POSITION STATEMENT OF ICS
Island Conservation Society (ICS) recognises that:

• ICS is involved directly or indirectly with the conservation management of islands hosting the majority of breeding pairs of Sooty Terns in Seychelles.
• Seychelles has been producing cutting edge research about Sooty Tern biology and ecology.
  
• Early indications from the 2021 National Sooty Tern Census reveal an alarming decline in populations.
• Sooty Tern populations in Seychelles have been impacted by several factors including regulated and unregulated collection of eggs.
• Legal regulation of quotas for Sooty Tern egg harvesting has been based on fragmentary an imperfect knowledge of the national population and threats.
• Poaching  has persisted and legislation has not been effectively enforced.
• Emerging threats to Sooty tern populations and other seabirds include degradation of the marine ecosystem due to climate change, pollution and overfishing.

 
Therefore, to assist conservation actions and informed decisions, ICS calls for:

• Full support to the annual population assessments using a consistent and precise methodology in order to better understand long-term population trends.
• Continued monitoring of Sooty Tern biology and ecology including breeding success, survival and recruitment of juveniles into the breeding population, movements and foraging at sea.
• Research into how changes in the marine ecosystem may be impacting the food supply for Sooty Terns and other seabird populations.
• Renewed government support to make legislation for the protection of seabirds effective, respected by the public and enforcement adequately funded.
• An annual assessment of scientific evidence and changing conservation requirements leading to a revision of lawful Sooty Tern egg collection.
• A national debate to sensitise the general public about the relevance and justification for Sooty Tern egg cropping in Seychelles in the 21st century.

The full paper can be downloaded here
 
 

Many thousands of FADs are dumped in the Indian Ocean each year and in most cases are not recovered.  This has increased the productivity of the fishing fleet but has brought significant environmental costs. The average FAD-caught fish is smaller and the catch includes a substantial number of juveniles. There is a relatively large bycatch including several species of pelagic sharks. The Indian Ocean FAD-based purse seine fishery has the highest percentage of bycatch in the world, 25%, compared to a global average of 16% (Daghorn et al 2013). Turtles also become entangled by ropes and netting beneath FADs and drown. FADs inflict considerable damage when they wash ashore at coral reefs.

ICS will actively engage with the relevant parties to carry out a review and revision of (i) the existing FAD MANAGEMENT PLAN and (ii) the new FAD WATCH Agreement during this calendar year. Discussions should focus around:

• the acknowledgment and enforcement of the principle that that the polluter must pay for the environment damage and the subsequent clean-up at all islands, not only the 5 ICS islands;
• the funding of serious and ongoing research into minimizing the environmental impact of FADs through electronic tracking and more environmental-friendly FAD design and construction; and  
• The role of ICS and/or IDC in the mitigation of environment damage to marine flora and fauna and subsequent clean-up operations at all islands where they operate.

 
It is proposed that ICS should commence and lead discussions with the relevant parties with a view to achieving a comprehensive revision of the two agreements mentioned. It is intended that these discussions should start in July this year with a view to finalisation and execution in 2022.

The full paper can be downloaded here

The Indian Ocean is in crisis. Coral reefs are dying because of coral bleaching and damage from human activities. Some seabird populations appear to be in a state of massive decline. Plastics are being dumped at alarming levels. The widespread use of Fish Aggregation Devices has increased fishing yields at considerable environmental cost. Coastal erosion is impacting every island of Seychelles, threatening the very existence of some.

ICS Trustees met on 28 June and unanimously agreed to issue two position papers, ringing alarm bells on two of the major issues we are facing:

The cropping of Sooty Tern eggs in Seychelles
ICS has already given full support to the 2021 National Sooty Tern Census. Initial results are alarming. ICS calls for future annual population assessments to better understand long-term population trends.
 
ICS is calling for research into changes in the marine ecosystem, renewed government support to make legislation effective and a reassessment of the sustainability of egg collection. Above all, ICS calls for a national debate on the relevance and justification for Sooty tern egg cropping in Seychelles in the 21st century.
 
Fish Aggregation Devices (FADs)
 
Many thousands of FADs are dumped in the Indian Ocean each year and in most cases are not recovered.  This has increased the productivity of the fishing fleet but has brought significant environmental costs. The average FAD-caught fish is smaller and the catch includes a substantial number of juveniles. The Indian Ocean FAD-based purse seine fishery has the highest percentage of bycatch in the world. Turtles also become entangled by ropes and netting beneath FADs and drown. FADs inflict considerable damage when they wash ashore at coral reefs.

ICS calls for acknowledgment and enforcement of the principle that that the polluter must pay for the environment damage and the subsequent clean-up.  Serious on-going research into minimizing the environmental impact of FADs is required. ICS calls for discussions with the relevant parties with a view to achieving a comprehensive revision of agreements on FADs.

More news will follow soon.