“We are very small. We have very limited land mass, and we need the space for economic development,” said Sherin Francis, chief executive of the Seychelles Tourism Board. “But yet we manage to strike that balance and ensure that 50% of our land territory is protected.”
The ocean isn’t the only part of Seychelles that’s being preserved. On land, the National Parks Authority guards over two main areas, Morne Seychellois Park and Praslin National Park, both of which are home to an extensive list of endemic animal and plant species. Morne Seychellois Park, located on the largest island of Mahé, covers 20% of the island’s surface, provides fresh water to locals, and is crisscrossed by trails that pass historical ruins from when French and British colonists and Indian and Chinese traders passed through the islands. Praslin National Park is home to the Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve, a palm forest on the Unesco World Heritage List.
The parks’ official designation was established once the Seychelles started growing as a tourist destination, a few years after the first international airport was built and the island nation gained its independence. Similar to the initiatives at sea, the national park status was meant to help protect the land while creating an infrastructure to allow visitors to enjoy it by walking more than 15km of trails and viewing its rare bird species and plants.
With all eyes on their landmark conservation goals, Seychelles is gearing up to show how such a small nation can become an example for the many other insular countries facing the effects of climate change. Hopefully, it’s not too late.
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Source link : https://www.bbc.co.uk/travel/article/20220315-africas-global-biodiversity-hotspot
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Publish date : 2022-03-16 03:00:00
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