Field visit to North Island - Environment PS hails island’s conservation, rehabilitation programme |23 March 2015

Environment principal secretary Alain Decommarmond has hailed North Island’s conservation and rehabilitation programme.

PS Decommarmond and other senior staff of his department conducted a field visit to North Island last week to familiarise themselves with the ongoing environmental management and conservation programme on the island.

Since the hotel resort was built, North Island has had a long and very important ongoing conservation programme.
Mr Decommarmond’s visit forms part of the ongoing partnership between his ministry and the private sector, especially hotels, in the implementation of such programmes.

The PS and his delegation were given a tour of the island by the hotel’s environment manager, Carl J. Havemann, and his wife Tarryn. They were given information about the various conservation programmes like the ecosystem restoration, environment management and marine conservation – the main three conservation programmes being implemented by the resort.

The delegation also learned how the hotel manages its fuel and water wastes. Used water, for example, is used for irrigation.

The hotel also has an energy saving programme but it has been advised to do more especially under the renewable energy scheme put in place by the government.

Giving his impression after the visit, PS Decommarmond said he was aware of North Island’s good conservation programme, but his department wanted to see for itself. He said the flagship programme for North Island is the introduction on the island of the Seychelles white-eye birds (Zwazo Linet) which are thriving very well and there has been a dramatic increase in its population.

“The island started with 33 birds but now there is a population of 101,” he said.
PS Decommarmond noted that more can be done on the energy side on North Island. He said he has informed the North Island management that they can benefit more from the PV scheme in place, from energy-efficient technologies and waste management.

He also encouraged them to learn from other hotel establishments and to share knowledge.
“The strong point of North Island is its conservation and rehabilitation programme which is going really well,” said PS Decommarmond.

Mr Decommarmond said the visit is only the start of his programme of visits to familiarise himself with ongoing environment projects.
As for the environment manager of North Island, he said the next big goal of the resort is to have the island being declared a protected area.

Other than the three main categories of conservation programmes – marine conservation, ecosystem restoration and environment management – North Island also has a rat prevention programme in place and everything that lands on the island goes through the pest control room on arrival.

Endemic birds and plants introduced on the islands are also doing quite well. The island is fully rehabilitated as alien species have been removed but it is a continuous fight. It has two pairs of Seychelles kestrels, 32 Coco-de-mer plants of which 15 have already germinated and there are also land tortoises.

One of the island’s next targets regarding birds is the possible introduction of the Seychelles Paradise Flycatcher found only La Digue and the eradication of the Indian mynah by using decoy traps.

M. Julie