VICTORIA, Seychelles — The Seychelles Islands Foundation hosted a mini roadshow on Praslin yesterday to mark World Wildlife Day, commemorated on March 3 annually. The event, organised under the theme ‘It’s time to get serious against wildlife crimes’, was held at the Seychelles Pension Fund building at Grand Anse with the participation of various sections within the departments of climate change and environment, as well as other organisations, which were showcasing their services and work.
Present at the roadshow’s official ceremony were the Minister for Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment, Flavien Joubert, the principal secretary for environment, Denis Matatiken, officials from the ministry and the Seychelles Islands Foundation and other partners. In his address, Minister Joubert said Seychelles’ biodiversity is a treasure that should be protected. ‘We must ensure that we do not lose the rich biodiversity that we have. Here in Seychelles, biodiversity is extremely important as it is an integral part of our culture and economy. Tourists come here not only to interact with our people and appreciate our culture, they travel here primarily to admire the beauty of our islands and environment,’ he said.
According to the minister, there are various other incidents such as illegal tree cutting, illegal fishing, plastic pollution, as well as poaching of tortoises and turtles. ‘We need to strengthen surveillance, provide more support to the agencies and organisations working to protect our wildlife, and enforce strict penalties against those who commit these crimes.’ The minister said the first step in protecting the country’s wildlife is to raise awareness among children, youth, and the general population so they understand the importance of conservation. The ceremony included various performances by school children.
