News and Blogs

  1. Latest News
  2. Cousin Island News
  3. Blue Economy Seychelles
  4. Green Health Blog
  • Research: Roaming seabirds need ocean-wide protection, research shows

    Unlike other oceans, which are known to have specific “hotspots” where predators, including seabirds, gather in large numbers to feed, the Indian Ocean lacks such concentrated feeding areas, a recent paper has revealed. This lack of hotspots is particularly concerning given the various threats seabirds face due to human activities.[…]

    Read more...
  • Saya de Malha leaves for its third dFAD clean-up expedition

    (Seychelles Nation) The Saya de Malha vessel of the Seychelles Coast Guard (SCG) left Port Victoria yesterday afternoon for its third drifting Fishing Aggregate Devices (dFAD) expedition clean-up exercise in Seychelles territorial waters and shores of the outer islands. As customary since the first expedition in October 2022, students from Seychelles[…]

    Read more...
next
prev

Coming Soon!

Coral Aquaculture Facility!

coral aquaculture web banner

We have started work on the Assisted Recovery of Corals (ARC) facility to revolutionise our coral reef restoration process Learn more

Find Us On ...

Implementing the SDGs

At Nature Seychelles we are committed to working with government, development partners and donors in implementing relevant actions, in particular, looking at certain goals where we can build on our existing strengths. Read more

Seychelles Wildlife

Natural environment of the Seychelles

Seychelles is a unique environment, which sustains a very special biodiversity. It is special for a number of different reasons. These are the oldest oceanic islands to be found anywhere...

Bird Watching

Seychelles is a paradise for birdwatchers, you can easily see the unique land birds, the important sea bird colonies, and the host of migrants and vagrants. Some sea bird...

Seychelles Black Parrot

Black Parrot or Kato Nwar in Creolee is brown-grey in colour, not truly black. Many bird experts treat it as a local form of a species found in Madagascar and...

Fairy Tern

The Fairy (or white) Tern is a beautiful bird seen on all islands in Seychelles, even islands like Mahe where they are killed by introduced rats, cats and Barn Owls....

Introduced Land Birds

A little over two hundred years ago, there were no humans living permanently in Seychelles. When settlement occurred, people naturally brought with them the animals and plants they needed to...

Native Birds

Although over 190 different species of bird have been seen on or around the central islands of Seychelles (and the number is increasing all the time), many of these are...

Migrant Shore Birds

Shallow seas and estuaries are very rich in invertebrate life. Many birds feed on the worms, crabs and shellfish in these habitats; often, they have long bills for probing sand...

Seychelles Magpie Robin

The most endangered of the endemic birds, Seychelles Magpie Robin or Pi Santez in Creole, came close to extinction in the late twentieth century; in 1970 there were only about...

Seychelles Blue Pigeon

The Seychelles Blue Pigeon or Pizon Olande in Creole, spends much of its life in the canopy of trees and eats the fruits of figs, bwa dir, ylang ylang and...

Seychelles White-eye

The Seychelles White-eye or Zwazo Linet in Creole, is rare and endemic. They may sometimes be seen in gardens and forest over 300m at La Misere, Cascade and a few...

Seychelles Black Paradise Flycatcher

The Seychelles Black Paradise Flycatcher or the Vev in Creole is endemic to Seychelles, you cannot find this bird anywhere else on earth. Although it was once widespread on...

Seychelles Sunbird

The tiny sunbird or Kolibri in Creole, is one of the few endemic species that has thrived since humans arrived in the Seychelles.

«
»

Achievements

  • Stopped near extinctions of birds +

    Down-listing of the critically endangered Seychelles warbler from Critically Endangered to Near Threatened. Other Seychelles birds have also been saved including the Seychelles Magpie Robin, Seychelles Fody, and the Seychelles
  • Restored whole island ecosystems +

    We transformed Cousin Island from a coconut plantation to a thriving vibrant and diverse island ecosystem. Success achieved on Cousin was replicated on other islands with similar conservation activities.
  • Championed climate change solutions +

    Nature Seychelles has risen to the climate change challenge in our region in creative ways to adapt to the inevitable changing of times.
  • Education and Awareness +

    We have been at the forefront of environmental education, particularly with schools and Wildlife clubs
  • Sustainable Tourism +

    We manage the award-winning eco-tourism programme on Cousin Island started in 1970
  • 1
  • 2

Seychellois scientist acclaimed for leadership by the largest regional marine research organisation

(Seychelles News Agency 6 Oct 2014) - The Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA) has just released its Annual Report for 2013 which gives major insights on the impact of Seychellois scientist Dr. Nirmal Shah in the continent’s ocean affairs. Special mention is made of Shah who is the immediate former WIOMSA President. For the last four years Shah has been presiding over the WIOMSA Board which is a rare feat for Indian Ocean island nations as in the last two decades of WIOMSA’s existence the association’s presidency was traditionally dominated by Kenyan and Tanzanian nationals.

Shah, well known in Seychelles through the conservation work of Nature Seychelles which he heads became the first president of WIOMSA hailing from the island states. WIOMSA whose headquarters is in Zanzibar is the largest home-grown regional professional marine and coastal science non-governmental organisation covering Southern and Eastern Africa together with the Western Indian Ocean islands.

It is a membership-based organisation drawing members from Seychelles, Comoros, Mauritius, Reunion, Madagascar, South Africa, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya and Somalia. Made up of marine scientists, coastal practitioners and institutions involved in marine science research and development WIOMSA boasts of 50 institutional members and close to 1000 individual members.

The Seychellois scientist has been described as “resourceful” and of “sharp intellect” by his peers at the organisation. Dr. Jacqueline Uku, who hails from Kenya, is succeeding Shah at the helm of WIOMSA. She is a senior research scientist at the Mombasa-based Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI) with a background in ecology and physiology of marine flora and pays glowing tribute at Shah’s tenure.

“It is a challenge taking on the Presidency after Nirmal Shah as he is a tough act to follow.” Dr. Uku writes in the report. “He was a decisive and resourceful leader of the Board, with a sharp intellect and clever wit and he will be remembered for the tenacity he brought to all endeavours, his strong support of WIOMSA’s collaborative culture and his vision for the Association and the region as a whole.”

Just like its name suggests, WIOMSA ideals are pegged on “promoting the educational, scientific and technological development of all aspects of marine sciences with a view toward sustaining the use and conservation of its marine resources.” WIOMSA’s work involves rolling out numerous programs including research grants, training and skills enhancement programs and running multiple communications platforms which include a marine scientific journal, technical ocean science books, and general readership magazines among others related endeavours.

Through its Marine Science for Management (MASMA), the promotion of marine science and the enhancement of skills among coastal managers in the region ranks high in WIOMSA’s agenda. It is on the fulfilment of this agenda that the intervention of Shah is acknowledged by his colleagues.

Long serving WIOMSA’s Executive Secretary, Dr. Julius Francis has high praise for Shah confessing of the Seychellois’ dedication to the regional body and the general welfare of marine professionals in the western Indian Ocean.

“We are particularly indebted to Nirmal Shah as president who has been with WIOMSA from the very beginning and has served as the longest WIOMSA Board Member.” Dr Francis, who is himself a well-known oceanographer and previously served as the director of Tanzania’s Institute of Marine Sciences based in Zanzibar says. “As the President of the Board, he (Shah) dedicated himself to the improvement of the association and went beyond serving on the board often at personal expense with amongst other countless endeavors serving as the Editor of the WIOMSA Magazine. He has led the Board with utmost professionalism and his exemplary service brought honour and recognition to every WIOMSA member and to marine science wherever he engaged in the business of the association.”

The 64-page annual report is a showcase of the direction that WIOMSA is taking and places much credit to the role played by Shah in giving the association a new impetus. “When I reflect on my Presidency, the term game-changing comes to mind as there have been monumental and significant shifts for the Association,” Shah says.

WIOMSA has accomplished much over the past four years under Shah’s presidency including going into what Dr Francis describes as “completely new territories” with the WIOMSA Trust Fund, the introduction of institutional membership, the new MASMA program and its proof of concept approach, establishment of a consulting function, and larger institutional grant schemes.

In an interview with SNA Shah says he believes that the structures he put in place not only as president but over the last 15 years as an elected member of four WIOMSA boards will greatly help scientists from the island states to venture into marine science scholarship. “I would like my success in the region to inspire young Seychellois scientists......If the future of Seychelles is the ‘Blue Economy’ then we definitely need science to underpin it.”

Photos: 1) Shah talking to Maritime college students 2) At an event organised by the association in October 2011 photo-SNA 3) At a WIOMSA event 4) Shah being interviewed by NBC - leading US TV network - during the Grand opening of Nature Seychelles'Sanctuary at Roche Caiman 

Partners & Awards

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3

Our History

Since 1998.

Seychelles Nature, Green HealthClimate Change, Biodiversity Conservation & Sustainability Organisation

@CousinIsland Manager

Facebook: http://goo.gl/Q9lXM

Roche Caiman, Mahe

Donate

We accept donations. Your support and generosity help us continue with our work in nature conservation in Seychelles. Email nature@seychelles.netdonate

Contact Us

Centre for Environment & Education

Roche Caiman,

P.O. Box 1310, Mahe, Seychelles

Tel:+ 248 2519090

Email: nature@seychelles.net