Île Plate Marks a Year of Conservation Progress with Island Conservation Society
VICTORIA, Seychelles — A team from the Island Conservation Society (ICS), together with members of the Plate Foundation, visited Île Plate on August 8 to mark a year since the launch of the island’s first permanent conservation programme. The initiative, made possible through collaboration with the Waldorf Astoria Hotel and the Department of Environment within the Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment, has produced a string of conservation milestones over the past twelve months.
In turtle monitoring, the team recorded 438 Hawksbill turtle nests, of which 70 were tagged, and documented 46 Green turtle nests with 7 individuals tagged. Marine monitoring of the lagoon around Île Plate recorded an abundance of marine life, including five species of rays and two species of sharks, with the team now expanding their monitoring to seagrass and other marine life. Regular beach patrols have also resulted in the collection of 505.55 kilogrammes of marine debris, comprising mainly plastic bottles and fishery-related waste.
Bird observations have been equally promising, with 42 species recorded frequenting the island. Among the most important discoveries was a Red-tailed tropicbird that nested successfully on the island, and a small colony of wedge-tailed shearwaters, which will now be part of continued monitoring. The team has also been actively targeting the Castor oil plant, an invasive species that contains the toxin Ricin, clearing 6,723 square metres and collecting 4.72 kilogrammes of seeds to prevent regrowth. In addition, 26 feral cats and over 212 chickens have been removed, and ICS has added a dedicated eradicator to its conservation team. Looking ahead, the centre on Île Plate will offer visitors hands-on participation in conservation activities and will launch programmes to inventory reptiles and native plant species.
