Moyenne island becomes newest national park |25 July 2008

Also present were principal secretary for environment Didier Dogley and other officials from the department, as well as Felicia Lafortune, widow of the late René Lafortune, who worked for 34 years on Moyenne with Mr Grimshaw.

Mr Morgan said the need to create a strong network of protected areas has never been so important for the country.

With development, the impact of pollution, sedimentation, habitat fragmentation and invasive species on ecosystems and biodiversity intensifies. This increases the need to create areas that will provide safe havens for wildlife.

Mr Morgan said Seychelles is today a leader in sustainable development, which was praised by Ahmed Djoghlaf, secretary general of the Convention on Biological Diversity, during a recent visit.

The minister added that the government’s objective is to preserve the unique flora and fauna on the island and to ensure the use of biodiversity for ecotourism, as well as to educate people about the importance of conservation. He described Moyenne as a model of successful conservation work.

An emotional Mr Grimshaw said he is grateful for the work of Mr Lafortune – together they planted almost 16,000 trees on the island. Mr Lafortune contributed a great deal towards preserving and developing Moyenne from day one, he added.

The new reserve will be named Moyenne Island National Park. It is the first time an island that lies within the Ste Anne Marine National Park has been declared a national reserve.