The Seychelles is an archipelago consisting of 115 granite and coral islands, covering a land area of 445 km² (172 mi²) in the southwestern Indian Ocean. These ecologically significant islands have been isolated from continental landmasses for around 65 million years, resulting in notably high endemism—ranging from 50-85% among various animal groups and about 45% among plants. There is a notable correlation between the number of endemic plant species and the ages of the islands they inhabit.

Seychelles’ landscapes are incredibly varied, offering a feast for the eyes and a sanctuary for the soul. The islands are home to dense rainforests, granite boulders, mangroves, and coral reefs. The Vallée de Mai on Praslin Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the few places in the world where the rare Coco de Mer palm grows. This prehistoric forest is often referred to as the “Garden of Eden” due to its unique and lush vegetation.

	Score	Rank	Change
Total Score – NCI 2024	60.5	33	N/A
Land Management	76	5	N/A
Protected Areas (Terrestrial)	100	1	N/A
Ecological Representativeness of Terrestrial Protected Areas	45	108	N/A
Connectedness of Terrestrial Protected Areas	37	145	N/A
Protected Areas (Marine)	100	1	N/A
Pristine Habitat (Converted Land)	100	1	N/A
Sustainable Nitrogen Management (Soil Pollution)
Sustainable Pesticide Use
Threats to Biodiversity	59	126	N/A
Threatened Species (Terrestrial)	42	177	N/A
Threatened Species (Marine)	75	23	N/A
Threatened Species’ Coverage by Protected Areas	97	57	N/A
Species Coverage by Marine Protected Areas	100	1	N/A
Species with Declining Populations (Terrestrial)	29	96	N/A
Species with Declining Populations (Marine)	0	10	N/A
Depleted Fisheries	0	39	N/A
Fishery Pressure in the High Seas	100	110	N/A
Invasive Species Pressure	92	106	N/A
Capacity and Governance	79	4	N/A
Total Management Cost	99	52	N/A
Conservation Culturomics	69	13	N/A
Conservation Legislation	60	23	N/A
Ratification of CBD	100	1	N/A
Ratification of CITES	100	1	N/A
Political Stability and Absence of Violence	70	3	N/A
Control of Corruption	84	11	N/A
Government Effectiveness	64	39	N/A
Future Trends	27	161	N/A
Climate Change Mitigation	27	161	N/A

Four pillars elaborated:

Land Management

The forest coverage in Seychelles is estimated to be about 90%. While the total natural mangrove area declined through much of the 20th century, it has remained relatively stable since the 1980s, covering approximately 25 km² (10 mi²). There are eight species of mangroves naturally occurring in Seychelles. The archipelago is estimated to have around 1,700 km² (656 mi²) of coral reefs, primarily around the southeastern islands.

Conservation areas cover 47% of the total surface area, including 19,760 hectares (198 km²) of protected terrestrial areas and 23,000 hectares (230 km²) of protected reef and marine areas. Aldabra, the largest raised atoll in the world and a biodiversity treasure trove, was saved from major development in the late 1960s and designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982. Several other islands hold biodiversity assemblages of great regional and global significance, including 10 Important Bird Areas (IBAs). The 146 rivers and rivulets on the three main islands are listed for protection due to their importance to human populations and socioeconomic development.

Threats to Biodiversity

Some of the major threats to Seychelles’ biodiversity include introduced species, habitat destruction, anthropogenic activities such as fishing, hunting, and timber exploitation, pollution, siltation, and disease. The main threat to forest ecosystems today, and the key challenge to their effective conservation and sustainable use, is Invasive Alien Species (IAS). Forest fires and erosion also pose threats, especially in drier forest habitats, primarily because disturbances tend to facilitate the incursion and establishment of invasive species rather than allowing native habitats to regenerate.

Coastal development is the main threat to mangroves, while in the longer term, climate change and rising sea levels also pose significant threats to mangrove forests. The low-lying islands are particularly vulnerable to sea level rise induced by climate change. Coral reefs are a major concern as well, with an ongoing decline since the severe bleaching event of 1998. In this case, global climate change is considered the primary underlying cause of the decreasing coral cover.

Capacity and Governance

The Environment Management Plan of Seychelles (EMPS) is the primary mechanism for integrating environmental concerns into socioeconomic sectors. Biodiversity is also incorporated into the development process through the Town and Country Planning Act (TCPA) of 1972 and the Environment Protection Act (EPA) of 1994, with its Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations of 1996. These acts together provide the approval mechanism for developments via the Planning Authority.

Seychelles has launched two major national projects to enhance biodiversity integration using the Ecosystem Approach: “Mainstreaming Biodiversity Management into Production Sector Activities” (2008) and “Strengthening Seychelles’ Protected Area System through NGO Management Modalities” (2011). These projects aim to integrate biodiversity into development sectors and upgrade the protected area network.

Seychelles is also a party to international agreements such as the Convention on Migratory Species, CITES, the Indian Ocean Southeast Asian Sea Turtle Agreement, and the Migratory Sharks Memorandum of Understanding.

Future Trends

The Seychelles Biodiversity Plan 2030 is a comprehensive strategy to conserve and restore the country’s rich biodiversity, aiming to protect 30% of land and marine areas, restore degraded ecosystems, reduce threats from climate change, pollution, and invasive species, and promote sustainable use of natural resources by 2030.

Biodiversity

An estimated 1,000 marine fish species inhabit Seychelles, with only 1-2% being endemic, such as the Seychelles clownfish and the bamboo shark. The islands host a unique blend of land birds from Africa, Asia, and Madagascar, which have evolved into distinct species and subspecies. There are 13 endemic bird species and 17 endemic subspecies. The surviving bird populations include eight globally threatened species, some of the most endangered land birds in the world, including the Seychelles scops owl, the black paradise flycatcher, and the magpie robin.

The only indigenous land mammals are bats, with five species, two of which are endemic, although various other land mammals have been introduced. There are also 21 species of marine mammals. The coco-de-mer palm (Lodoicea maldivica), endemic to the Seychelles and classified as vulnerable by the IUCN, is a national flagship species for tourism and conservation.

In the table below are the number of known species in several main groups, how many of these species are Threatened with extinction, and how many of them are Endemic (unique to Seychelles only):

	Species (World rank)	Threatened	% Threatened	Endemic	% Endemic
Mammals	31 (#183)	6	19.4%	3	9.7%
Birds	96 (#195)	13	13.5%	15	15.6%
Reptiles	35 (#134)	11	31.4%	16	45.7%
Amphibians	14 (#125)	6	42.9%	11	78.6%
Fishes	1,177 (#29)	43	3.7%	15	1.3%
Plants	804 (#187)	61	7.6%