Third International Year of the Reef launch on May 9 |07 May 2018

The year 2018 has been declared the third International Year of the Reef (IYOR) by the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI).

In Seychelles, the ceremony to launch the third IYOR will take place on Wednesday May 9 at 2pm at the Four Seasons Hotel, Baie Lazare.

The first IYOR was held in 1997, the second followed in 2008, and each IYOR aims to raise awareness of coral reefs and the increasing threats they face.

The 2018 IYOR specifically aims to:

• Strengthen global awareness, particularly of the value of coral reefs, the threats they are facing, and the threats experienced by associated ecosystems, such as mangroves and sea grass meadows. 
• Promote partnerships between governments, the private sector and public sector, for the sustainable management of coral reefs. With a focus on the development and implementation of better management strategies, which will increase the resilience of coral reef ecosystems and ensure the sustainable use of coral reef resources for future generations.
• Create platforms, through which we can better share best practice examples of coral reef management strategies both locally and internationally.

Seychelles is a nation with the ocean at its heart and one which economically, socially, and environmentally relies heavily on its coral reefs for coastal protection, tourism and fisheries. Therefore, the 2018 IYOR is a great opportunity to both celebrate Seychelles’ coral reefs, and to get together to discuss what can be done to make their future look a little brighter.

The Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate Change, non-governmental organisations and stakeholders from the public and private sectors, have come together to form a Seychelles IYOR steering committee, and over the coming months will be holding public events and activities to raise awareness of and promote Seychelles’ coral reefs.

These include the IYOR 2018 launch ceremony, a social media campaign, activities in schools, IYOR information stands at public fairs, a series of public seminars, a coral symposium and screenings of coral reef related documentaries.