Coral Festival - Celebrating the Colours of the Sea

Recognising the dire need to mobilise a national and regional coordinated effort to develop innovations and targets for coral reef recovery, adaptation and restoration and as part of the Authority’s mandate to conserve and protect the natural ecosystem, SPGA launched the first-ever Coral Festival to be held in Seychelles on Friday 26th April at Camion Hall, under the theme "Celebrating the Colours of the Sea" The Coral Festival aims to raise awareness on the importance of coral reefs, marine conservation and sustainable practices.

The Festival which spanned over 2 days, was formally launched by Designated Minister and Minister for Fisheries and Blue Economy; Mr. Jean-Francois Ferrari, in the presence of First Lady Mrs. Linda Ramkalawan, CEO Cedras and other high ranking invitees.

Day 1 of the Festival gathered experts, enthusiasts and the local community to appreciate the beauty and value of these fragile ecosystem. The Coral Festival is an aggressive call to action to protect our oceans for future generations. By bringing together various stakeholders and partners, as well as engaging institutions in meaningful discussions and exhibitions, which the Authority anticipates will create a lasting impact on marine conservation efforts and inspire change.

Additionally, an MoU between the SPGA and Absa Bank Seychelles was entered into by the signing of the Agreement by CEO Cedras and Absa Seychelles Managing Director, Mr. Nazim Mahmood. The MoU is geared towards collaborative efforts for coral restoration across the Marine Protected areas.

The activity which lasted for about 8 hours, showcased various displays, intercactive and educational activities, and panel discussions driven by experts in the field of marine science, such as Dr. Nirmal Shah, Mr. Chris Mason-Parker, Ms. Sophie Berlouis, Mr. Rodney Bonne and Mr. Rodney Quatre to name a few.

The Festival saw the participation of collaborators and partners, namely; MACCE BCM Division, Seychelles Islands Foundation(SIF), SeyCCAT (Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust), Nature Seychelles, Absa Bank, MCSS (Marine Conservation Society of Seychelles), Wise Oceans, WIOMSA(Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association) and the United Nations Development Program- Seychelles and Mauritius (UNDP).

Day 2 of the Festival was centered within the Port Launay Marine National Park, in collaboration with Absa Bank Seychelles, whereby on the agenda was a mass coral outplanting activity. The event kicked-off with keynote messages from Minister Flavien Joubert, responsible for Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment, as well as messages of encouragement by CEO Cedras and Managing Director, Mr. Mahmood.

The Research and Marine Operations team of SPGA who were leading this activity oversaw an extensive group of eager volunteers from Absa Bank. With the assistance of the volunteers who focused on attaching coral fragment to the 76 reef stars, our team successfully secured 76 reef stars into to the seabed, amounting to a total of 450 coral fragments planted. This falls in line with the Authority’s mandates to carry out conservation activities within the marine protected areas. More so the activity reinforces SPGA’s mitigation and adaptation measures against climate change. The outplanting event is the first of two which is tabled for 2024 between the two organisations.