Protecting Paradise and Supporting Livelihoods
The protected areas are split into two zones. High Biodiversity Protection Areas (Zone 1) restrict almost all human activities except non-extractive uses, like tourism, and include 201,235 square kilometers (77,700 square miles) of waters around the remote islands of the Aldabra Group. The archipelago includes the world’s second-largest raised coral atoll—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—that, like the Galapagos, is a window into evolutionary processes in an ecosystem barely touched by human activity. It is home to the most endangered animal in the western Indian Ocean—the dugong—and 100,000 rare giant tortoises.
There are also Medium Biodiversity Protection and Sustainable Use Areas (Zone 2) designed to conserve natural ecosystems and support sustainable economic activities, including catch and release fishing, tourism charters and renewable energy. This protection category is to safeguard species and habitats and ensure economically important enterprises can support local livelihoods and have the marine resources they rely on. This zone includes 217, 5489 square kilometers (84,000 square miles) around the Amirantes Group and Mahé Plateau, a key area for seagrass beds, tuna and supporting the local economy.
As a large ocean state, the people of Seychelles depend on a healthy, thriving marine ecosystem. Jobs in the fishing and tourism industries employ more than one-third of the country’s workforce and thus are addressing illegal fishing and developing best-in-class sustainable fisheries. The reliance on marine resources means that Seychelles and other oceanic nations are among the most vulnerable to climate change. But, with large areas under increased protection and effective management, Seychelles will be better prepared for the uncertain effects of warming and rising waters, ocean acidification and adaptation.
Source link : https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/africa/stories-in-africa/seychelles-conservation-commitment-comes-to-life/
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Publish date : 2018-03-16 07:00:00
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