Nature in Seychelles

Mahé, Praslin, La Digue and Silhouette contain mountain forests, mist forests, wetlands, streams, coastal woodland and beaches. The outer islands include coral atolls and lagoon systems, especially Aldabra. Mangroves, seagrass beds and coral reefs support coastal protection, fish stocks and marine species. More than 80% of Seychelles is forested, and about 90% of that forest is classified as natural forest. Seychelles has about 1,000 plant species, including roughly 250 indigenous species nationally, with especially high endemism. The Coco de Mer grows naturally only on Praslin and Curieuse. The Seychelles Black Parrot is found on Praslin and Curieuse, the Seychelles Black Paradise Flycatcher on La Digue, and the Seychelles Scops Owl mainly on Mahé. The Seychelles sheath-tailed bat is critically endangered and has only a few known roosts on Mahé and Silhouette. Aldabra supports giant tortoises, sea grass, coral habitats and other species, while the wider marine environment contains more than 1,000 fish species and about 300 species of reef-building coral. Protected areas include Morne Seychellois and Praslin National Parks, the Veuve Special Reserve, marine parks around Curieuse, St. Anne, Baie Ternay and Port Launay, and sites such as Aldabra Special Reserve, Aride, Cousin, Vallée de Mai and Fond Ferdinand. The Seychelles Parks and Gardens Authority manages many terrestrial and marine parks, trails, rangers and visitor rules. The Seychelles Islands Foundation manages Aldabra, Vallée de Mai and Fond Ferdinand, while Nature Seychelles manages Cousin Island Special Reserve and Roche Caiman Sanctuary. The Ministry of Environment, Climate, Energy and Natural Resources develops biodiversity, wetlands, environmental assessment and protected-area policy. The Seychelles Fisheries Authority regulates fishing, and the Seychelles Meteorological Authority issues weather, marine, cyclone and tsunami warnings. The Seychelles Marine Spatial Plan records 32.65% of the exclusive economic zone as marine protected area. Government planning has included a target of protecting 30% of the zone, with 15% designated as no-take areas. Fishing is prohibited or restricted within protected areas according to site rules and management plans. Commercial and artisanal fishing generally requires a Seychelles Fisheries Authority licence, while recreational fishing generally does not unless a specific rule applies. On the Mahé Plateau, trap-and-line fishing is limited to 20 demersal fish per person per trip, and seasonal rules apply to fish traps at Kordonnyen spawning sites. Visitors must follow the rules of each site. Non-residents over 12 generally need a ticket at SPGA pay sites, while Seychellois citizens and residents can enter without an entry ticket when they carry identification or other proof of status. Examples of listed charges include SCR300 for Curieuse, SCR200 for St. Anne or Baie Ternay and Port Launay, and trail charges ranging from SCR100 to SCR250. Marine parks generally operate from 8:00 to 17:00, but opening times can vary. The Morne Seychellois Trail requires a licensed guide. Visitors may use only designated anchorages or moorings and may not fish, collect shells, plants or coral, use spearguns or traps, pollute, or enter closed nesting areas. Vallée de Mai is a UNESCO Natural World Heritage site managed by the Seychelles Islands Foundation. It normally opens from 8:30 to 16:30, with last entry at 15:30, and charges SCR450; it is generally closed on 25 December and 1 January. Aldabra lies more than 1,000 kilometres from the main islands and has no ordinary unrestricted visitor access. Visiting yachts need Seychelles Islands Foundation authorisation and clearance before anchoring or landing, together with strict tourism, diving, drone and biosecurity rules. Cousin Island visits are short, normally take place in the morning on weekdays, and require landing through Cousin boats. Roche Caiman Sanctuary usually opens on weekdays from 8:00 to 16:00, while weekends and public holidays are closed; groups of more than five should register in advance. Nature protection faces invasive rats, cats, Common Mynas and plants, habitat loss, wetland drainage, reclamation, coastal development, fire, pollution, marine litter, overfishing, illegal fishing and anchor damage. Climate-related pressures include sea-level rise, erosion, storm surges, intense rainfall, flooding, drought, warmer and more acidic seas and coral bleaching. About 80–90% of the Mahé Plateau's corals died during the 1998 bleaching event, and severe reef damage occurred again in 2016. Turtle nest temperatures affect the sex ratio of hatchlings. Access can change because of rough seas, heavy rain, heat, wildfire, erosion, flooding or bleaching events. Check Seychelles Meteorological Authority warnings before mountain, trail, boating or diving activities, and follow local fire and smoke restrictions; Vallée de Mai has a strict smoking prohibition because of fire risk. The Ministry's Greenline, +248 272 2111, accepts reports of illegal dumping, wildfire threats and environmental hazards. The Nature Reserves and Conservancy Act 2022 provides the current broad legal framework, while the Seychelles Parks and Gardens Authority Act 2022 supports protected-area management, public participation and fees. Relevant development normally requires an environmental impact assessment and environmental authorisation. Biodiversity protection therefore has to balance tourism, fishing livelihoods, recreation, coastal development and private or outer-island use through protected-area rules, licensing, planning, restoration, monitoring and community or NGO management.