Photo: UNEP (Some rights reserved)
Seychelles is an archipelago and country in the Indian Ocean. The 115-island country, whose capital is Victoria, lies 1,500 km (932 miles) east of mainland East Africa. With a population of roughly 92,000, it has the smallest population of any sovereign country in Africa.
Natural World
Cousin is a 27-hectare granitic island located 2 km west of Praslin Island in the Republic of Seychelles. The island is protected by Seychell’s law as a Special Reserve area, which extends 400 meters offshore around the island. It is an IUCN Protected Area Category 1a, which is a strict nature reserve where people’s visits and their impacts are strictly controlled to ensure protection of the conservation values. It is also designated as an Important Bird Area (IBA) an area recognized as being of global importance for the conservation of birds and is one of the sites of highest ornithological interest in Seychelles. Today, Cousin is managed by Nature Seychelles. Conservation activities include monitoring of the island’s biodiversity, research, reintroduction of endangered species such as the Seychelles Magpie Robin, ecotourism, and education.
Cerf Island – As one of the five islands within St. Anne’s Marine Park, Cerf Island is surrounded by coral reefs which have been negatively impacted by the various land reclamation projects, the 1998 and 2016 el Niño events as well as the 2004 tsunami leaving much of the coral destroyed. Cerf Island Conservation Program aims to protect the fragile biodiversity by partaking in coral reef restoration efforts, maintaining the terrestrial environment as well as educating visitors to the island.
Headlines
Seychellois will soon have access to information, vice president says – Seychellesnewsagency
Recommended Listening
Truth and reconciliation in the Seychelles – How the Seychelles is coming to terms with its past and the legacy of its former dictator France-Albert René.
Wikipedia
Seychelles
Lodoicea
Legends of the coco de mer
Planeta.com