Identifying priorities to develop a wider marine space for the EEZ |19 January 2015

The Seychelles EEZ. The workshop was aimed at identifying priorities to develop a wider Marine Spatial Planning process for the EEZ that balances the needs for extending the protected areas system to conserve marine biodiversity, with needs for fishing, tourism and other uses of the marine area

A workshop was held last week at Care House to present the results of the conservation planning process which has recently been completed under the GOS-UNDP-GEF.

The process came about after the commitment by the government of Seychelles to the protection of the marine and terrestrial biodiversity for which it is responsible and has declared a large number of Protected Areas (PAs).  Recently, the government has made bold new commitments to expand the PA estate, especially for marine areas which will be expanded to cover 20-30% of the Exclusive Economic Zone (PAs – as defined under the 2013 PA Policy - include both totally protected or exclusive zones, and sustainable use areas).  

Through this commitment, the government has recognised a need to review and assess the adequacy of the existing marine and terrestrial protected area network in order to identify priorities for its future expansion.  In 2013 the GOS-UNDP-GEF project ‘Strengthening Seychelles’ protected area system through NGO management modalities’ began the process of identifying these priorities.  This has since developed into a wider Marine Spatial Planning process for the EEZ that balances the needs for extending the protected areas system to conserve marine biodiversity, with needs for fishing, tourism and other uses of the marine area. Hence the conservation planning process.

About the Protected Area project

The 21 formal protected areas in Seychelles are under the administration of a number of different government institutions, parastatals and NGOs, including the Ministry of Land Use and Housing (MLUH), Seychelles National Parks Authority (SNPA), Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA), Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF), Island Conservation Society (ICS) and Nature Seychelles (NS). As Seychelles has limited financial resources, and is geographically isolated from global centres of excellence in protected area planning and management, it is important that the diverse government and non-government partners in the field of protected area management in Seychelles work in partnership to complement their individual capacities, knowledge and skills.

The Protected Area project started in 2011 to create synergies between current government conservation efforts and those of non-government partners in the establishment of new protected areas, and also to improve the management of existing terrestrial-marine protected areas.

Expected outcomes

For marine protected areas:
• Designing a more representative system of marine protected areas that builds resilience against environmental variations associated with global climate change;

• Facilitating the establishment of new or expanded marine protected areas and conservation zones that will more effectively safeguard habitats associated with fish spawning aggregations (e.g. rabbit fish, groupers) and coral reef ecosystems;

• Strengthening the operational capacity of NGOs, artisanal fishermen and the private sector to establish and manage marine protected areas and marine conservation zones in a collaborative partnership with the SNPA and SFA;

• Improving the policy, legislative and institutional framework for collaborative management between state and non-state partners in MPA management

 For terrestrial protected areas are:

• Designing a representative, adequate and comprehensive system of terrestrial protected areas ;  

• Facilitating the establishment of new protected areas on privately-owned and state-owned islands under different co-management arrangements and using a range of different sustainable financing strategies;

• Testing the feasibility of establishing and enforcing seasonal conservation areas for nesting turtle habitats;

• Strengthening the operational capacity of NGOs, parastatals and the private sector to establish and manage terrestrial protected areas and improving the policy, legislative and institutional framework for collaborative management between state and non-state partners in terrestrial protected area management.

The workshop was aimed at indicating where new protected areas should be located in order to minimise potential future loss of biodiversity, while at the same time minimising socio-economic impacts, costs and conflicts with other human resource user groups.