An Overview Of Our Solution
Seychelles Reef Rescuers
Who is this solution impacting?
Ecosystem
Océanos/Costas
Community Type
Rural
Additional Information
- Population Impacted:
- Continent: Oceanía
Problem
Describe the problem
The Seychelles Reef Rescuers Project is a coral restoration project. Coral reefs are a crucial marine coastal fishery both directly and also as a nursery source for surrounding fisheries. Coral reefs contribute about one-quarter of the total fish catch in the developing world and the population of Seychelles depends to a large extent on fish for its protein needs. However, climate change induced coral bleaching caused by warmer than normal sea surface temperatures is a long term threat to local coral reefs, related fisheries and the communities which depend upon them. This innovative project addresses this issue by restoring coral using a two step approach. The first step focuses on generating a pool of farmed colonies. This is then followed by the second phase of transplanting these c
Biodiversity Impact
The 1998 El-Nino event resulted in the highest seawater temperature anomaly recorded in 50 years in the Western Indian Ocean, resulting in a catastrophic loss of coral in the waters around the Seychelles. A 30% mortality was recorded at a regional level, with a reduction of as much as 80-95% in live coral cover at the most heavily impacted reefs, amongst those of the Seychelles. In the central granitic islands of Seychelles the bleaching catastrophe decreased the coral cover to less than 3% in some areas, leaving no depth refuge from coral mortality. Coral bleaching can lead to a reduction in biodiversity of up to 90%. Inevitably this leads to a decline in fish species and a collapse of the local fisheries. Fish are attracted to coral as its crevices and hollows provides a refuge from predators or after they return from foraging in more distant seagrass, mangrove, and other ecosystems: once the coral goes so does the refuge. The Seychelles Reef Rescuers Project reverses this decline. A bleached coral is an unsustainable fishery and an unhealthy ecosystem. By restoring the reef the journey to ecosystem health begins and a revived fishery is created. A new fishery is more sustainable than no fishery at all.
Solution
The Seychelles Reef Rescuers Project protects biodiversity against local threats in two ways: i) Designated status - one of the sites for restoration is in an effectively managed and long standing Marine Protected Area (MPA). MPAs promote responsible fishery management and habitat protection. MPAs restrict potentially damaging activities and their management encompasses both social and ecological objectives. Having such a designation to the restored site should minimise the potential local threat to biodiversity. ii) Community engagement - one of the aims of the project to create an economic incentive for sustainable reef fisheries management. A pool of skilled persons will be trained up in the techniques of coral reef restoration. At the same time the successes of the project will be used to promote the market for coral restoration among potential clients, such as hotels dive operators etc. which have seen their marine sites degraded by bleaching. The marrying of marketable knowledge acquisition and practical skills with potential clients for reef restoration will hopefully spawn a small-scale coral reef restoration industry and help local communities to see restored reef as a business opportunity rather than a business threat. // Two sites are to be selected - one on Cousin Island Special Reserve and the other on the coast of Praslin Island. The minimum area proposed for restoration is 3500m2. The aim is to grow 80,000 coral fragments, with the target of establishing 35,000 new colonies in the restored reef. If successful this will create the largest area of restored coral reef in the world - more than three times the size of any previous restorations.
Replicability
How many years has your solution been applied? 1 year // Have others reproduced your solution elsewhere? Yes // The project is managed by a team of 11 people. Some work on the project full time and others part-time. Their roles are outlined in the diagram.
Human Well Being and Livelihood Impact
The Seychelles Reef Rescuers Project improves human wellbeing and livelihood in four ways: i) By maintaining the important role of coral reefs in local economy through tourism and fisheries - the Seychelles depend almost exclusively on tourism and fishery for foreign revenue. Beside the direct contribution of fisheries to revenues, it also stimulates other commercial sectors that support the industry. ii) By playing an important role the health of the reef-dependant fishery and therefore maintenance of jobs and livelihoods. Local fishers are often from the lower end of the economic spectrum and are financially vulnerable and often feel marginalized. iii) By providing a greater source of food - the population of Seychelles depends on fish for its protein needs and is the third largest per capita consumer of fish in the world. An important part of this is sourced from reef and coral associated areas. More reefs mean more food. iv) By reducing coastal erosion – restored coral increases coastal protection giving greater resilience against storms and climate change. This reduces the problem of coastal erosion, enhancing the sustainable development of coastal communities v) By maintenance of Seychelles beaches – beaches in the granitic Seychelles are fromed from the decomposition of corals and carbonate-depositing organisms. Restoring damaged coral will help to maintain sand production and sustain Seychelles beaches, marketing as bring the most attractive in the world and of crucial importance for the local economy. This project impacts many dependent groups. // The project actively seeks to involve the local community its delivery and success. One local dive centre is directly involved in the delivery of the project and members of the local community are employed on the project. Partnerships are also being forged with local businesses and local marine administrations to further expand the involvement of the local community in management of the project. An advisory committee of international experts is actively involved in the project management through which the project aims to connect with a wider range of stakeholders involved in marine fishery management. One of the project’s aims is also to roll out a group of trained people who would be equipped to grow corals and restore seascapes. These people would include community based individuals as well as coastal zone practitioners. This would enable these people to cascade these skills by training others, by working for organizations that would be involved in restoring coral reefs and by setting up their own businesses to restore reefs for hotels, resort islands, dive operators etc. This type of nature-based business can also attract government funding and subsidies, business investment etc. It can moreover form part of the national climate change adaptation and mitigation plan and strategy and thus benefit from international Clean Development Mechanisms. A business plan will be produced that would include all the options for available for ensuring sustainability of this project including but not exclusively the above mentioned examples.