The Challenges

The challenges facing local plant conservationists are more serious than many may want to believe. The remaining small populations and fragmented habitats are constantly under threat from forever intensifying detrimental factors. In fact all the endemic flowering plants of the Seychelles require some form of protection or conservation action to ensure survival. This may well be true also for ferns and little studied mosses, liverworts and lichens.

What are the solutions?

Seychelles fortunately has an excellent track record in its effort to conserve biodiversity. Several national parks and reserves have been set up to protect local fauna and flora. The PCA in collaboration with the Botanical Garden amd the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources has developed a natinal plant conservation strategy  and a research agenda. To implement the strategy, PCA is working closely with national and international partners.

For example, the forestry department has established a working relationship with the the ETH in Zurich and they are collaborating on ecological research. But as in the case of most conservation efforts the complexity of the problems calls for a holistic and concerted effort requiring the support of all parties and the public at large.