Two pristine coastal environments in Mahé have been earmarked for large tourism developments. Both Cap Ternay and Police Bay are planned to be turned into multi-million dollar properties with hundreds of hotel rooms. These two much-loved areas, which are always ranked highly in tourism publications such as Lonely Planet, will be irreversibly damaged in the process.

The Government of Seychelles says that it is proudly committed to conservation and protecting the natural environment. Allowing these developments to go ahead will not only be detrimental to those ideals, but to the areas in question, which serve as important marshlands, support our ecosystem and are part of our national heritage. The two hotel projects should be stopped immediately to protect these sites.

We, the undersigned, respectfully call on the Government of Seychelles to halt the two hotel development projects planned for Cap Ternay and Police Bay. In the past, Seychelles has been very vocal in the international arena on topics such as climate change and coastal erosion, and it is surely time to stand up for those ideals at home. We submit this plea for a complete ban for the following reasons:

1) These two areas are undeniably part of the Seychelles national heritage.
2) To build privately-owned hotels on them will deprive Seychellois and tourists alike of their natural beauty.
3) The planned hotel projects contradict the Government’s stance on conservation.
4) It is detrimental to the image of Seychelles, which prides itself on having a largely unspoilt environment.