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Open letter from the Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Association (SHTA) to the Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine Minister, Didier Dogley |14 March 2020

A threat to Côte d’Or, Praslin

 

Dear Minister,

I am writing to you on behalf of a number of Praslin members of our association (Seychelles Hospitality and Tourism Association) to bring a matter to your attention which we believe represents a serious transgression of existing regulations – regulations designed to ensure the protection and future health of our tourism industry – but which also threatens the sustainability and reputation of the Côte d’Or area on Praslin.

A few days ago the association was given information to the effect that a new tourism accommodation project is going ahead at Côte d’Or without any sustainability study or Environmental Impact Assessment being carried out. This development of 20 self-catering rooms on a mere 1200 square metres of land (of which, after respecting the high water mark, only 700m2 is suitable for construction) suggests that in addition to the above issues not being considered there has been no evaluation of the density usage associated with cramming a relatively large number of rooms on a relatively small footprint. We find this difficult to understand and impossible to condone.

If we assume a minimum of 15 staff for administration, housekeeping, maintenance etc then we can predict that an average of 40 persons per day will be using these premises, with more at high season times. We estimate a significant impact on infrastructural resources, with 12000 to 15000 litres of water being required daily. Of course, we have to rely on our own projections for this as we have no access to any study relating to prospective water requirements for this project – assuming one has been done of course. It has proven impossible to ascertain reliable information on multiple aspects of this development. Indeed this whole matter seems to have been shrouded in secrecy.

Minister, we are all disturbed by recent shifts in the topography of Côte d’Or, parts of which are unrecognisable from even a few years ago. With the increase in the high watermark attributable to rising tides and increased precipitation, the Côte d’Or area is seasonally saturated, with poor drainage, especially near the beach. Within this context we are worried about the sewage waste which will emanate from this proposed development, specifically the threat of such effluent seeping through to the beach.

We also have serious concerns when considering the issue of parking space for a considerable number of vehicles in use by clients and staff. Where will they park? On public roads? Or on the project footprint, thus squeezing the human usage space yet further? Additionally, in order to get to the development, cars will need to negotiate an extremely congested secondary road.

Minister, we have all seen and mourned the degradation of the former ‘golden mile’ on Mahé. We, who have our businesses at Côte d’Or and who have, for many years, invested capital, entrepreneurism, energy and a great love for the area, fear that the deterioration of Beau Vallon is a fate which, without intervention, awaits Côte d’Or.

If this project is allowed to proceed then this will be extremely problematic not only for Côte d’Or, not only for Praslin, but also for the entire country. A precedent will be set and in future anyone will be able to point to this project and claim similar development rights. They will point by the roadside and they will point in a court of law, claiming that what is good for the goose is also good for the gander. Minister, you have frequently stated that the law in Seychelles should never be applied with partiality and we sincerely hope that you will stand by this maxim when determining your response to this letter.

We are confident that, having brought this matter into the light, it is not too late to curtail this potential blight on Côte d’Or. The approval of this project has, we strongly suspect, not followed the proper channels. There have been major oversights, but whether these have been deliberate or not, we do not know. These oversights might be a consequence of what can be described as ‘an old problem’, namely that a Mahé-based administration has little day to day contact with Praslin, La Digue and other islands where tourism contributes so much to our country’s economy. Praslinois often feel misunderstood, overlooked and ignored, a situation which leads to discontent based on the simple fact that we know Praslin better than bureaucrats working on Mahé. This is not a criticism born of prejudice, neither Minister is it a criticism of you, rather it is an obvious statement of fact. The common sense solution to this disconnectivity is to establish a tourism board on Praslin, with Praslin tourism professionals constituting a board which truly understands the details of doing business on Praslin and which will be capable of acting in the interests of both Praslin and Seychelles. With close and effective interface with Mahé such a body could make a daily contribution to the health and prosperity of our tourism industry, rather than an occasional one.

This is a larger issue and will, of course, require careful and extensive consideration, however if I might close by returning to the development which is causing such current concerns I would like to suggest that, in your capable hands, this unwise project can be reviewed in accordance with both the law and the best interests of the Côte d’Or area.

 

Yours sincerely,

Sybille Cardon

Chairperson

 

Disclaimer:

The views expressed in this letter are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Seychelles NATION newspaper.

 

 

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