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| Cousin Island |
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First made into a Nature Reserve in 1968 it was afforded further protection when it was designated a Special Reserve in 1974. It is not only significant for sea birds and endemic land birds but is also the most important breeding site for Hawksbill turtles in the Western Indian Ocean . The reserve is managed solely by local staff and benefits local communities on the neighboring Praslin island through eco-tourism.
Today, Cousin is managed by Nature Seychelles. Conservation activities include monitoring of the island's biodiversity, research, re-introduction of endangered species such as the Seychelles Magpie Robin, ecotourism and education. Cousin has received international awards for its conservation and ecotourism efforts by Conde Nast Traveler and Bristish Airways. Read more
Cousin Island attracts some 10,000 visitors a year and also caters for educational groups and locals. Travel agencies are responsible for organizing the transfer of foreign visitors to Cousin Island where they are then transferred to the Cousin boat, a measure implemented to prevent the accidental introduction of pests onto the Reserve. The island is open to visitors five days a week (Monday to Friday), between 10:00 a.m. and midday, and there is no overnight accommodation. Visitors pay an entry fee of SR 500. Film crews and commercial photographers pay commercial fees and should contact the Mahe office prior to getting to Cousin Telephone: (Mahe Office) +248 4 601 100, (Cousin Island) +248 2 718 816, Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Locals or educational groups should contact the Nature Seychelles office on Mahe for details regarding transfer from Praslin Island to Cousin island. Entry to residents is free.
Despite its small size, Cousin boasts a number of species and habitats. The plateau forest is characterized by mapou Pisonia grandis, Indian mulberry Morinda citrifolia and bwa sousouri Ochrosia oppositifolia where many of the landbirds can be seen. There are wetlands where fresh water attracts dragonflies and moorhens; the hill creates ideal nesting sites for shearwaters and bridled terns; on the seashore crabs and shorebirds abound. The coastal vegetation comprises casuarinas Casuarina equisetifolia, vouloutye scaevola sericea and bwa matlo suriana maritime that help in coastal protection as well as providing habitats. Five of Seychelles eleven endemic land birds are found on Cousin Island. They include the Seychelles magpie robin Copsychus seychellarum, Seychelles sunbird Nectarinia dussumieri, Seychelles fody Foudia seychellarum, Seychelles blue pigeon Alectroenas pulcherrima in addition to the warbler. Seven species of nesting seabirds occur in numbers exceeding 300,000 individuals; fairy terns Gygis alba and white tailed tropic birds Phaethon lepturus nest all year round, whilst lesser noddies Anous tenuirostris, brown noddies Anous stolidus and bridled terns Sterna anaethetus have different breeding seasons. Two varieties of shearwaters, Audubon’s shearwater Puffinis lherminieri and the wedge-tailed shearwater Puffinus pacificus are found on the island. The former breeds all year round whilst the wedge- tailed shearwater breeds from May to October. A recent census was undertaken to determine their numbers and estimated the population at 11,000 individuals. Science and Conservation Cousin Island is recognised as one of the most important nesting sites in the western Indian Ocean for hawksbill turtles Eretmochelys imbricata. Some 30-100 turtles come ashore to nest a year in broad daylight, whilst elsewhere they nest under the cover of darkness. Other reptiles found here include Aldabra giant tortoises Geochelone gigantea, and four endemic skinks – the Seychelles skink Mabouya sechellensis, Wright’s skink Mabuya wrighti, the bronze gecko Ailuronyx seychellensis and the burrowing skink Pamelaescincus gardeneri, as well as a native green gecko Phelsuma astriata, giving Cousin Island one of the highest lizard densities per hectare in the world. The Special Reserve area includes the surrounding marine area up to 400km offshore. Comparative studies have revealed that Cousin’s reefs have the highest fish biomass compared to reefs in other marine protected areas in the granitic islands. However, the reefs have suffered bleaching as a result of a rise in sea water temperature in 1997/8. Nature Seychelles and its partners have been conducting surveys to understand more about the impacts of the bleaching and the recovery of the reefs.
Conservation management Carbon Neutrality
The restored forest on Cousin was estimated to absorb a certain amount of this. But the bulk had to be offset. Carbon Clear searched for a carbon sequestration project that met several internationally agreed criteria and found an improved cook-stove project in the Darfur region of Sudan where the appropriate number of carbon credits were purchased to make Cousin the 1st carbon Neutral Nature Reserve. The scheme is unique in that it invests funds derived from eco-tourism in Seychelles into climate adaptation projects in other countries. Two projects in Brazil and Indonesia are recipients of the carbon offset funds this year. The Brazilian project prevents deforestation and protects the Cerrado Biome by using agricultural waste in place of deforested wood to fire community based ceramic kilns. The Indonesian project made a number of vital upgrades to an existing conventional power station using coal to make it geo-thermal. Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites            |
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| Last Updated on Wednesday, 19 October 2011 19:37 |
In 2009, Carbon Clear, a leading European carbon management company, was to assess the footprint of conservation and tourism activities on Cousin Island Special Reserve. This included both on and off island costs as well as the hotel, transport and other relevant impacts of our international visitors. We found that we were responsible for more than 1,500 tons of carbon dioxide equivalents annually. 
