Protected Areas

 40

Areas Protected

- 242 km2 Land
- 209,930 km2 Ocean

Terrestrial and Inland Water

49.64%

46.60%

Area protected, as per WDPA

Area protected, as per country reports

Coastal and Marine Coverage

15.66%

0.03%

Area protected, as per WDPA

Area protected, as per country reports

Key species

Marine and coastal species are economically important to the Seychelles, and the diversity and abundance of species has been influenced by harvesting patterns for the last two centuries. The country’s national report provides data in great detail of marine and coastal species, including current trends and conservation efforts. Seychelles is home to a number of different cetaceans, as well as five species of marine turtles. 

Pressures and Threats

The primary threat to terrestrial ecosystems is the continued incursions by alien invasive species. With high levels of endemism, the islands are particularly susceptible to the impacts of invasive species. The secondary threat is land use change and habitat loss, where development pressures are threatening many habitats. The primary threat in marine ecosystems is over-fishing, which has impacts beyond the species targeted.  Climate change represents a major threat to both terrestrial and marine ecosystems.

Seychelles has 40 protected areas covering 242 km  of the land and 209,930 km 2 2  of the ocean (UNEP-WCMC & IUCN, 2019q).  A large proportion of the Seychelles terrestrial area is protected. Seychelles has one of the oldest networks of marine protected areas in Eastern Africa, but until recently, this only covered some 0.03% of its coastal and marine ecosystems. The shortfall was recognised, and the Government of Seychelles announced its intention to protect 30% of its waters, half of which (or 15%) would be a strict no-take zones. The Seychelles is engaging in a debt swap mechanism to enable this designation.

Protected and conserved areas designated as global sites of importance

Global designation

Number of sites

UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserves

0

UNESCO World Heritage Sites (Natural or Mixed)

2

Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar sites)

4

 Source ((Ramsar, 2019; UNESCO, 2019a, 2019b)

 

Priority areas for conservation

Designation

Number of sites

Alliance for Zero Extinction sites

2

Important Bird & Biodiversity Areas

20

Key Biodiversity Areas

59

 (AZE Secretariat, 2019; BirdLife International, 2019c, 2019a)

Regional Reference Information System Seychelles

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Protected Areas Management and Biodiversity Conservation

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