Component 1 and Achievements

The activities of the OIP were being measured according to two key outcomes: Outcome 1 focussed on ‘Management effectiveness [being] enhanced within a sample of coastal and marine protected areas (IUCN Category I, II and VI) operating under innovative public-private-civil society partnership agreements’ and comprised of seven outputs. The key achievements undertaken for each output were as follows:  

Output 1.1: Biodiversity & Ecosystem Assessment, Monitoring and Conservation Programmes to strengthen PA Management

  • Fine-scale Terrestrial Habitat Maps and broad-scale Marine Habitat Maps developed for Poivre, Farquhar, Alphonse, St. François and Bijoutier and Desroches;
  • Standardised protocols for conservation of coral reefs, reef fish, mangroves, seagrass, giant tortoises, seabirds, sea turtles, water quality, subsistence fishing and fish spawning aggregations;
  • Species conservation management plans for coral reefs, reef fish, mangroves, seagrass, seabirds and sea turtles;
  • Monitoring and Assessment for coral reefs, reef fish, mangroves, seagrass, seabirds and sea turtles;
  • Establishment of ‘Citizen Science’ programme in relation to: a) recreational fisheries monitoring, and b) recreational diving monitoring programmes, in two protected sites: Alphonse Group and Desroches;
  • Marine habitat mapping and monitoring programmes on Aldabra.

Output 1.2: Institutional capacity to plan and implement PA expansion is strengthened

  • The project supported the establishment and running of conservation centre on Farquhar;
  • Capacity-building of PA Management staff: 25 capacity-building activities targeting 148 males and 141 females from Government, non-Governmental organisations, the private sector and youth. 

Output 1.3: Infrastructure and Resources enhanced to enable PA management

  • Equipment and materials purchased for Assessment, Monitoring and conservation.

Output 1.4: PAs Identified in the Outer Islands and nomination files prepared

  • Nomination file to designate five areas, ‘St. François Atoll Terrestrial Special Reserve’,  ‘Ile du Sud-Farquhar Atoll National Park’, ‘Ile aux Goëlettes-Farquhar Atoll Special Reserve’, ‘Bancs de Sable-Farquhar Atoll Special Reserve’ and ‘Ile du Sud-Poivre Atoll National Park’), as well as  the Marine Spatial Planning (MSP)/The Nature Conservancy (TNC)/OIP joint submission of nomination file to designate (and re-designate) areas for PA status of Desroches Atoll (Marine) Sustainable Use Area, Poivre Atoll (Marine) Sustainable Use Area, Alphonse Group (Marine) Sustainable Use Area and Farquhar Atoll (Marine) Sustainable Use Area under the National Parks and Nature Conservancy Act (1969) to the MEECC;            
  • Draft regulations and gap analysis for these proposed PAs. 

Output 1.5: PA Management Structures in place and sufficiently financed

  • Development of Four 10-year Business Plans prepared for target sites.

Output 1.6: PA Management Plans Developed and Implemented

  • Conservation management plans updated for Alphonse and Desroches and conservation management plans developed for Poivre and Farquhar. 

Output 1.7:  Increased Education and Awareness levels support PA management in the Outer Islands

  • The project raised awareness levels regarding Outer Islands conservation via a range of public awareness and education campaigns, focussing on: National Protected Area Day, International Day of Biodiversity and Seychelles National Day Expo celebrations. The project has also targeted the general public and students through a range of experiential awareness-raising activities.