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Brett, M.R., 2021. How important is coastal tourism for island nations? An assessment of African and Indian Ocean islands. Journal of Coastal Research, 37(3), 568–575. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. Coastal tourism is an important component of the global tourism industry, particularly for island nations where the tourism sector often exceeds 40% of gross domestic product. For African island and Indian Ocean island nations, the tourism sector's economic contribution has not received as much attention. This paper analyses the economic contribution of tourism to the economies of African island nations and analyzes tourism statistics from the World Travel and Tourism Council annual reports. Tourism is a major economic factor for the island nations and is concentrated in the coastal zone. The data indicates that islands with larger and more diversified economies performed better in terms of tourism receipts than did islands with less developed economies. The results show that the average per capita income on the islands is more than six-fold greater than the average for the African continent. To test the importance of the coastal zone, tourist infrastructure was mapped on two African island nations, Mauritius and the Seychelles. Given the predominance of tourist infrastructure in the coastal zone, and the importance of tourism to the economies of many of the African island nations, a rise in sea-level even of 0.5 to 1 meters poses a serious threat to the existence of these island nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contains 142 Campylopoideae records from 10 collecting trips of the author with his colleagues in the East African islands. Among the 27 taxa 15 records were new to a certain island, of which 4 were known before only from continental Africa. With these the known number of species on the Indian Ocean islands raises from 30 to 34. Observations on the ecology, distribution and illustrations of most species are also given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is now accepted that tourism is a significant contributor to global climate change, especially through air travel's high greenhouse gas emissions. This paper analyses the dilemmas facing tourism planning in many small island developing states and presents a model approach toward overcoming those dilemmas by adapting carbon neutral tourism policies. It researches the implementation issues facing carbon neutral tourism policies on the Seychelles Islands: tourism to the islands is energy-intensive, and current plans to increase tourist numbers will entail growing emissions of greenhouse gases. This paper analyses tourism's current levels of energy use and emissions, and explores ways to reduce them. Based on a survey of tourists and industry representatives in the Seychelles, it discusses options for tourism-dependent small island developing states to implement and finance carbon neutrality, while outlining the complexities and limitations of such an objective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores how the Seychelles post-independence labour market has experienced gradual demographic shifts, due in part to the islands' sustained economic expansion, which has resulted in an increasing dependence on foreign or expatriate labour. The article uses the split labour market theory, in combination with a descriptive research approach based on a single case study qualitative methodology to make sense of the present configuration and some of the structural problems that beset the Seychelles labour market. The main objective of the study is to build on previous analyses of labour market reform initiatives, which are aimed at both alleviating human resources shortages and at the same time control the growing use of expatriate labour. This research also fills a gap in literature from the perspective of the 'Seychelloisation' of the domestic labour market. Research findings demonstrate that the labour localisation (Seychelloisation) quota policies have been constrained by structural barriers such as policy contradictions, perception and tacit social exclusion, an emerging 'mudir syndrome' and rent extraction. The paper also demonstrates that national employment policies alone are not enough to achieve policy targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rich microflora community (or biofilm) dominated by cyanobacteria coats most exposed rock surfaces (in both marine and terrestrial environments) in the tropics. Such biofilms are thought to play a role in weathering, crust formation and nutrient cycling. An initial, short-term study (1982–83) of microfloral colonization on 0·1 × 0·1 m cleared plots on Quaternary reef limestones on Aldabra Atoll revealed considerable variability in colonization rates, with wetter sites and softer rocks prone to more luxuriant growths. This paper reports on further studies of colour, biomass and effects of the developing microfloral communities from almost 100 out of the c. 300 original plots which were revisited in 1998. Many sites still show limited colonization. Where a microfloral community has re-established, weathering effects are notable and consistent with those found on surrounding rock. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The failure to meet global biodiversity targets clearly indicates the need for biodiversity management and conservation efforts to be more effective, and this in turn requires better understanding of the current barriers to success. Islands are known as biodiversity hotspots but nowhere has biodiversity loss been so acute as in island ecosystems. To identify the barriers to effective island ecosystem conservation, we conducted 32 semistructured interviews with conservation and management practitioners from island nations in the Western Indian Ocean region. Practitioners described 33 barriers to meeting their objectives under 12 overarching topics and suggested 14 solutions to these. Most barriers described by interviewees existed at organization level (55%), followed by national (24%) and site/project level (21%). Of the 33 barriers described by practitioners, the most commonly associated cause was limited capacity (23.5%), followed by lack of government coordination and limited resources (both 21.6%), lack of incentives (11.8%), poor leadership (11.7%), and finally interpersonal issues interfering with progress (9.8%). Most solutions centered around bridging capacity gaps. By defining these barriers, we can bring them forward for discussion and allocate resources and efforts to bridging them. Only by doing so can we increase the effectiveness of our management efforts and maximize our chances of achieving global biodiversity targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hussein Fakhri al-Khalidi was a Palestinian doctor and a leading figure in Palestinian politics during the British Mandate period. He served as mayor of Jerusalem from 1934-37, helped to found the Reform Party, and represented that party in the Arab Higher Committee. In 1937, the British government exiled him to the Seychelles for his political activities, and eventually released him in spring 1939. While in exile, al-Khalidi wrote a daily diary in English. Edited by Rafiq Husseini, and including an introduction by Rashid Khalidi, the diary has now been published for the first time. What follows is a reviewessay on this important new historical source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduced common mynas (Acridotheres tristis) can negatively impact native wildlife throughout the mynas' non-indigenous range, and in Seychelles myna eradications have been attempted on some smaller islands to protect endemic and indigenous fauna. Initial attempts, relying on a quick knock-down of the population using toxicants, failed. Here we describe an eradication on North Island, Seychelles, that was accomplished by trapping, supported by shooting in the final stages. This eradication attempt was ultimately successful but took place in two stages spanning seven years and involved removing 1641 birds. During the second, successful, stage, morphometric data collected from caught mynas provided pointers to optimum times during the mynas' annual cycle to target control activities. During both stages the trapping of non-target species interfered with the capture of mynas. The six main conclusions from this eradication are (i) eradication of mynas from small islands is feasible and achievable by trapping and shooting, without recourse to the use of toxicants; (ii) provision of adequate resources for the life of an eradication attempt, especially ensuring continuity of funding and staffing, is essential for the efficient removal of the whole population; (iii) knowledge of myna phenology can be used to target the optimal timing of an eradication attempt, (iv) post eradication, vigilance and capacity for immediate action must be maintained to remove any immigrant mynas, (v) further research on trap design is needed to minimise the capture of nontarget species, and (vi) introduced endemic bird populations should be monitored to assess their responses to myna removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Damiria toxifera has been recorded for the first time in the Andaman Sea region. It has not been found elsewhere since its discovery and description from the Seychelles. The distinguishing features of this species in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are depicted in detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This study intends to delineate the match or mismatch between portrayed and perceived online destination personality of select tropical island destinations such as Barbados, Fiji, Seychelles, Hawaii and Mauritius considering their destination marketing organization (DMO) websites as a stimuli. A computer-aided content analysis using WordStat software was employed to uncover the portrayed destination personality dimensions, while the perceived personality dimensions were measured with the help of an online survey using Aaker's [Aaker, J. L. (1997). Dimensions of brand personality.Journal of Marketing Research, 34, 347–356] brand personality scale. This study demonstrates an online approach to assess a destination's brand personality dimensions. It offers insights to DMOs on the transfer of destination personality online through their websites. It also offers the means and measures to assess the association between the portrayed and perceived destination personality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resighting of adult Sooty Terns Onychoprion fuscatus that had been ringed on Bird Island, Seychelles, as chicks in 2002 indicated that birds of higher body mass at fledging had higher post-fledging survival than lighter birds. Resighting of birds that had been ringed at the same time, but at different developmental stages, suggested that birds that fledged from eggs laid late had lower post-fledging survival than chicks that fledged from eggs laid at the peak of the nesting season. These findings are discussed in relation to factors that influence chick survival within the colony and post-fledging survival in the marine environment, along with their implications for the commercial harvest of Sooty Tern eggs in Seychelles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pelusios seychellensis is thought to be a freshwater turtle species endemic to the island of Mahé, Seychelles. There are only three museum specimens from the late 19th century known. The species has been never found again, despite intensive searches on Mahé. Therefore, P. seychellensis has been declared as “Extinct” by the IUCN and is the sole putatively extinct freshwater turtle species. Using DNA sequences of three mitochondrial genes of the historical type specimen and phylogenetic analyses including all other species of the genus, we provide evidence that the description of P. seychellensis was erroneously based on a widely distributed West African species, P. castaneus. Consequently, we synonymize the two species and delete P. seychellensis from the list of extinct chelonian species and from the faunal list of the Seychelles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the forms of economic restructuring recently undertaken by Mauritius and Seychelles in response to recent changes in the global economy, which have a fundamental impact upon their socio-economic landscape. We argue that both Mauritius and Seychelles have recently embarked upon programmes that do not actually attenuate their exposure to the vagaries of international trade but continue a historic pattern of development that addresses ailing economic performance by refining and then replacing one small set of industries with another. The latest phase of restructuring is merely the most recent instalment in this pattern. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]