Seychelles: National Policy and Strategic Action Plan on Coral Reef Conservation and Management

Seychelles’ Coral Reef Policy

This Policy document has been developed, through an iterative process of national stakeholder consultation, to support the attainment of the Seychelles Vision for Coral Reefs.

Vision

Seychelles’ coral reefs and associated ecosystems are effectively conserved and adaptively managed to improve resilience and allow for the sustainable provision of key ecosystem, economic and social services.

 

Coral reefs support a huge fraction of Seychelles’ megaflora and fauna and are key to protecting the island state’s biodiversity. Inadequate attention to coral reef protection and conservation will make all other conservation efforts fall short. As such, the National Policy and Strategic Action Plan on Coral Reef Conservation and Management aims to integrate coral reef health into the bigger picture of national marine resources conservation measures. This strategic action plan runs from 2021 to 2025 and is guided by 5 main objectives: the establishment of effective governance structures, reduction of natural and anthropogenic stressors to corals, management-oriented monitoring and research, and mainstreaming financing and conservation efforts and raising public awareness of the crucial role of corals in Seychelles.

Beyond government structures, the SAP also recognizes the need to deep dive into increasing coral resilience and minimizing direct and indirect harm caused by human activities. For instance, species of critical coral networks have now been identified, and management programs have now been promulgated, as published in the National Gazette. Coral propagation and restoration are also taking place, and temperature-resistant corals are currently being transplanted from their nurseries into damaged reef locations.Management-oriented Monitoring and ResearchWhen it comes to enhancing stakeholder awareness and landing financing for matters of reef conservation, data availability is an expected primary hindrance. Hence, the SAP also tackled the establishment of a reef quality scoring and mapping methodology to communicate Seychelles’ findings to stakeholders such as financing agencies, scholars, and funding agencies.A standardized national coral reef monitoring and reporting system has been in place since 2021, and citizen science monitoring has enjoined fishers, divers, and boat charters to build a robust reef dataset around Seychelles.

Mainstreaming coral reef protection requires a clear understanding of the reefs’ importance. Hence, information channels need to be optimized to reach the general public and other stakeholders.Through assessment measures, a baseline for the level of public awareness of coral reef importance has been established. Subsequently, a communication strategy suited to local stakeholders was also devised, and reef quality scorecards produced from the SAP program have been made publicly available. Primary and secondary school curriculums have been infused with information on coral reefs, and training was given to teachers to utilize new study materials to enhance student knowledge on the subject matter.

The formulation and implementation of coral management strategies serve as a vehicle for achieving conservation targets. However, financing is a non-negotiable fuel to make conservation plans do their magic. Hence, one of SAP’s programs targets the identification of and access to additional funding sources for the implementation of the other four programs covered.Beginning in 2021, trust funds for the management of funds intended for reef protection have been established. Additional funding sources have also been accessed, and financing options have been assessed. To enhance coral reef protection, activities detrimental to reef health have been identified, and the fines for breaching environmental laws surrounding coral reefs have seen tight implementation.