A Government's Perspective on Safeguarding Biodiversity: The Seychelles Experience

Abstract

The Seychelles has undergone major socio-economic and political changes during the past four decades. Tourism and fisheries, being the mainstay of the country's economy, have positively impacted upon and influenced the form of institution framework and policies in the management of the environment and biodiversity. The Department of Environment, the organization responsible for biodiversity conservation, has changed its core functions over the years to accommodate its obligations under international conventions and again more recently because of a major economic reform program. The creation of several authorities and agencies has resulted in new challenges but at the same time opened up new opportunities. Despite all these changes, the government, with the support of international and local stakeholders, has persevered to safeguard its biodiversity.

Epistemic justice and the integration of local ecological knowledge for marine conservation: Lessons from the Seychelles

“…The Seychelles has long established practices of using stakeholder engagement to overcome the challenges presented by its vast and scattered territories, and the limited resources and financial capacity of its system of public administration. Partnerships with national and international stakeholders is recognised as essential for biodiversity conservation [82]. The Mahé Plan, for example, is committed to 'sustainable demersal fishery that delivers best possible ecological, economic and social benefits for the Seychelles through effective, transparent and participatory management' [75].…”

Tree conservation can be constrained by agents from conservation permitting and funding agencies

“…Example 2. A highly successful approach to conservation planning can be found in well-conceived conservation efforts of the Seychelles [70]. In this case, the government conservation employees who were empowered to plan and implement the conservation agenda initiated the conservation efforts of the coco de mer palm (Lodoicea maldivica Gmelin) by including accomplished scientists as a beginning step, enabling the scientists to implement adaptive management research, allowing them to publish the results in the primary literature, then culminating the process by crafting conservation decisions based on the scientific publications [71].…”

Scientists’ responsibilities towards evidence‐based conservation in a Small Island Developing State

“…90 000 people imposes serious constraints on the country's ability to meet its obligations from national and international conservation agreements for the protection of its biodiversity. Seychelles recognized this constraint early and established long‐term collaborations with research institutions in developed countries to improve the scientific basis for biodiversity management, partly to compensate for the lack of in‐country environmental education at university level prior to 2011 (Dogley ). Here, we illustrate how we used research and the exchange of knowledge and ideas to help combat poaching and overexploitation of an endangered flagship and economically valuable plant species in the Seychelles.…”