Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
widespread silting, marring the natural beauty of this coast indefinitely, though the altern-
ative was to clear large tracts of forest. A difficult choice.
Tourism has had a similarly mixed impact. Every year, more resort hotels and lodges
pop up, most notably on formerly pristine beaches or secluded islands. Sure, they have
nothing on the concrete-and-glass horrors of, say, Hawaii or Cancun, but they still neces-
sitate additional support systems, including roads and numerous vehicle trips, not to men-
tion cutting down vegetation. Recent examples include Constance Ephelia Resort at Port
Launay and Four Seasons at Petite Anse on Mahé, as well as the Raffles at Anse Posses-
sion (Praslin). On the other hand, tourist dollars provide much-needed revenue for funding
conservation projects. Local attitudes have also changed as people have learned to value
their environment.
Further impetus for change is coming from NGOs operating at both community and
government levels. They have notched up some spectacular successes, such as the Magpie
Robin Recovery Program, funded by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and
Birdlife International. From just 23 magpie robins languishing on Frégate Island in 1990,
there are now nearly 200 living on Frégate, Cousin, Denis and Cousine Islands. Similar
results have been achieved with the Seychelles warbler on Cousin, Cousine and Aride Is-
lands.
As part of these projects, a number of islands have been painstakingly restored to their
original habitat by replacing alien plant and animal species with native varieties. Several
islands have also been developed for ecotourism, notably Frégate, Bird, Denis, North, Sil-
houette and Desroches Islands. The visitors not only help fund conservation work, but it is
also easier to protect the islands from poachers and predators if they are inhabited. With
any luck, this marriage of conservation and tourism will point the way to the future.
