First for Seychelles and the Region - Cousin celebrates IBA branding
Cousin Island Special Reserve has become the first IBA branded site in the Western Indian Ocean region. The Important Bird Area (IBA) branding says publicly that Cousin island is of outstanding global value for bird conservation.
The branding was unveiled for visitors to the islands as part of Nature Seychelles’ activities for the International Year of Biodiversity.
It is another feather in the cap of Nature Seychelles and international partners BirdLife and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) who have helped earn the island its world-wide recognition as a huge conservation success.
“The IBA branding adds to Cousin Island’s stature as one of the best small island reserves in the world,” said Nirmal Shah who is also Nature Seychelles Chief Executive.
“It will help in assuring visitors that the place they are visiting is of global significance. Therefore the IBA branding is of tourism importance as well. We hope this will attract higher quality eco-visitors to Seychelles” says Ian Valmont, the Island’s Coordinator.
A site is recognised as an IBA only if it meets certain criteria, based on the occurrence of key bird species that are vulnerable to extinction or whose populations are otherwise irreplaceable. Conservation on the Island helped save some of the Seychelles’ endemic birds, notably the Seychelles Warbler and Seychelles Magpie Robin. Five of Seychelles’ eleven endemic land birds - Seychelles sunbird, Seychelles fody, Seychelles blue pigeon, the warbler and the magpie robin are found here. Cousin is also a globally important site for seabirds, with seven species of nesting seabirds in numbers exceeding 300,000 individuals.
IBA branding also reflects measures taken to safeguard biodiversity. The IBA programme aims to identify, monitor and protect a global network of IBAs for the conservation of the world’s birds and other biodiversity.
Birds have been shown to be effective indicators of biodiversity in other animal groups and plants. So although the IBA network is defined by its bird fauna, the conservation of these sites would ensure the survival of a correspondingly large number of other animals and plants. An IBA thus makes a major contribution to global biodiversity conservation.
“Conservation efforts on Cousin have not only contributed to the improved status of some of Seychelles flagship bird species but have also helped other endangered species like the Hawksbill turtles and fish,” says David Derand, Science Coordinator. “And a healthy environment is good for both birds and people,” BirdLife states.
And in terms of mainstream market economics, because IBAs are recognised world-wide, they attract interest from millions of birdwatchers. They become travel destinations and targets for eco-tourism projects and scientific study. Governments and donor agencies recognise the value of IBAs, so these sites attract financial incentives or direct funding for sympathetic development and management. There are several IBAS in Seychelles but none has been publicly branded until now. Nature Seychelles encourages the managers of other IBAS to brand their sites in this manner.
Source: Regar 5-28-10