Daily Archives: July 11, 2017

Thanks to climate change, the ocean is no longer a friend of Seychelles. But can its reefs offer this embattled nation a lifeline?

The meteorological event, a combination of ocean heat redistribution and wind reversal in the Pacific, occurs approximately every two to seven years and has far-reaching consequences. The last El Nino in 2016 was similarly dreadful, reducing coral coverage on Seychelles' reefs from 50% to 5%, say local researchers.

El Nino is a phenomenon: a devastating, uncontrollable exception to the norm. With carefully managed conservation, Seychelles can survive its wild fluctuations. But not if global warming continues. As baseline temperatures creep up, the ecosystem loses its ability to recover. Eventually El Nino could prove terminal.

"People that don't believe in climate change, maybe they need to come to the Seychelles," says Lisa Laporte Booyse, who runs a guesthouse on the southeast tip of Mahe, the largest island in the chain.

"We can show them photos of things that were very different before ... coastal erosion. We can see flooding that we never experienced, the higher temperatures that we've never experienced before. The season(al) changes that have had an effect."

"Before, we literally could tell you the day that our rainy season would start. Now, we have droughts that we never experienced before."

Bleached coral close to the coast. Coral coverage dropped from 50% to 5% on reefs in 2016.

So much of the affairs on land are dictated by the health of the biosphere in the water.

When it comes to coastal erosion, reefs are key, acting as a wave breaker protecting the shoreline, explains Savi Leblond, project leader at the Cerf Island Conservation Program, 2.5 miles off the coast of Mahe. Without strong reefs, the land is at the mercy of the ocean. At present, they are delicately poised.

"Our reefs here have been under several threats -- natural and anthropogenic," Leblond says.

Sea surface temperature rises cause "stress" to corals, which release an algae zooxanthellae, which makes up "90% of its food source, as well as its color." The result is bleaching and depleted nourishment. Bleaching is reversible, but if waters remain too warm for too long, coral starves and dies.

A turtle swims among bleached coral in Seychelles.

Either of these eventualities would be a catastrophe for Seychelles' biosphere -- above and below water.

"When corals die off, unfortunately we die off," surmises Leblond. "Everything relies on coral reefs."

"It was the fishermen who said it's not like it was before," recalls Booyse.

Seychellois look to the sea for sustenance; they're custodians of over 500,000 square miles of ocean, and 15% of the population are engaged in fishing and fishing-related activities. But it's already proving harder for fisherman like Augustin Desaubin and others to eek out a living.

As a boy Desaubin remembers "the corals were beautiful; plenty of coral inside the reef, plenty of fish," he adds. "Now we can see only seaweed."

"When I was young, octopus was abundant. I (would) dive for about one hour, you'd have five or six octopus and go home." Now approaching 50, Desaubin says there are days when he returns empty-handed.

"Corals cover less than 0.1% of the world's surface area but they house over 25% of the world's biodiversity," Leblond explains.

"We, the People of Seychelles, grateful to Almighty God that we inhabit one of the most beautiful countries in the world; ever mindful of the uniqueness and fragility of Seychelles... declar(e) our unswaying commitment... (to) help preserve a safe, healthy and functioning environment for ourselves and for posterity."

Alongside government initiatives, citizens are taking action.

"We grow corals in a nursery and use these nursery-grown corals to rehabilitate the reef," explains marine scientist Jude Bijoux. Due to climate change, only corals most resilient to warm temperatures are selected, he adds.

The time-consuming process involves transferring coral fragments from one of five artificial reefs to rope lines, then to substrate or natural rock on the sea floor. It's a six to 12-month effort requiring epoxy resin and regular rope cleaning with a toothbrush.

"It's a bit weird," says Leblond, but their methods give coral "the best chance they have."

Rope-grown corals are tended to as part of reef rehabilitation.

Inspired by initiatives on Cerf, Booyse started the Anse Forbans Community Conservation Program, a group of neighbors setting up a coral nursery of their own.

"(It) won't be an immediate fix," Booyse says. "We're looking at a five-year lifespan to get the corals healthy, growing again and plant them back."

Even among one of the greenest societies in the world, ownership and responsibility lie at the heart of Booyse's motives. "My own generation, and generations before, have made a big impact on the environment," she says. "I have to try and lead and make a difference."

"When you're fighting the cause you've just got to go and keep going."

Seychellois know that in the fight against climate change, no half-measures will do. Their livelihoods and homes depend on it.

Here is the original post:

'When corals die off, we die off' - CNN

For the second consecutive year, Seychelles has been named the top island destination in Africa and the Middle East in the Travel + Leisure's 2017 World's Best Awards - a survey held every year during which readers are asked to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe and share their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise lines, spas, and airlines among others. Islands are rated on the following characteristics: natural attractions/beaches, activities/sights, restaurants/food, people/friendliness, value, and as optional criteria, its romantic appeal. For each characteristic, respondents are asked to rate a candidate on a five-point scale of excellence.

Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, came out on top of the readers list.

Seychelles Tourism Board, Director for Africa and the Americas, David Germain says, Achieving the distinction of top island in Africa and the Middle East for the second year in a row is a tremendous honour for the Seychelles, recognising that the region has much to offer in terms of world-class island experiences. He adds that Seychelles is a unique group of islands with outstanding natural beauty and unique attractions, a destination with a committed approach to sustainable tourism, providing an example of best practice for other destinations around the world.

Visitor arrivals from South Africa to the Seychelles increased by 19 percent from January to June. To date, the total number of holidaymakers that have disembarked in Seychelles stands at 159 659, representing a 21 percent increase compared to the same time last year, already positioning the island nation to record a tourism upswing in 2017.

Continued here:

Seychelles named top island destination in Africa and Middle East - Bizcommunity.com

Forming part of its many conservation efforts, the cabinet of Seychelles in September last year announced that it will join the likes of Rwanda, Bangladesh and Madagascar in implementing a ban on the use and importation of items such plastic bags, cups, cutlery and Styrofoam packaging in an effort to cut down on waste in the Seychelles.

The idea of going plastics free in the Seychelles was initially started in 2015 by the SIDS Youth Aims Hub (SYAH) which aimed to encourage the archipelagos population of around 93,000 people to opt for reusable bags.

In a separate campaign, Sustainability for Seychelles (S4S) also lobbied against the use of polystyrene takeaway boxes. S4S, as part of its public awareness campaign, introduced biodegradable boxes made of sugarcane fibre for takeaways and other food outlets.

The Seychelles Trading Company (STC), one of the countrys largest trading companies, was quick to address and welcome the initiative. Since June last year, STC began to introduce biodegradable carrier bags for customers shopping at the STC Supermarkets and Hypermarket.

Meanwhile, Roline Trading was quoted by the Seychelles News Agency (SNA) as saying that the company will look into the use of paper bags. The company also noted however that importing their own bags is expensive.

Another businessperson told SNA that the ban has created the potential for new business ventures. After doing some research, this businessman started importing biodegradable takeaway boxes, cutlery, cake boxes and paper bags.

There is, however, a cost implication to both residents and visitors to the Seychelles associated with the elimination of plastic consumables. Retail outlets have said that they now sell bags separately whereas others have added the cost directly to the product they are selling.

But, regardless of any additional costs, most residents and even visitors have agreed that it is a small price to pay in conserving the island destination.

Originally posted here:

#CSIMonth: No more plastics in the Seychelles - Bizcommunity.com

The Seychelles national airline was among the top winners at this years World Travel Awards bagging four major accolades.

The travel awards on Saturday crowned Air Seychelles as the Indian Oceans Leading Airline for the third consecutive year and also the regions best for Business Class and Cabin Crew service.

This is the fourth consecutive year that Air Seychelles has won both the Indian Oceans Leading Airline Business Class and Leading Indian Oceans Cabin Crew awards.

For the first time in 2017, Air Seychelles was also crowned as the Indian Oceans Leading Airline Brand.

Air Seychelles Chief Executive, Mr. Roy Kinnear led a delegation of the national airlines senior management at the award presentation ceremony. The red-carpet event was held at Sun Aqua Vilu Reef a five-star beach resort in the neighboring Indian Ocean island of Maldives.

Congratulating Air Seychelles on continuing its winning streak at the World Travel Awards, the Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine Ambassador Maurice Loustau-Lalanne said, Its success illustrates how far a boutique airline can go when it has a strong vision and a team committed to success.

Air Seychelles Chairman Jean Weeling-Lee described the four awards as an outstanding feat for the Air Seychelles team who work hard to provide the best travel experience to its guests.

Every year Air Seychelles is growing its operations, improving its products and services, and delivering strong results for the tourism-based economy of Seychelles. Our success at the World Travel Awards underlines the strength of the business strategy and the core values that guide Air Seychelles, said Mr. Weeling-Lee.

For his part, Air Seychelles Chief Executive Roy Kinnear said clinching four accolades at the World Travel Awards is the crowning moment of what he described as an incredible year for the airline.

We operate in an extremely competitive environment and very often outpunch our weight compared to many larger operators. We will continue to stay focused on service improvements developing a sustainably profitable airline and offering opportunities for career progression within the airline. Winning these awards would not have been possible without our people or the strong support of our shareholders, the Government of Seychelles and Etihad Airways, said Mr. Kinnear.

Other Seychelles businesses in the travel and tourism industry also won accolades at the 24th World Travel Awards for the Indian Ocean in their respective category.

Port Victoria has been voted as the Indian Oceans Leading Cruise Port for the fifth consecutive year.

The Chief Executive of the Seychelles Ports Authority Colonel Andre Ciseau said the award symbolizes the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders to ensure a high level of service is offered to all vessels including cruise ships visiting Port Victoria.

Mr. Ciseau noted that discussions involving the relevant partners are ongoing to improve on the infrastructures and amenities to ensure that while cruise tourism gains popularity, the level of service also continues to be enhanced. Work is also being done to ensure that more souvenirs are on offer so that visitors can spend a bit more while visiting the Seychelles islands.

Improving cruise tourism in the region was in fact the topic of discussion at a recent workshop organized by the Port Management Association for Eastern and Southern Africa in collaboration with Cruise Indian Ocean Association and the Seychelles Ports Authority. The two-day workshop was held at the Savoy Seychelles Resort and Spa at Beau Vallon on July 4 and 5.

We brainstormed on how to develop a new concept Cruise Africa. If Cruise Africa is successful, this will mean more progress for the Indian Ocean islands and African countries, as cruise tourism is not an industry where you compete with one another but rather one where theres collaboration, said Colonel Ciseau.

Constance Ephelia, located at Port Launay is the Indian Oceans Leading Green Resort. Constance Ephelia bagged the same award last year.

Raffles Praslin, Seychelles has emerged as the Indian Oceans Leading Villa Resort, for the third consecutive year.

The World Travel Awards was established in 1993 to recognize the very best travel organizations in the world, through a global vote including by travel and tourism professionals.

Awards are presented for excellence in providing services in different categories of the worlds travel and tourism industry. This includes air services, car rental services, spas, travel agencies and tour operators, hotels and resorts, among others.

The awards are first given on a regional basis and the winners qualify for the grand final of the World Travel Award. This years grand final will be held in Phu Quoc, Vietnam on December 10.

Aside from presenting accolades to the best of the Indian Ocean travel & tourism businesses, the World Travel Awards also named businesses that stands out from the rest in their respective islands namely Mauritius, Maldives, Madagascar, Seychelles and Reunion.

The other Seychelles award winners are:

Seychelles Leading Boutique Hotel 2017 MAIA Luxury Resort & Spa

Seychelles Leading Car Rental Company 2017 Hertz

Seychelles Leading Conference Hotel 2017 Eden Bleu Hotel

Seychelles Leading Family Resort 2017 Constance Ephlia

Seychelles Leading Green Resort 2017 Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort & Spa

Seychelles Leading Hotel 2017 Constance Lmuria Seychelles

Seychelles Leading Hotel Suite 2017 Two Bedroom Presidential Villa @ Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort & Spa

Seychelles Leading Luxury Hotel Villa 2017 MAIA Signature Villa @ MAIA Luxury Resort & Spa

Seychelles Leading Resort 2017 Enchanted Island Resort

Continue reading here:

Seychelles' national airline, Port Authority & hotels shine at World Travel Awards - eTurboNews

The Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine, Mr. Maurice Loustau-Lalanne, has expressed satisfaction with the progress of works at the new domestic passenger terminal building.

Minister Loustau-Lalanne visited the Seychelles International Airport on Friday, June 30, to have an appreciation of the current state of the construction, which started in January 2015.

I am happy with the progress done, and I look forward to see the project being completed without any further delays, he said after the visit.

Minister Loustau-Lalanne toured the newly-built structure, which is to support several airport operations, a restaurant, a spa, and a Commercial Important Persons (CIP) lounge, which will serve travelers going through the passenger terminal.

He was accompanied by officials of the Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority and the construction company.

The project, which is being undertaken by Allied Builders (Seychelles) Limited, is being done in three phases. This is to ensure that airport operations are not disrupted while the development and modernization of its structures and facilities are ongoing.

The General Manager for airport management, Mr. Patrick Hoareau, informed the touring party that phase 1 is set to be completed by mid-August 2017.

Mr. Hoareau said: 65% of the first phase of the project has now been completed, most operating facilities will be functional by the end of phase one, in August. This means we will have the departure lounge area, lift, ground floor public toilet facilities, offices on 1st floor and check-in area, partial area of the concourse, and possibly the food and beverages outlet operational.

Phase 2 and remaining part of Phase 3 are scheduled to start in September 2017. This will see the domestic ground operations moved to the newly built facility, while the new departure lounge has been separated to cater for both the arrival and departure operations, as the existing building will be demolished to construct a new arrival lounge. The project is expected to be completed in its entirety in July 2018.

When talking about the concept of the structure, Mr. Hoareau said the terminal will be a modern one with sustainable aspects and designs.

It will be a more modern centralized commercial passenger terminal with underground water harvesting tank facilities with capacities of over 3600 liters in total. This is expected to cut down on SCAAs operational cost, especially when it comes to utilities, which is expected to go down by 50 percent, he added.

While at the airport, Minister Loustau-Lalanne also took the opportunity to visit the newly-extended arrival terminal building.

More here:

Civil Aviation Minister inspects progress of new domestic passenger terminal at Seychelles International Airport - eTurboNews