VICTORIA, Seychelles — To celebrate World Environment Day 2025, a series of coordinated beach clean-ups were organised across Mahé, with the opening ceremony held yesterday morning at the Story Hotel in Bel Ombre. Done under this year’s international theme ‘Ending Plastic Pollution’, the event highlighted the urgent global need to address one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. Present were Minister for Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment Flavien Joubert, French Ambassador to Seychelles Olivia Berkeley-Christmann, principal secretary for Energy and Climate Change Tony Imaduwa, and principal secretary for Environment Denis Matatiken.
Addressing the attendees, Minister Joubert shared that when it comes to pollution, plastic is one of the key items polluting the global environment. He added that the government is working to bring permanent solutions to eliminate plastic pollution. “In 2025 to 2026 we are reviewing some of the measures put in place and bringing new propositions on what we can do to encourage the reduction of plastic in the country,” he said. The Minister asked everyone to make an effort to educate others about the importance of not polluting beaches, adding “we should not be polluting just because we have the cleaning system in the country”.
After the ceremony, students and teachers from various schools participated in a beach clean-up from Pti Payot Beach to Fisherman’s Cove Hotel Beach, following the Parley clean-up protocol. According to the Director of Parley for the Ocean Seychelles, Alvania Lawen, four other locations across Mahé were also actively participating, including Anse à la Mouche, North East Point, Grand Anse Mahé, Au Cap, and Beau Vallon, where school children, community groups, and government departments worked together to remove plastic and other waste from the country’s coastline.
