regions open spaces and diverse attractions.

Analysis

Good News and then Bad News

At the start of 2020, the tourism industry across Africa looked to be in for another good year, and was coming off another year of solid growth in which international arrivals increased by four per cent. According to World Tourism Organisation figures, in January and February, the number of international passengers arriving in Africa grew by an average of 2.5%. Importantly for a number of SADC countries, outbound tourist numbers from the key source markets of France, Germany and the UK continued to show solid growth.

In April alone, however, as lockdowns became the new normal, the number of arrivals fell by 94 per cent. Across all of sub-Saharan Africa, international tourist arrivals over the first quarter were down by 35.2%. Unfortunately for local tourism operators, their industry is confronted by the combination of relatively limited numbers of domestic and intra-regional travellers and a high dependence on wealthy international visitors, many of whom are no longer willing or able to travel. In some SADC countries, governments have been able to provide assistance to those struggling with lost livelihoods. That is by no means the case everywhere and, in any event, the fiscal demands placed on often already cash-strapped governments mean that such support cannot be indefinite.

The World Bank predicts that global GDP will contract by 5.2 per cent in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, with emerging and developing economies among the hardest to be hit. For many of the SADC countries, the news is even worse. Apart from South Africa (forecast to experience a 7.1% contraction) and Zimbabwe (-10.0%), with economies that were already experiencing substantial difficulties of their own making, the hardest-hit are expected to be those countries with highly-developed tourism and services sectors, including Seychelles (-11.1%), Botswana (-9.1%), Mauritius (-6.8%) and Namibia (-4.8%). Angola, with its nascent tourism industry and continuing dependence on falling oil export revenues, is predicted to experience a four per cent fall in GDP. The estimates produced by the International Monetary Fund are a little less bleak, but the overall pattern is very much the same.

Growth is forecast to return to the region in 2021 in some cases, quite significantly, yet still not enough to offset the damage done in 2020 but that is still a long way off. Until that time, the trick will be to find ways to minimise the harm to economies and increasingly precarious livelihoods. The tourism sector will not be the sole path to recovery, but it can offer hope to at least one sector of the economy.

Tourism as an Agent of Recovery

Ranging from the wineries, safaris, cuisine and culture of South Africa to the little-visited equatorial jungles that are home to the mountain and lowland gorillas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the continental SADC countries alone are home to large numbers of remarkable sights, stunning landscapes and moving experiences. Offshore, the French-influenced island countries of Mauritius, Seychelles, Comoros and Madagascar bask in the warm blue waters of the Indian Ocean, with Madagascar also famously offering the chance to view lemurs in their natural habitats.

The SADC countries are clearly blessed with a range of visitor attractions and, prior to the pandemic, many had long-standing, successful tourism industries. As a source of jobs, foreign exchange and contribution to GDP, tourism has the potential to be a catalyst for recovery across much of the region.

In almost all of the SADC countries, prior to the pandemic, the travel and tourism sector made a significant contribution to national GDP (see Figure 1, below). Not surprisingly, perhaps, that was greatest in Seychelles (40.5 per cent of GDP, or US$657.5 million) and Mauritius (18.8 per cent, or US$2.67 billion). In common with Namibia (14.7 per cent of GDP; US$1.98 billion) and Botswana (12.6 per cent; US$2.32 billion), these countries have earned praise (particularly Mauritius), for their good governance, social cohesion and sound economic management, all of which are essential underpinnings for a successful tourism industry. Less expected perhaps may be the industrys contribution to the GDP of Lesotho (12.3 per cent; largely driven by South African business travellers) and Madagascar (11.8 per cent; in this case, French leisure travellers are the single largest source market).

As might be expected from such figures, the industry is a significant provider of employment in many of the SADC countries. Once again, the leaders are Seychelles, Mauritius and Namibia, with the industry also accounting for a large number of jobs in the safari destinations of Botswana and Tanzania.

Of equal importance to local economies are foreign exchange earnings and the amount spent by international visitors. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, on average, each international tourist spends US$1,030 in overseas destinations. Among the SADC countries, the amount spent varies widely, from US$10 per visitor in the DRC, to US$2,500 in Angola, US$2,400 in Madagascar and US$2,120 in Comoros.[2] Putting aside the oil-inflated costs of Angola, the figures from Madagascar and Comoros seem to confirm the worth of having a unique, high-value (if not always easy or accessible), offering.

SADC as the Driver of a Tourism Revival

The SADC began life as the Southern African Development Co-ordination Conference (SADCC) in April 1980. With the objective of increasing the level of economic development in member states, the SADCC membership consisted of the independent, majority-ruled states of Southern Africa at that time: Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

In 1992, in the wake of a changing world order, the independence of Namibia in 1990 and the sense of an approaching end to apartheid in South Africa, the SADCC heads of state and government accepted that, while the organisation had done much to foster a greater sense of regional identity, it had fallen short in its goal of economic development. Recognising that greater levels of regional integration and a more formalised organisation to help achieve that were now required, the SADCC and the Memorandum of Understanding that governed it were replaced by the Declaration and Treaty Establishing the Southern African Development Community. The broad objectives of the SADC, as expressed in the Declaration and Treaty, are:

To achieve economic development; peace and security; growth; alleviate poverty; enhance the standard and quality of life of the peoples of Southern Africa; and support the socially disadvantaged through Regional Integration.

Also listed in the Declaration and Treaty are specific areas of co-operation, including food security, land and agriculture; infrastructure and services; industry, trade, investment and finance; human resources development, science and technology; natural resources and environment; social welfare, information and culture; politics, diplomacy and international relations.

It is an ambitious and worthy agenda. Over the intervening decades, the SADCs membership has expanded and, along with it, the number of official languages, from just the original English and Portuguese to also include French and, from 2019, Kiswahili.

In terms of reviving a post-COVID tourism industry, a valuable component of many regional economies, SADC Common Agenda policy number six seems particularly relevant: Promote and maximise productive employment. Of even greater relevance is the 1998 Protocol on the Development of Tourism, which sets out to:

build upon the regions potential as a tourist destination. SADC intends to ensure even distribution of tourism development throughout the region and to create a favourable environment for tourism, thereby using tourism as a vehicle for socio-economic development. As well, the Protocol establishes systems for facilitating travel to Southern Africa, training for industry workers, and marketing the region as a tourist destination.

The SADC thus has a clear mandate to drive the recovery of the regional tourism industry, in partnership with governments and the private sector. As is the case elsewhere, multinational hotel and tour operators, for instance, are better placed to ride out the COVID-19 storm than the many small- and medium-sized enterprises working in local tourism sectors. Keeping such small, local businesses alive must be a priority.

As much of the world cautiously opens up again, one way to do that could be for the SADC to revive its own, largely defunct, tourism marketing body, the Regional Tourism Organisation of Southern Africa (RETOSA). During the period when it was adequately funded, RETOSA was charged with encouraging tourism among SADC states and promoting the region to overseas travellers as a unique and varied destination. With funding restored, either RETOSA or the SADC Secretariats Tourism Unit could be an ideal vehicle for working with member governments, airlines, accommodation providers, tour operators and local industry representatives to craft marketing strategies for visitors from suitably low-risk countries to individual SADC countries, or one or more sub-regional groupings; for instance, a South African or Botswanan safari in combination with a visit to Victoria Falls, the deserts of Namibia, or further afield to one or more of the Indian Ocean islands.

In fact, as the country with the largest and most developed tourism industry, which is also home to the largest source market of intra-regional travellers, as well as the regions main airport hub at Johannesburg and a lesser hub at Cape Town, together with the greatest number of international road connections and the favourable exchange rate of the rand, South Africa is well-placed to act as the lead attraction in any co-ordinated campaign to showcase the appeal of the more southerly SADC countries in particular. Attractions worthy of promotion would include its safari, cultural, historical, culinary, viticultural, trekking and adventure offerings, all of which could be used to entice travellers to explore just a little further afield in, say, the wilderness and wildlife of Eswatini, Lesotho, Zambia or Zimbabwe, not to mention the beaches and islands of Mozambique.

Possible Challenges

The need to fund any such campaigns, including the need to restore funding to RETOSA, if it is to be the lead agency, may present a challenge. A possible solution may be the imposition of a small levy on accommodation bookings for non-SADC nationals.

With appropriate planning, the amount involved need not be large, perhaps ranging from between US$1 and US$2 per person per night, depending upon the type and location of the accommodation. Extra charges are never ideal, but, since the days of cheap, mass travel are unlikely to return for some time, the effect of a small additional sum on the majority of those making the journey to Southern Africa in this new era, be it for business or leisure, should still be quite manageable.

Possibly more challenging is a hurdle that has always been present across much of Africa: poor infrastructure. The region has enjoyed significant infrastructural improvements over the last decade, often funded (and largely constructed) by China, or, like the Kazungula Bridge over the Zambezi River to link Zambia and Botswana, funded by Japan. For the tourism sector, such new roads, railways and bridges have great value in making travel and border crossings speedier and easier. Beyond South Africa, the quality of transport infrastructure is generally lower; in places such as Malawi, the DRC and Madagascar, for instance, the quality of the road network can be abysmal. In such circumstances, COVID-safe air travel can often be the only option.

The health of the global civil aviation industry in the immediate post-COVID environment may be another potential impediment to a tourism-led recovery. With their high cost overheads and often thin profit margins, airlines have been hard hit by COVID-19. Around the world, a number of long-established airlines have already folded and the viability of those that remain has been seriously affected, such that further insolvencies are probably inevitable. In Southern Africa, as elsewhere, a reduced number of airlines offering fewer flights and charging higher fares may crimp the demand for travel.

It will, therefore, be more important than ever for the region that, in addition to being served by large, foreign airlines, its own carriers, with their extensive domestic and regional networks, remain viable. In the case of many of the smaller flag carriers, their continued survival, despite a frequent lack of profitability, hinges largely on being majority or entirely owned by their respective governments. The pressures on such airlines have only been magnified by the shutdowns, travel bans and unprecedented demands on the public purse of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Leading regional carriers South African Airways (SAA) and Air Mauritius are among the larger airlines in the SADC area most affected. Both were grappling with pre-existing profitability issues when the pandemic struck. Air Mauritius went into voluntary administration on 22 April, with a view to being restructured and restarted. The future of SAA, previously hanging in the balance, may now be looking a little brighter after Pretoria indicated that it would consider giving the airline a 21-billion rand ($1.8 billion) rescue package to pay off debts and ready itself for the post-COVID future. Given SAAs position as the regions main carrier (and one of Africas largest), if the airline were to fold, it and its feeder services would be sorely missed. Air connectivity across the region would certainly be poorer in its absence.

Also needing to be addressed in any regional tourism promotion campaign is the health aspect of travel. Airlines are at pains to reassure passengers that air travel in the COVID-19 era is safe and that their hospital-standard aircraft filtration systems do not spread the virus. Once a traveller has made peace with again being in aeroplane and airport environments, there remains the possibility of contracting COVID-19 while in Southern Africa. Although the relatively low incidence of cases across the region is, in most countries, largely due to low rates of testing, the likes of Mauritius, Seychelles, Botswana and Namibia have thus far contained the spread of the virus quite successfully. The favourable geography of those countries, as far-flung islands or sparsely populated, wide-open spaces, could certainly be used as a selling feature.

If done well, the potential is there for the SADC, via RETOSA, to reaffirm its value by leading a concerted regional effort to utilise the tourism sector as an agent of economic recovery. The travel and tourism industry cannot offer an across-the-board panacea but, with suitable marketing and measures taken to address potential challenges, it can offer the hope of an economic lifeline.

*****

[1] Based on estimates compiled by the US Bureau of the Census using statistics from national population censuses and other data sources.

[2] From World Tourism Organisation using most recent full-year data (2018), except: Botswana (2017), Zimbabwe (2017), DR Congo (2016), Lesotho (2013).

More:

Tourism as an Agent of Recovery in Post-COVID-19 Southern Africa - Future Directions International

Karolina and Barry Seath, together with their daughters seven-year-old Josephine and 11-year-old Georgina sold their home in Putney, southwest London, and are moving to Moyenne Island, a tiny island nature reserve off the north coast of Mahe in the Seychelles.

The family aim to create a coral farm that will repopulate the nearby reef, which has been devastated by climate change and other human-related factors.

They have set up a charity, Coral Reef Conservation UK, after witnessing the destruction of the coral reefs first-hand during family holidays to the Seychelles.

Barry said: Every time we visited the Seychelles, we noticed the coral was getting worse and worse. All the tourists say the same thing they love the beaches, but are really disappointed with the coral. They expect these lush coral reefs, but what they actually find is lots of coral rubble.

We felt the need to make a positive change for ourselves, our children and the world we had largely taken for granted.

The Seath family hopes that helping to rebuild the coral reefs will assist in boosting visitors numbers to the Seychelles in the future, as its tourist industry has been decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Their coral farm in the Seychelles will only be the second in the world the first one is on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. It is expected to take some three months to build the farm, at a cost of 25,000, but once complete, they aim to grow around 10,000 corals a year. These will be nurtured to a suitable size, and then transplanted on to the local reefs.

Moyenne Island was designated the worlds smallest national park in 2012, after its only inhabitant, British ex-pat Brendon Grimshaw, died. He bought the Seychelles island back in 1962 and lived there for four decades, during which time he planted thousands of trees and introduced native giant tortoises, which are still on the island.

Barry said: The island has an amazing history. There are stories of hotel groups and rich individuals wanting to buy the island from Brendon.

They told him he could just name his price, but he refused every time. He didnt want it to be developed.

We hope to honor Brendons legacy, by using the island as the venue of our first coral farm.

Read the original here:

British Family Of Four Relocates To Tiny Island In The Seychelles - Scuba Diver Magazine

What do you think of when you hear the word "tortoise"?

The giant tortoises that roam like tanks over the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific and the Seychelles Islands in the Indian Ocean? The gopher tortoises of the Southeast that dig long underground burrows to which they retreat for safety? The endangered desert tortoises of the Southwest?

According to research biologist Jeff Lovich, co-author of "Turtles of the United States and Canada," female desert tortoises eat rocks and soils, presumably to acquire calcium for egg production. These represent only a few of the 65 species of terrestrial turtles we call tortoises. To fully appreciate the diversity of tortoises on a global scale, consider these lesser-known examples with special attributes of their own.

In addition to inhabiting oceanic island complexes of the Galapagos and Seychelles, tortoises are native to North and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia. Australias reputation as a home for bizarre animals doesnt extend to tortoises. No tortoises of any kind are found there. Several African tortoises, not as well known as the bulky American ones or the giants of the island complexes, are intriguing in their own right. Morphological or behavioral traits qualify some as unique.

Among the worlds tiniest species of tortoises are the five-toed padlopers. One from South Africa is referred to as the "worlds smallest tortoise." Most adults reach a shell length of less than 4 inches. Africa is home not only to the smallest but also the largest tortoise found on the mainland of any continent. The spurred tortoise, also called the sulcata, can weigh more than 200 pounds. They are native to the territory south of the Sahara across northern Africa.

One group, the African tent tortoises, are beautiful. Their highly domed black shells with bright yellow geometric designs are a colorful example of Mother Natures art. They are among the few turtles to be preyed upon by ostriches. These are small tortoises, reaching lengths only slightly larger than the familiar eastern box turtle. Box turtles are terrestrial, but they are not tortoises. They belong to a family of mostly aquatic turtles found from Canada to South America.

Box turtles are noted for an anatomical trait possessed by several turtle species; a hinge on their bottom shell allows them to close up completely so that their head and limbs are protected, tightly encased in a hard shell. The hinge-back tortoise of Africa also has a hinge mechanism, but one found in no other turtle in the world -- the hinge is on the back of the shell instead of the bottom. The males of the African padloper tortoises are distinctive in changing color during the breeding season. The front part of the face turns orange.

A favorite of mine is the pancake tortoise of east Africa. These little tykes live in rugged terrain with lots of rock crevices. Their shell is flatter and the plates thinner and more flexible than any other tortoise anywhere. Being stepped on by large hoofed mammals is one of their natural threats. When they feel the vibrations of an approaching herd, they quickly run to a rock crevice and wedge themselves in. This behavior also helps them escape predators that are unable to dislodge them. The leopard tortoise of eastern and southern Africa has a striking appearance, with juveniles and young adults living up to its name by having dark spots on a yellow shell. They are also found in mountainous elevations above 9,000 feet, higher than most turtles globally.

One unfortunate feature of most African tortoises, one they have in common with turtles worldwide, is that their numbers in the wild have been dramatically decreased. The decline for some is nearing extinction in the wild. Illegal poaching for the pet trade is a common threat for many. Unregulated land development is a continual problem. Unless these two problems are brought under control, we could lose some fascinating creatures forever.

Whit Gibbons, professor emeritus of ecology, University of Georgia, grew up in Tuscaloosa. He received bachelors and masters degrees from the University of Alabama and his Ph.D. from Michigan State University. Send environmental questions to ecoviews@gmail.com.

Read more:

ECOVIEWS: Tortoises of all sizes roam the globe - Gadsden Times

Many of the world's greatest travel destinations are reopening to international travelers this summer.

But not all openings are created equal. A handful of countries are letting in everyone, while others are inviting only a select few.

Here is a definitive guide to the countries that are now welcoming travelers or have indicated they will before August.

Do consider:

Some of the Caribbean's most famous islands are already open, including Antigua,Jamaica,the U.S. Virgin Islands and St. Lucia.

The Bahamas officially reopens its borders on July 1.

Per Breiehagen

On June 15, theBahamaswelcomed yachts and private flights; everyone else can join from July 1. Bermuda is opening its borders to travelers who comply with these measureson July 1. Also on the first day of July, Aruba welcomes residents of Canada, Europe and other Caribbean islands (excluding the Dominican Republic and Haiti); Americans can join on July 10.

Puerto Rico's borders open on July 15.Travelers to Turks and Caicos will need to wait a little longer; it opens July 22.

Other islands are more commitment-phobic.Keith Mitchell, the prime minister of Grenada,posted on Facebook that the country is considering June 30 as a "possible date for reopening." The French isle of Saint Martin indicated visitors could come as early as July 1, but nothing official has been announced.

Note: Some islands, including St. Lucia and Bermuda, are requiring negative Covid-19 tests within 48 to 72 hours before departure.

After a patchwork of internal border announcements in May, the EU announced Wednesday that non-Europeans would be allowed to enter from July 1.

The travel ban will be lifted "gradually and partially," said European Commission Vice President Josep Borrell. Americans are not expected to make the first cut, instead the Commission recommended lifting travel restrictions for Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia first.

Regarding internal borders, Italy and Bulgaria have alreadyreopened their borders to residents of most European countries.Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, Hungary, Montenegro, Portugal, Slovenia and Slovakia have also loosened regulations, albeit to a more restricted list of countries.

Italy has reopened its borders to most European countries but not everyone has returned the gesture.

Suttipong Sutiratanachai

In mid-June, the continent took a giant leap forward to reopen internally for summer travel. On June 13, Poland reopened its borders to EU nations. On June 15, Germany lifted a travel ban to 31 European countries, Greece to 29 countries (including Australia) and the Netherlands to 12 EU countries. Iceland, Belgium, Franceand Switzerlandopened their borders to all EU and Schengen Area travelers, though travelers from U.K. are subject to a 14-day quarantine in France.

June 15 also marks easing of restrictions among the Nordic countries ofNorway, Denmark and Finland.The countries are excluding Sweden, which has taken a more lax approach to contain coronavirus infections.

Spain moved plans to open its borders forward; residents of EU and Schengen Area nations (except for Portugal) can enter starting June 21.The Schengen Area is a group of 26 European countries that includes non-EU countries like Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland.

A few considerations:

Asia is largely closed to foreign holidaymakers for the time being. Most countrieshave not announced dates when they will open, though the Indonesian island of Bali is said to be reopening in October.

Rumors that Thailand was opening to international travelers on July 1 were squashed last month when Yuthasak Supasorn, the governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, said tourists may return in the fourth quarter of the year "at the earliest."

Opening July 1, the Maldives is allowing travelers in without new visa requirements and fees.

amriphoto

So where can you explore in Asia? Private jets and yachts are already welcome in the Maldives, and commercial airlines are scheduled to resume from July 1. After announcing testing and visa protocols, the country appears to be backing off those requirements for now.

On June 17, Taiwan opened its borders, albeit ever so slightly. Short-term business travelers from select Asia Pacific countries can enter (though shortenedquarantine requirements still apply). Japan is also allowing select business travelers from Vietnam and Thailand to enter as early as July.

Turkey has indicated it will be welcoming tourists in July, as has the Caucasus nation of Georgia (though who exactly can enter Georgia is unclear).

Sri Lanka is preparing to reopen its borders to all nationalities on Aug. 1, if individuals can produce proof of medical insurance, plan to stay at least five nights, and can show a negative Covid-19 test taken less than 72 hours before departure. Travelers to the "teardrop island" will also undergo a second test upon arrival.

On June 11, Cambodia announced foreign travelers could enter upon paying a $3,000 depositto cover a mandatory Covid-19 test, hotel stays (pending results or for as long as 14 days, should anyone on your flight test positive), necessary treatment fees and even a funeral (the latter valued at $1,500).

French Polynesia announced tourists from all countries can arrive from July 15.

The country, which includes Tahiti, Mo'orea and Bora Bora, is requiring travelers to have either a negative Covid-19 test (administered 72 hours before departure) or an "immunity certificate" that proves you've recovered from a previous infection. Travelers may be retested during their stay.

Travel to the U.S. is prohibited for some nationalities; all others may be subject to state-mandated quarantines, such as Hawaii's 14-day quarantine requirement that was extended this week to July 31.

Canada has two-week quarantine requirements too. The border closure for nonessential travel between the U.S. and Canada has been extended through July 21, though it's reported some Americans are entering via a "loophole" that allows travelers to transit through Canada in order to drive to Alaska.

The Riviera Maya in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo is open to international travelers.

Marianna Massey

Mexico is opening state by state, and Quintana Roo home to Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel and Tulum opened this week. Los Cabos officially reopened on June 15, and flights from major U.S. cities, such as Los Angeles, Dallas and Chicago, are scheduled to resume in late June to July.

Mexico's travel industry has been hindered by a joint agreement between Mexico and the U.S. that restricts nonessential travel until July 21. Mexico has also been named one of seven coronavirus "international hot spots" a list that also includes the United States.

From Israel to Qatar, much of the Middle East is not open for travel yet.

A trip to Dubai may be possible in the latter half of the summer. It's reported to be opening sometime between July to September.

Popular African tourist destinations, such as Morocco and South Africa, have not announced plans to loosen border restrictions yet.

After widespread reports that South Africa wouldn't open until 2021, the country's tourism officials clarified this week that this was a "worst-case scenario" and that it hopes to welcome travelers by September.

Last week, the Seychelles opened to tourists arriving on a private jet, chartered flight or yacht.Plans to resume commercial flights are set for July.

Commerical flights are expected to resume to the Seychelles in July.

amriphoto

Tunisia is opening land, air and sea borders to residents from Algeria and select European nations, including Germany and the U.K., from June 27.

Tanzania unconditionally welcomed tourists from all nations in May, one of the earliest countries to do so. The country has been criticized for a lack of transparency regarding infection rates, as well as statements by President John Magufuli that the coronavirus could be cured by drinking ginger and lemonade. He also said the virus had been removed from Tanzania "by the powers of God" despite evidence to the contrary.

Much of South America including Bolivia, Brazil, Chile and Peru remains off-limits to international travelers for the time being.

Colombia banned all passenger flights until at least Aug. 31. Argentina has a similar flight ban through Sept.1, though there is talk of bringing this date forward to July.

Read more:

Which countries are open for summer travel? Here's the list - CNBC

From cleaning robots to canceled breakfast buffets, hotels are pulling out the stops to ensure a safe environment for their guests and staff during the global pandemic.

But what about fellow travelers? Are they healthy, are they wearing masks and does it seem like the man in the room next door coughs a lot?

For those who don't want to worry about these concerns and who can afford it a new trend is emerging. The hotel "buyout" secures the entire premises the rooms, restaurants, pool, spa and more solely for your traveling group. And more and more hotels are promoting the option to entice affluent clientele to travel this year.

Cost: 7,000 euros ($7,885) a night

Built in 1180, Kilkea Castle has a richly-detailed history of owners and inhabitants.

Courtesy of Kilkea Castle

One group of up to 26 guests can book all 11 bedrooms and suites in this 840-year-oldmedieval Irish castle.

Located 45 minutes from Dublin Airport, Kilkea Castle has everything castles are supposed to have a manicured rose garden, grand salon, courtyard, horse riding, archery, falconry (always falconry) plus modern updates like a spa, hydrotherapy pool and 4x4 off-roading excursions. The immaculate 18-hole golf course is a nice touch too.

Guests who book the castle have the entire staff at their service and are assured total privacy in the on-site restaurant and bar. A stay includes breakfast, tennis, fishing and access to the 180-estate grounds.

When to book: Kilkea Castle is scheduled to reopen on July 2, though Ireland is imposing a mandatory 14-day quarantine on international travelers at least through July 9.

Cost: From $14,995 a night

Cayo Espanto has seven villas, each different from the other.

Courtesy of Cayo Espanto

Up to 18 guests can have exclusive use of Cayo Espanto, a 4-acre private island resort located 3 miles off the coast of Belize. The island comprises seven villas six on the beach, one over the water each with private dock, pool, butler service and beach area.

At $14,995, buyouts are "cheapest" in the summer and fall; the Christmas and spring rates are costlier. The rate includes all meals and snacks, most drinks, boat transfers and activities such as fishing, snorkeling and use of a sailboat.

To get there, international travelers need to fly to Belize City, take a short flight to San Pedro followed by a 7-minute boat ride. Alternatively, you can fly direct from Belize City via private helicopter for $1,200 each way.

When to book:July 1 was announced as the tentative target date to reopen Belize, but this has not been confirmed.

Cost: From $35,000 a night

Niyama Private Islands Maldives has two islands: Chill (in the foreground) and Play.

Courtesy of Niyama Private Islands Maldives

While the "one resort per island" rule in the Maldives is practically sacrosanct, Niyama Private Islands Maldives breaks the mold by dividing itself over two. There's Play for ocean adventurists and Chill for relaxation and spa seekers.

All 134 villas and pavilions on both islands can be booked for $130,000 per night, which includes all meals (or "full board" in Maldives parlance), a team of personal butlers, water sports, surfing and access to the kids' club.

For those who don't mind sharing a little, 30 villas can be booked for approximately 65 adults for $40,000 per night. It's not an exclusive buyout of the hotel, but this option also includes all meals and butler service, plus a lunch at Subsix, the resort's underwater restaurant.

Smaller groups can buy out Naladhu Private Island; 50 guests can book 20 houses all with private pools for $35,000 per night (for a minimum of three nights). It comes with access to a luxury private yacht for a day of snorkeling and island hopping.

When to book: The resort is now open. Private jets and yachts are already welcome in the Maldives, and commercial airlines are scheduled to resume from July 1.

Cost: 330,000 euros ($372,000) for one week, plus taxes

A buyout of the Six Senses Zil Pasyon gives you access to the entire resort, including the four-bedroom residence (shown here).

Courtesy of Six Senses Zil Pasyon

There is but one resort on Felicit Island the fifth largest in the Seychelles archipelago and that's the Six Senses Zil Pasyon. The hotel can be booked for exclusive weekly stays for up to 20 guests, though additional nights and guests are negotiable.

Granite boulders, elevated terrain and lush forests cover the island, which has 30 one- and two-bedroom villas and two secluded residences. All meals are included as are access to resort facilities and activities ranging from blue water fishing and sunset cruises to guided snorkeling at Koko Island Sanctuary.

Felicit Island is located 30 miles northeast of Seychelles International Airport; from there it's a 20-minute private helicopter ride or one-hour motor yacht trip to reach the island.

When to book: The resort is currently open and accessible to international guests arriving via private jet, chartered flight or yacht. Commercial flights are scheduled to resume in July.

Follow this link:

Here's how much it costs to buy out an entire luxury hotel during the pandemic - CNBC

MOVIE REVIEW

FOUR KIDS AND IT

Rated PG. On Amazon Prime, VUDU, iTunes and other digital platforms.

Grade: B+

Based on the book by Jacqueline Wilson, Four Kids and It features Michael Caine as the voice of a computer-generated creature that may remind some of the rabbit that Alice follows down a hole in Alice in Wonderland. Also in the film are Matthew Goode (Downton Abbey) as divorced dad David caring for his two children, Rosalind aka Ros (Teddie Malleson-Allen) and Robbie (Billy Jenkins); and Paula Patton (Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol) as Alice, mother of angry teen Samantha aka Smash (Ashley Aufderheide) and her little sister Maudie (Ellie-Mae Siame). When Brit David and American Alice surprise their children by announcing their relationship and taking everyone unannounced to a blended holiday by the beach in Cornwall, the children are not having it.

Although they are both 13 years old, Smash, who is loud and hostile, wants nothing to do with Ros, and the feeling is mutual. Smash wants to be with her father, who is in the Seychelles. Ros, an aspiring novelist, wants her father to reconcile with her mother, who is a university student again and finding herself. Nine-year-old Robbie, for his part, only remembers long silences and emotional repression.

On a walk on the cliff overlooking the beach, Smash falls down a hole and discovers a tunnel. The other children follow and find themselves on a small, secluded beach, where something steals one of Maudies shoes.

That something is Psammead (the P is silent), a mythical sand creature, who lives under the beach, collecting offerings. Psammead can grant wishes. But he can only grant one wish per day and the wish only lasts until sunset.

Also on the scene is a fun Russell Brand as Lord Tristan Trent III, one of the local gentry, who lives in an enormous mansion with a magnificent view, as he is wont to remind everyone, and is obviously hunting for something on the cliffs and beaches of Cornwall none too successfully.

Four Kids and It, which was filmed in Ireland, is, for the most part, a lot of fun. Director Andy De Emmony of Red Dwarf fame knows a thing or two about making dialogue sparkle. The actors playing the children are quite good, and Goode and Patton have a nice, if not scintillating, chemistry.

Caine is a gifted comic actor as he has demonstrated many times, and his personality comes beaming through the digital CG costume. Floppy-eared E.T.-like Psammead even resembles Caine somewhat.

Scenes in which Smash wishes herself into a being a pop star for a day are impressively staged. A fight involving a backhoe is not well staged or smart, and jokes about Alices terrible cooking grow wearisome.

When a 19th century version of Trent grabs Ros phone and demands, What sorcery is this? I had to laugh. But what on earth is a sequence in which Trent turns into a James Bond villain all about?

Throw in the E.T. ending and, yes, that tacky, kiddie cinema-staple, a gag-worthy gaggle of hugs. Still, missteps notwithstanding, the kids, er, that is the children (and It) save the day.

(Four Kids and It contains fantasy violence and rude humor.)

Read more from the original source:

Four Kids and It = one winning family movie - Boston Herald

The USS Carney departs Naval Station Rota, Spain, for the last time as a Forward-Deployed Naval Forces-Europe asset on June 27. U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Peter Lewis

ROTA, Spain TheArleighBurke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carneydeparted Naval Station Rotafor the last time as a Forward Deployed Naval Forces-Europe (FDNF-E) assetonJune 27.

USS Roosevelt, named after the 32nd President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor, replaced Carney in the first of four scheduled homeport shifts to occur in support of theU.S.Navys long-range plan to gradually rotate the Rota-based destroyers.

Carneys role as one of our forward-deployed destroyers in Spain has been the cornerstone of the United States commitment to our NATO allies and partners and to our combined integrated air and missile defense architecture, said Vice Adm. Lisa M. Franchetti, commanderof theU.S. 6th Fleet. Through all five years worth of operations and exercises, Carney Sailors set the bar high for readiness, interoperability and combat effectiveness.

Carney came to C6F on Sept. 25, 2015, as one of the first Rota-based FDNF-E destroyers under commander, Task Force (CTF). Carney began operational tasking in the C6F area of operation immediately upon arrival, conducting operations in the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Eastern Atlantic Ocean, Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and Persian Gulf.

The ship conducted 55 port calls throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In an effort to maintain and improve efforts towards Partnership for Peace, Carney conducted six at-sea maritime training exercises and one passing exercisewith partner nations in the Black Sea. Additionally, the ship participated in 11 large-scale exercises in the European theater, improving relations with both NATO allies and partners to include exercise Sea Breeze 2019.

Working in 6th Fleet and under the direction of CTF 65 has been a phenomenal experience, said Cmdr. Christopher J. Carrol, Carneys commanding officer. We were extremely blessed for the opportunities to meet the objectives of the Fleet.

On her seventh and final patrolthisspring, Carney conducted atacticalcontrol shift from C6F to5th Fleet in support of national tasking alongside the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (ARG). The unconventional FDNF-E patrol included port visits to the Seychelles and to Cape Town, South Africa, which reinforced the partnership between the U.S. and South Africa. While transiting back to Rota, Spain, Carney became the most recent ship in naval history to circumnavigate Africa instead of transiting north through the Suez Canal.

Carneys departure is a proud moment for all of us, said Capt. Joseph A. Gagliano, commander, Task Force (CTF) 65. In addition to the crew departing with pride for a job well done, we are proud to return Carney in peak readiness condition. Both the ship and crew are ready for any mission.

Carney is scheduled to return to its former homeport of Mayport, Florida.

Original post:

USS Carney Concludes Time as FDNF-E Asset with 6th Fleet - SEAPOWER Magazine Online

17 June 2020 | Cabinet Business

President Danny Faure chaired a scheduled meeting of the Cabinet today, Wednesday 17th June at which a number of legal and policy memoranda were considered.

Cabinet approved amendments to the Government Exchange Policy for Houses and Land.

Cabinet approved for the undertaking of emergency coastal restoration and rehabilitation works along the 150 metres shoreline of Amitie, Anse Kerlan, Praslin.

Cabinet approved amendments to the Companies (Amendment of Seventh Schedule) Order, 2020.

Cabinet also approved the Companies (Prescribed Forms) Regulations, 2020.

Cabinet approved for the gazetting of the Authorisation and Publication Bill, 2020.

Cabinet approved the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Bill, 2020.

Cabinet also approved the Broadcasting and Telecommunications (Records of Customers of Prepaid Mobile Services by Operators of Public Land Mobile Network) Regulations, 2009.

Cabinet approved for the Ministry of Environment Energy and Climate Change and the City of Victoria via the Office of the Mayor, to enter into an agreement with the Syndicat Interdpartemental Pour lAssainissement de lAgglomration Parisienne (SIAAP) and the ECOGLOBAL Foundation Tanzania for the treatment of Victoria waste water.

Cabinet also approved for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in Science and Technology between the Government of the Republic of South Africa and the Government of the Republic of Seychelles.

Cabinet was briefed on a number of innovative projects conceptualized by NISTI that will prove beneficial in tackling the effects of COVID-19 on the country.

Cabinet approved the setting up of the National Structure of the African Peer Review (APRM) mechanism for the Republic of Seychelles.

Read more here:

Cabinet Business- 17 June 2020 - News - Office of the President of the Republic of Seychelles

16 June 2020 | State House

President Danny Faure chaired another consultative session with key representatives of government and private sector at State House this morning. This sixth session follows a series of collaborative meetings on the economic response to COVID-19.

During the session, the Governor of the Central Bank of Seychelles, Ms Caroline Abel, shared feedback on the points raised in the last meeting following her discussions with representatives of the private sector and the Board of the Central Bank of Seychelles.

Members also reviewed the ongoing implementation of the Financial Assistance for Job Retention programme (FA4JR) that has been extended to December 2020.

Representatives of the private sector expressed their concerns regarding alternative schemes for small and medium sized businesses who are also in need of financial assistance and urged the Government to consider these concerns.

Members present also commented on the proposed establishment of the Seychelles Employee Transition Scheme (SETS) to support those that will be made redundant as a result of the economic impacts of COVID-19. The representatives requested a more in-depth explanation of the companys modality and structure to help them to better understand its objectives.

The next consultative session will be held next Tuesday 23 June 2020.

Present for the meeting at State House was the Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine, Mr Didier Dogley, Minister for Finance, Trade, Investment and Economic Planning, Mr Maurice Loustau-Lalanne, Minister for Employment, Immigration and Civil Status, Mrs Miriam Telemaque, the Attorney General, Mr Frank Ally, the Special Advisor for Employment, Ms Veronique Bresson, the Chairperson of SCCI, Mr Oliver Bastienne, the Secretary-General of SFWU, Mr Antoine, the Executive Secretary of GETUS, Mrs Tina Hoarau, the Chairperson of SHTA, Mrs Sybille Cardon, the Vice-Chairperson of SHTA, Mr Allen Mason, Secretary General SCCI, Mrs Iouana Pillay, the Chief Policy Analyst for Department of Employment, Ms Susan Morel, Director General for Employment Promotion, Mrs Letimie Dookley and representative of the La Digue Business Association, Mr Jose St Ange.

Read more from the original source:

President Faure chairs meeting with multisectoral representatives - News - Office of the President of the Republic of Seychelles

By: Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas | 0Shares 11Reads

June 17, 2020 // Franchising.com // For anyone who has been storing up an amazing celebration or get-together, Felicit Island, Seychelles is a private island to reconnect with each other far removed from the connected world. It is unspoiled yet enhanced with every creature comfort. A destination to be indulged and pampered yet isolated. And now this truly unique experience as in the entire island is offered for exclusive use for just 20 guests. Who to choose?

Set amid undulating and dramatic granite boulders with pockets of jewel-like beaches and untouched nature, Felicit Island is home to the incomparable Six Senses Zil Pasyon. It is a personal playground of uncompromising privacy from which to escape the chaos of todays world.

Comprising just 28 one-bedroom and two two-bedroom spacious pool villas and two striking residences, the island offers exceptional seclusion nestled among the tropical landscape with uninterrupted ocean vistas from private decks and swimming pools.

For a personalized escape, Six Senses Zil Pasyon is offering the exclusive island experience for EUR 330,000 for private groups of up to 20 guests for a one-week stay. The rate is subject to government tax and a service charge.

Included in the total island experience are:

The following activities are there for the taking (included once weekly):

Six Senses Zil Pasyon is located 30 miles (55 kilometers) northeast of Mah International Airport and is accessible only by a scenic 20-minute private helicopter journey or an exhilarating one-hour boat trip on a private motor yacht. For private jets, landing permits are subject to government approval and are the sole responsibility of the client to obtain them.

* Please note that due to government social distancing, rules and regulations may apply to excursions on boats and may be limited to four people per boat. These regulations are subject to change without prior notice. It is also currently prohibited to visit any other islands in the Seychelles based on new government rules due to COVID-19. Please contact the resort for ongoing updates to government policy.

SOURCE Six Senses

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Read more:

Exclusive Use of a Private Island at Six Senses Zil Pasyon, the Ultimate Playground in Paradise - Franchising.com

Seychelles-based exchanges led the world in cross-border Bitcoin (BTC) transactions in 2019. What Switzerland is to the world of watchmaking, Seychelles is to the world of crypto exchanges.

The small island nation with a total population of less than 100,000, presents a perfect playground for the enterprises that are looking for a place that allows them to optimize their tax liabilities with regulators who operate with a light touch.

The report by Crystal Blockchain examined flows of Bitcoin between exchanges around the world. Seychelles exchanges led in terms of both funds sent and received.

International Flow of Bitcoins. Source. Crystal

It should be noted that the report considers Binance (BNB) to be a Seychelles exchange. In 2019, 12 local exchanges received $15.83 billion worth BTC from foreign exchanges and sent $20.83 billion worth of BTC. The 25 U.S.-based exchanges took the silver with $18 billion total cross-border turnover.

The most active international trade routes are Seychelles EU, Seychelles US, and Seychelles South Korea, each connection producing volumes in excess of $2 billion.

As regulators around the world move to tighten control over digital assets, it will be interesting to watch what effect it will have on the world of crypto exchanges. Whether more trading will migrate to the jurisdictions that offer better investor protections or perhaps, the opposite happening as a form of protest against the governments overreach.

More:

Tiny Tax Haven Accounts for $36B of Cross-Border BTC Transactions - Cointelegraph

Empty streets in Cape Town, Africa during the lockdown from COVID-19. The economic damage from the pandemic has been widespread, with tourism, hospitality and aviation grinding to a halt in nearly all of the African countries.

Photo: Shutterstock

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Africas response to the coronavirus pandemic was quicker and more comprehensive than any other region globally. South Africa was one of the speediest, closing down its borders and putting residents into physical lockdown even before it announced its first death from COVID-19.

The pace at which African leaders acted undoubtedly served populations well. Only 100,000 infections were recorded over the first 100 days, among a population of more than $1.2 billion.

Since May, nations have been lifting restrictions in order to resume economic activity. Case numbers have been accelerating, with more than 100,000 new cases recorded in less than 20 days.

As COVID-19 spreads, the majority of African countries have no option but to prioritize economic needs over the health implications of the virus; the limited fiscal headroom of most African governments doesnt enable them to offer the same sort of safety nets that have been made available in the United States, U.K., Europe and elsewhere.

As with Europe, not all African nations have been equally affected by the virus. Mauritius is worthy of note. As of June 15, with only two active cases, restrictions have been lifted and the nations famous white sandy beaches and blue lagoons are once again open to the public; but the countrys borders remain closed. Mauritius is among five nations where levels of testing are the highest per capita on the continent. The others are South Africa, Djibouti, Seychelles and Cabo Verde. African countries have more than tripled the number of total tests completed from around 785,000 in May to over 2.3 million in June. Maintaining or increasing this momentum may well be crucial for avoiding a second wave.

While there has been a lot of speculation as to whether relatively low infection rates in Africa are the result of demographics, prior experience fighting infectious disease or simply low levels of testing and reporting, what appears to matter most are the actions of governments to encourage their citizens to alter their behavior and to avoid risky situations so as to reduce transmission levels.

The majority of fatalities more than 70% have occurred in only five nations, namely Algeria, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Sudan, but the economic damage has been far more widespread, with tourism, hospitality and aviation grinding to a halt in nearly all nations. Other sectors such as mining, fast-moving consumer goods and agribusiness were also hit due to trade disruptions and government restrictions. Car sales have collapsed, hitting automotive sectors in South Africa and Morocco particularly hard. Among notable victims is Kenyas horticulture sector, deprived of export markets to Europe because of international travel restrictions. Small traders, the backbone of many economies, have not been spared, with incomes falling by 80% since the introduction of quarantine measures in many cases. Meanwhile, acute financial market stress, commodity price volatility and currency weakness has dramatically reduced governments revenues.

The most crucial aspect of the continents economic recovery will undoubtedly be fiscal policy support, a field in which some African heads of states are showing deftness and resolve. Ghana became the first sub-Saharan African country to cut interest rates, followed by Kenya, where the Central Bank has worked with commercial banks to provide relief to individual borrowers as well as corporate borrowers.

COVID-19 Response Plans in Sub-Saharan Africa

Across Africa, 28 countries have implemented tax relief measures, and 16 have adapted their regulations to encourage mobile money transactions. In Togo, the government introduced Novissi, a temporary digital cash transfer program that sent funds to citizens through mobile money. According to Anit Mukherjee, policy fellow at the Center for Global Development and co-author of the centers recent report on state-powered digital payment schemes, as of mid-April, over 1.1 million Togolese citizens 13% of the population had registered for Novissi with around 450,000 people (65% of which were women) proving eligible beneficiaries and receiving up to 35% of the minimum wage.

In the medium term, African markets must maintain fiscal deficits at sustainable levels while introducing measures to stimulate growth. Tough choices lie ahead for African leaders who must balance the impetus for self-reliance in food and essential supplies, with the need to increase regional and continental trade and integration.

Without greater regional trade, efforts to restore growth on the continent will be anaemic. Set to start on July 1, 2020, but postponed to January 2021, the commencement of trading under the African Continental Free Trade Area will be a welcome stimulus for Africas post-coronavirus recovery.

Globally, we have seen welcome levels of support from traditional lenders such as the IMF, the World Bank, G-20 finance ministers and non-concessional lenders, particularly China providing both medical assistance, financial stimulus and debt relief. The G-20 group of the wealthiest countries in the world, including China, have granted 40 African nations a debt repayment holiday up to the end of 2020, and possibly longer. That debt is estimated at $20 billion in total, still leaving more than $56 billion to pay, according to Beijing-based consultancy Development Reimagined.

Choosing which industries to support and which to abandon in an effort to structurally transform an economy will be a hallmark of leadership in the coming months. Administrations will want to closely review the role of their parastatals and state-owned enterprises. Some SOEs will be called on to assume ownership of ailing private companies, while others will be quietly merged or abandoned.

The coronavirus pandemic has redefined risk and opportunity on the continent. After years of creeping liberalization, the state is now being challenged to step in as employer of last resort, insurer of last resort and possibly even shareholder of last resort, in areas where the market will not assume the risk. Judging what is viable and acceptable, and at what point state intervention crowds out private enterprise, is a debate that will occupy African societies over the next five years and beyond.

The continent that recorded the greatest increase in regulatory reforms since 2013 now looks set to witness an even greater wave of regulation. What emerges will be determined by the quality of dialogue between government and civil society and the administrative capacity of governments.

See the rest here:

COVID-19 Is the Biggest Test African Governments Have Ever Faced - BRINK

From cheap deals and health screening, to group charters and party ships, the cruise industry is working hard to rebuild its appeal. Anthony Pearce, co-founder of Cruise Adviser magazine, reports on what lies ahead

Since the beginning of the outbreak of the Covid-19, cruise ships have provided visual representations of the pandemics devastation the images of a quarantined Diamond Princess off the port of Yokohama in early February will linger long in the mind.

As the virus spread, borders were closed and lockdowns introduced, ships were caught up in a global panic and forced to take circuitous routes back to land after ports refused access regardless of whether cases of coronavirus had been recorded on board or not.

In April, in a piece that infuriated the travel industry, The Guardian described cruise ships as floating dungeons and ideal incubators of infectious diseases. The article argued that even prior to coronavirus, cruise ships had fairly common outbreaks of norovirus, a vomiting bug.

In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes these outbreaks as relatively infrequent, but does note that close living quarters may increase the amount of group contact, while people joining the ship may bring viruses to other passengers and crew, as appears to be the case in Australia, where infected cruise guests helped to spread Covid-19.

Some have since accused cruise lines of being too slow to cancel itineraries, with some ships continuing to sail after the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared coronavirus to be a pandemic on March 11. But, to put it in context: that same day, Viking Cruises became the first to suspend its operations some 12 days before the UK entered lockdown and others followed suit soon after.

Its obvious now, in hindsight, that the whole world should have acted sooner and taken different steps to mitigate the spread of Covid-19, says Andy Harmer, director of the Cruise Line International Association (Clia), UK and Ireland. Cruise lines took immediate and aggressive action in response to this crisis with policies and protocols that went above and beyond the actions of other industries.

However, cruises proximity to the outbreak and the criticism that has followed will no doubt have a long-term effect on customers willingness to get back on board.

According to a survey by The Independent in April, of those who have previously sailed, three in ten said they would not do so again. In lieu of a vaccine, cruise lines must ask: how do they protect their guests, deal with potential outbreaks in future, and convince customers to come back on board?

Prior to Covid-19, the cruise industry had been experiencing record growth: the total number of ocean-going cruise ships on order was estimated to be 124 an investment of about US$69 billion.

This had been spurred on by two things: the fierce loyalty of the cruise customer, who returns time and time again to the holiday type and their preferred brands; and the growing new-to-cruise market, which is estimated to account for about 40 per cent of passengers.

Richard Bransons Virgin Voyages has been particularly designed to appeal to this younger demographic, but its launch has been (unsurprisingly) delayed until at least October. With pent-up hedonism abound among more virus-resistant millennials and Gen Zs, it hopes to do well.

It is undoubtedly past customers who will provide the launchpad from which the industry re-emerges. Getting first-timers on board will be a considerable challenge even with cruise lines promoting incredible offers.

We certainly believe we can get new-to-cruise guests onboard and have seen this through a number of new customer enquiries during lockdown, Francesco Galli Zugaro, founder and CEO of Aqua Expeditions, a small-ship specialist, adding: We have always been very transparent with our guests on our strict health and safety policy; this will be even more important moving forwards.

Zugaro says that small-ship cruise lines and those offering group charter were well placed in future, noting that its ships only visit remote destinations, far removed from crowded areas, with a focus on nature and wildlife regions.

Similarly, luxury lines, who operate ships where space is in abundance and who target customers more likely to have avoided a loss in earnings during lockdown, may be better equipped to weather the storm.

Wybcke Meier, the CEO of the Germany brand Tui Cruises, told The Telegraph that she is convinced that in the long-term the demand for premium and luxury cruises will not change, predicting that we will see the demand for cruises return to pre-crisis level within 12 to 18 months.

Cruise operators will need to be rigorous in their sanitation procedures and inventive in their planning. Uniworld has announced that all guests will be required to complete health screening prior to embarkation; disinfectant wipes will be available throughout the ship; while gloves, face masks and bottles of hand sanitiser will readily available for all guests.

The luxury river line also added that shared food items such as butter and communal snacks such as cookies will now be served individually; restaurant dining will be reserved (to ensure guests are sat with the same people each day); and for excursions, the maximum occupancy per bus will be reduced.

Avalon, another luxurious river cruise line, has promised similar things, adding that it will reduce capacity on board; a sentiment echoed by Royal Caribbean International, which operates the worlds largest cruise ships. The lines president and CEO Michael Bayley has also said that, to begin with, there will no buffets on its ships. (Interestingly, Virgin Voyages banned buffets from the outset.)Carnival Cruise Line has said it plans to resume service on August 1 with eight ships less than a third of its fleet, which is the largest in the world noting that it is taking a measured approach, focusing our return to service on a select number of homeports where we have more significant operations that are easily accessible by car for the majority of our guests.

For now, much is out of the cruise lines hands. The CDC, whose no-sail order in the US was first issued on March 14, originally for a month, says it does not have enough information to say when it will be safe for cruise ships to resume sailing and has not discussed timetables with cruise lines. For now, its a case of waiting and planning.

The cruise industry is resilient and Im confident that when the time is right, we will welcome back people who enjoy cruising and also newcomers, says Harmer. There is no doubt that the cruise industry will emerge stronger for the challenges we have faced and the lessons we have learned along the way in confronting this unique virus.

The important task for cruise lines and travel agents will be effectively communicating the enhanced protocols and measures that show customers the industrys dedication to the health and safety of guests and crew.

Although cruise ships might be able to get people on board, the reality is, they might not be welcome to unload their passengers when going port to port. In anticipation, the Seychelles has announced it will be closed to cruise ships until 2022 in an effort to prevent the spread of Covid-19 across its islands. Globetrender predicts that it wont be the only one.

Rheanna Norris, associate analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, says: The decision to ban cruise ships from visiting the Seychelles via its Victoria port could spark a major downturn for this tourism-reliant economy. Cruise ships do not only bring visitors to its 115 islands, but also encourages spending on entertainment and food service, alongside accommodation and inspiration for repeat trips.

Arrivals to the Seychelles via cruise ships quadrupled between 2017 and 2018, with further increases forecasted for 2020 and beyond. This new legislation will eradicate this increase and the islands will rely on tourism by air travel only.

According to GlobalData, tourism accounted for 25.5 per cent of the Seychelles GDP in 2019, making it one of the most tourism dependent countries in the world. Alongside existing travel restrictions and a global slowdown in travel, banning cruise ships is further bad news for this luxury destination.

This strategic move will help the Seychelles other key economic sector: fishing. As its port in Victoria is its only point of entry for the rest of the world, its priority is to not compromise the maritime industry and to protect the nation from the global pandemic at all costs.

The Seychelles still have a point of entry for tourism via air, and it has already embarked on the road to recovery. With assistance from the government, civil society and Seychelles Investment Board, tourism businesses can look to adapt to the future and inevitable changes in travel.

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All at sea: the future of cruises in the age of contagion - Globetrender

Signage put in place in the National Museum of Seychelles to promote safe physical distancing and hand sanitizing measures while visiting the museum Seychelles National Museum/Beryl Ondiek

Following a lockdown that started on 9 April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Museum in Seychelles is preparing to reopen to the public on 1 June 2020. In doing so, Seychelles will be the first country in the Eastern Africa Region to reopen its museum during the pandemic.

Following Guidance for Workplaces on resuming normal business issued by the Seychelles Department of Health, staff of the Seychelles National Museum have spent the last two weeks preparing the museum with preventive measures to protect employees and visitors from the spreading the Coronavirus.

Physical distancing is required within the museum spaces and information on handwashing is provided. Visitors are encouraged to use credit cards instead of cash, our ticketing agents will now work from behind plexiglas shields, and we will require temperature checks for all visitors to the museum.Ms. Beryl Ondiek, Director of the National Museums of Seychelles

The International Council of Museums has issued guidelines for reopening museums, which contain some basic measures that can be taken to protect the health of both visitors and staff, and are meant to compliment national regulations, which vary depending on the specific evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic. These include tips for preparing for the arrival of the public, adapting the flow of visitors, strengthening health measures, restricting some access if necessary, as well as measures for reception and security staff, cleaning and conservation measures, and guidance for office staff.

UNESCO has been tracking actions taken by museum around the globe in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including efforts to safely re-open to the public. Together UNESCO and ICOM have undertaken global surveys to monitor the impact of the crisis on museums.

Link:

Seychelles prepares the reopening of its National Museum during the COVID-19 pandemic - India Education Diary

Now, due to the spread of the Coronavirus, the archipelago announced that it will not allow cruise-ship passengers on its shores until 2022. Referring to this, Didier Dogley, the countrys Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine, said that the ban is effective immediately, and will remain in place till the end of next year. Reportedly, the government will also introduce stimulus measures to boost the travel industry of the country, until it gains the impetus.

As per the news reports, the Seychelles Ports Authority welcomed the governments decision, which has been looked upon as a move to mitigate the risks of COVID-19 from spreading further. An official in the know-how stated that the cruise industry has been a catalyst for spreading this disease across the world, and that the cruise industry is marching toward a catastrophic drop in revenue because of Coronavirus spread.

Apart from banning the cruise ships on its shores, Seychelles international airport will also not open till June 1.

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Seychelles bans all cruise ships till the end of 2021 amid the spread of COVID-19 - Happytrips

The Seychelles, a string of 115 verdant, rocky islands in the Indian Ocean, recently announced in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic that it would protect 30% of its turquoise waters from commercial use.

Safeguarding some 410,000 square kilometers (158,000 square miles) of the sea will benefit wildlife on the shore and in the water, including 100,000 giant tortoises and some of the worlds last pristine coral reefs. But, beyond helping such species, establishing the new Marine Protected Areas which was made possible through an innovative debt-swap deal will also bolster the health, wellbeing, and prosperity of the Seychellois, who number fewer than 100,000 but host more than 350,000 visitors each year.

Currently hosting only a handful of tourists stranded by the pandemic, the country is under a lockdown aimed at preventing the further spread of the virus. President Danny Faures decision to press ahead with this protection effort, even as his country deals with a public-health emergency, serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of nature to peoples physical and economic wellbeing and not just in the Seychelles.

The human, economic, and social consequences of the rapid and devastating global spread of the coronavirus will last for years. And with the pandemic still unfolding, the most urgent priority is to support those directly affected by the virus and its associated hardships.

But this pandemic has also provided us with compelling proof of how closely our fate is linked with the health of the natural world. And right now, our relationship with nature is broken. We have cut down forests, overgrazed grasslands, built ports and roads, and expanded our cities at a rapid rate, destroying countless natural habitats. At the same time, we trade wildlife globally, moving common and endangered species alike across the world as if they were inanimate commodities.

All of this is bringing us into closer and more frequent contact with viruses that can spread from animals to people, including the COVID-19 coronavirus and dozens of other deadly and debilitating illnesses, from HIV to Ebola. Likewise, our degradation of marine ecosystems causes blooms of pathogens that can cause potentially fatal diseases such as cholera.

The good news is that far-sighted political leaders and the United Nations are already formulating nature-focused action plans that could help to stop the next pandemic before it starts. These strategies include conserving ecosystems and wilderness that are still untouched by human activity, clamping down on wildlife trade (including by educating people about the risks of consuming wildlife), and restoring and protecting significant areas of land and ocean.

The world already safeguards 15% of its land and 7% of the ocean. But, for the sake of our health and prosperity, we must do more. Indeed, there is increasing agreement among countries that we need to return half the planet to nature and use the other half responsibly, and that we should start by protecting at least 30% of it by 2030.

The growth in protected area coverage on land and in the ocean between 1990 and 2018.

Image: Protect the Planet Report 2018

Both nature and people would benefit. Research shows that abundant animals, plants, insects, and microbes living in complex, mature ecosystems can limit the spread of disease from animals to people.

But natural places do much more than provide a safety net against illness. They also shield us from the destructive power of extreme weather, safeguard us from our own pollution, and supply us with food, medicine, and leisure opportunities.

The Seychellois depend on the land and sea for their incomes and food. Fishing employs 17% of the workforce and provides the population with a low-cost, sustainable source of protein. Tourism, which is concentrated along the Seychelles coastlines and is driven by natural beauty on land and underwater, employs some 25%.

Safeguarding 30% of the countrys waters will end harmful activities within the fully protected areas while bolstering sustainable fishing around them. And keeping the countrys natural places pristine including, in addition to its seas, its mangrove forests, seagrass beds, and salt marshes can help to ensure that the Seychelles remains the natural paradise that draws responsible visitors.

When the worst of the pandemic has passed and the world embarks on the hard work of nursing its people, societies, and economies back to health, we must not overlook the need to care for nature and let nature care for us. A healthy environment is our best antiviral, and protecting more of it will help us to rebound from this pandemic and stop the next one before it starts.

Many countries are already demonstrating how we can build stronger bonds between nature, our economy, and our health. And the Seychelles marine-protection initiative offers hope that if every country, no matter how small, does its part, the planet can be safer and more prosperous for all of us.

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Written by

Enric Sala, Explorer-in-Residence, National Geographic Society

This article is published in collaboration with Project Syndicate.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

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How can we avoid pandemics in the future? - World Economic Forum