Seychelles launches Ile Aurore reclamation drive   By Chelsea Laporte   |30 January 2026

PS Barbe and Mr Morobe sign the agreement

A signing ceremony for the first phase of dredging at Ile Aurore was held at State House yesterday morning, marking a key milestone in a long-awaited land reclamation and sand stockpile project aimed at supporting housing, construction and economic development.

The project was announced by President Patrick Herminie in his State of the Nation address on January 27.

The agreement was signed by the principal secretary for the Lands Department, Denis Barbe, and Filip Morobe, the director for Africa and Middle East for foreign company Jan De Nul Dredging Ltd. This was in the presence of President Herminie and Vice-President Sebastien Pillay.

The project will generate a sand stockpile of 500,000 cubic metres of mineral sand to be used as construction material. The sand will be stored on Ile Aurore and exploited through a dedicated control system, including a weighbridge, to ensure proper management and accountability. To continue reading, please click here to subscribe to Seychelles NATION’s e copy