CORAL RESTORATION

Coral Propagation through Mineral Accretion Technology

With the ongoing effects of climate change, corals are facing difficulties to grow and reproduce, spread, and be prepared for severe weather events like bleaching, strong tropical depressions, and also suffer from the effects of overfishing. Coral restoration efforts help jumpstart the regeneration process. More so, the mineral accretion technology helps survival rates of small coral fragments, boost coral growth up to 300% and increases resistance against future severe bleaching events and a warming climate.

In 2018, as part of its long-standing Ocean Commitment program, Blancpain initiated an experimental coral restoration project on Fregate Island in collaboration with Coralive.org. Eight hundred storm-derived coral fragments (corals of opportunity) were transplanted onto eight artificial structures situated at depths between 5 and 7m. Four of these structures use the Mineral Accretion Technology (MAT), a method that applies safe, low voltage electrical currents through seawater, causing dissolved minerals to crystallize on structures, growing into a white limestone like that, which naturally makes up coral reefs and tropical white sand beaches. The second group of four structures is not electrified to act as control. The project provides valuable research data, offering a unique possibility to measure in the same area the efficiency of MAT compared to classical techniques.

MARINE BIODIVERSITY BASELINE ASSESSMENT AROUND FREGATE ISLAND

To advance understanding the marine life around Fregate Island, in 2019 Blancpain, Coralive.org, and Fregate Island associated with BlueNomads.org, the Green Islands Foundation, the University of the Seychelles, and the Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust to establish a coral reef biodiversity baseline. More than 2.7 square miles of seabed were scanned using state-of-the-art technology to document the health, rigidity, and benthic assemblage of the reef. Collected images were then stitched together to produce a detailed 3D underwater habitat map of corals, sand, rocks, and rubble surrounding Fregate Island. The gathered data continues to serve as the basis for a long-term monitoring program of the marine area around the island to study trends in the structure of reef fish and coral communities through year-by-year comparison. Ultimately, the objective is to support discussions on the creation of a new marine protected area around the island.

The sandy beaches of Fregate Island provide a vital nesting habitat for two species of sea turtles. The critically endangered Hawksbill Turtle and the endangered Green Turtle. The Seychelles remain one of the few places on Earth where Hawksbill turtles come ashore to nest during the daytime and every nesting season, from October to January, is our conservation team’s ambition to safeguard and monitor the several hundred nests. You also have the chance to witness first-hand one of nature’s true miracles, the sight of a female turtle laying her eggs on the shore or a turtle hatchling making its way to the ocean. The Hawksbill is the most common turtle species nesting on Fregate island. Hawksbills play a major role in tropical coral reef ecosystems, as they are the only marine organism whose diet comprises predominantly of sponges. They come ashore to lay their eggs during the northwest monsoon from September until February/March with the nesting peak between mid-November to mid-January. The adult average weight of Hawksbills is 60 kg and the width of its track is generally less than 90 cm. Hawksbill turtles have been listed as critically endangered since 1996 under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The Seychelles archipelago holds one of the largest remaining populations of Hawksbill turtles and is known for having the unusual characteristic of nesting at daytime (IUCN, 2012). It is estimated, that 0,7% of the global Hawksbill Sea Turtle population is nesting on our tiny island. Our conservationists will love to take you out on turtle patrols, where you can assist in their studies and daily works to keep these critically endangered species safe.

A monitoring program for sea turtles has been implemented on Fregate island since the nesting season of 2011/2012. The program was established in collaboration with Dr. Jeanne Mortimer, who provides training in turtle tagging and collaborates with data analysis. Since then, there has been an ongoing study and collecting of data about the nesting behaviour as well as tagging of the female adults.

What we do:

The nesting beach provides a narrow but extremely important window of opportunity for research and monitoring.

• Recording the number of tracks/emergences helps us to monitor the size of the nesting population.
• Measuring and tagging these nesting females allows us to monitor them over time and record movements between islands.
• Marking nests helps us to protect the eggs from disturbance and monitor the nests for hatching success.
• Nests in danger of being washed away or suffering from erosion are relocated to ensure the hatchlings are born on a location free of risk.

The Fregate Giant Tenebrionid Beetle is classified as ‘Critically Endangered’ on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. It is one of the largest beetles in the western Indian Ocean and is now only known from Fregate Island, Seychelles, where formerly it was found mainly on the Sandragon Tree (Pterocarpus indicus). Nearly all Sandragon trees in Seychelles died out from a wilt disease, and the beetles are now found on a variety of broad-leaved tree species.

The Fregate Island Giant Tenebrionid Beetle survived on Fregate, despite most of the island’s native vegetation being replaced by introduced trees. All adult beetles are unable to fly, making it almost impossible for them to recolonize their former range. Rats invaded Fregate in 1996, and were swarming over the island by 2000, posing a possible threat to the survival of the beetle. A captive breeding program was established at the Zoological Society of London to prevent the species from becoming extinct. Now, hundreds of captive Fregate beetles are present at ZSL, as well as in various European zoos. We are also happy to report that after the island has been made rat-free in the 1990s, the population of our Fregate Beetles is thriving again and steadily increasing.

undreds of thousands of birds find sanctuary on Fregate Island, altogether over 100 species, with thirteen species taking up permanent residence here. Every day at dusk, it is a thrill to experience the sight of large flocks of beautiful Fairy Terns and Noddies gliding across the island as they return from their fishing expeditions. Through ambitious conservation programs, the Seychelles Magpie Robin and others, such as the endemic Seychelles White Eye and Seychelles Warbler, have been brought back from the brink of extinction.

• Land Based Birds

There are 9 species of land birds found on the island of which 6 are endemic to the Seychelles islands. Of these birds, three are classified endangered, critically endangered or vulnerable by the International Union of Conservation of Nature (including the Seychelles Magpie Robin). The monitoring of these species is an ongoing process and forms a large part of the conservation effort on Fregate island. The island is home to three species of seabirds and a variation of waders as well.

Fregate Island’s biggest conservation success story is that of the Seychelles Magpie Robin. By 1965 it had become extinct on all islands apart from Fregate, where less than 12 individual birds remained. Once one of the rarest birds in the world, having come very close to extinction on numerous occasions, this species is now classified as endangered by the IUCN.

SAVING THE SEYCHELLES MAGPIE ROBIN

In 1990, the Seychelles Magpie Robin Recovery Team (SMART) was established, in collaboration with Birdlife International, to save this bird from extinction. An extensive conservation management plan was put to action including habitat restoration, supplementary feeding, provision of nest boxes and eradication of introduced predators (such as rats and Indian Myna birds). The Seychelles Magpie Robin has now been introduced to four other islands (Cousin, Cousine, Aride and Denis), to safeguard the population, which now stands at close to 400 individual birds. Fregate is home to the largest population with over 197 birds. Conservation management of this species is on-going and each month, our conservation team inspects each nest box around the island. Any chicks found are given individual alphanumeric and metal rings for identification. Additionally, blood samples are taken from each chick and are analyzed in a laboratory to find out it is a male or female.

Seychelles Warbler

The Seychelles warbler is an insectivorous passerine, endemic to the Seychelles islands. In 1968 the species was reduced to an isolated population on Cousin Island, consisting of approximately 30 individuals. This decline was predominantly caused by the loss of native broadleaved forest habitat, substituted by coconut plantations and the introduction of mammalian predators, such as rats, cats and Common Myna birds. The eradication of these species has helped the Seychelles warbler to recover. As a result of this intensive conservation management and successful translocations, the species population size and range has increased dramatically up to ca. 3,000 individuals within Seychelles, justifying a downlist from Critically Endangered to Near Threatened (BirdLife International 2016). Despite its success this species remains of high conservation concern, as the risk of species extinction on small oceanic islands remains high.

The latest introduction of this species was accomplished in 2011, when 59 individuals were translocated from Cousin Island to Fregate Island, with the aim of establishing a fifth population   of this species: a key goal of the species action plan. The population on Fregate Island has been steadily growing since its introduction in late 2011 at a yearly rate of 34.8%. In 2017, a total of 209 individual SWs were observed in 85 territories.

Seychelles White-Eye

The Seychelles (Grey) White-eye is endemic to the granitic islands of Seychelles. It used to be classified as Critically Endangered due to its tiny world population and range, which had undergone extensive decline on Mahé between the mid-1970s and the mid-1990s. Its survival was only confirmed in 1961 on a few areas of Central Mahé between sea-level and 500 meters high. Currently ca. 25 birds are thought to live in this small population. A national survey undertaken in 1997 lead to the discovery of an unknown population of over 200 birds on Conception, an island of ca. 60 ha and 1.6 km distance from Mahé. This brought new hope for this species’ future. The first inter-island transfers were undertaken by the Ministry of Environment between Conception and Fregate in 2001 and 2003. Further monitoring and research on the Fregate population was conducted by the Department of Environment (DoE) while the island management continued its intensive habitat restoration program, started in 1995. In July 2007, ICS was appointed to conduct two additional island transfers, one to North Island and one to Cousine island. Despite all the activities undertaken since 1996, the SWE is still one of the most threatened birds in Seychelles.

On Fregate, where a total of 37 birds were introduced between 2001 and 2003 from Conception, the species has been increasing in numbers reaching ca. 80 individuals in 2006, ca. 90 birds in 2007, and ca. 130 birds in 2009. During the survey in 2018, the population size was estimated to be ca. 270 birds, distributed over 29 territories and in a new survey in April 2021 it was between 35 and 40 territories. With that the estimated population of SWE can now be allocated between 320 and 370 birds.

Other Seychelles endemic birds, that we find on Fregate island are:

• Seychelles Blue Pigeon
• Seychelles Sunbird
• Seychelles Fody

Other birds introduced to the island are:

• Madagascar Fody
• Barred Ground Dove
• Madagascar Pigeon
• Moorhen

• Marine Birds

Lesser Noddy

The Lesser noddy is a seabird native to the Seychelles. It is smaller and slimmer than the Brown noddy and has a very long narrow beak. Its head has a larger pale area than the Brown noddy, but the demarcation between light and dark areas is less sharp. Lesser Noddies nest during the season of the southeast Monsoon (from April to October). They nest in trees and build their platform nests out of wilted leaves (usually Pisonia), on the branches of trees, on rat-free islands. Lesser noddies feed in flocks, flying within a few meters over the water and swooping to catch small fish and squid from just beneath the surface.

Larger colonies of this species can be found on Aride, Cousin, Cousine and Fregate island.

Tropic Bird

The white-tailed tropicbird is a widely distributed species of seabird. Although white-tailed tropicbirds (‘tropicbirds’) tend to colonise on remote tropical islands, they are in practice and highly pelagic, spending large periods of their life out at sea feeding on fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods. Due to their wide distribution and large global population, tropicbirds are not considered    threatened neither globally nor in Seychelles.

In contrast to their general preference for nesting in rocky crevices, tropicbirds on Fregate nest predominantly in trees, specifically casuarinas. Nests are normally located in a hole within the tree and can be quite inconspicuous; they are often only identifiable thanks to their protruding tail that sticks out of the nest, or by chance the observation of an adult entering the nest. Tropicbirds on Fregate also nest on the ground, usually under fallen logs or overhanging roots. Female tropicbirds lay only one egg; both parents share the incubation duties, with the incubation period itself lasting around 40-43 days. Once hatched, chicks fledge within 70-85 days.

Fairy Tern

The White (fairy) Tern is the most widespread seabird in the Seychelles and is found in very high abundance on Fregate island. Previous population surveys showed that there are at least 2,000 individuals on the island, but through personal observations the population was expected to be much higher.

Fairy Terns are often found in pairs in coastal areas and will fly towards you in an aggressive nature if you are near a nest. They like to nest in banyan trees, but also nest in various other broad leafed tree species around the island. Each habitat is subject to different factors that could affect breeding success.

This bird does not build a nest, they lay one egg on a bare branch, often at a fork in the branch. In storms and high winds, chicks can easily fall off the tree; parents will not continue feeding the chick on the ground. Breeding success is generally very low throughout the Seychelles (around 20%), many breeding pairs will attempt to re-lay a few weeks after losing an egg/chick. Incubation lasts on average 35 days and the chicks should be ready to fledge after 90-100 days.

Prior to the arrival of humans to the Seychelles, only two species of mammals were present; the Seychelles Fruit Bat and Seychelles Sheath Tailed Bat. Due to the non-existence of predators such as rats and cats, much of the wildlife was ill-equipped to cope with aggressive mammalian predators which were introduced to the islands. The introduction of these predators caused a serious decline of many species in the Seychelles. Their subsequent eradication naturally supported the restoration of our islands’ ecosystem in which many rare and endemic animals thrive again.

Over the years, Fregate Island has been subject to infiltration by several invasive species of plants and animals and even diseases which caused the decline in several of our rarest species. An invasive species can be any kind of living organism, such as a plant, an animal or pathogen, which is non-native (or alien) to a particular location and whose introduction is likely to cause harm to the ecosystem. These can harm the environment, the economy or even human health and they usually reproduce quickly and spread aggressively. Biological invasion by non-native species is recognized as one of the foremost threats to indigenous species and ecosystems and as such, these invasions contribute to a decline in biodiversity. Approximately 42% of threatened or endangered species are at risk due to invasive species. Turning back the ecological clock is extremely important for Fregate Islands’ unique and endemic inhabitants. Habitat restoration is a priority and an ongoing project on the Island. With great caution only native and indigenous trees to the Seychelles are planted in restored areas. Habitat restoration is an extremely challenging and labor-intensive task, usually carried out in small, designated areas by our Ground & Landscaping team. We invite guests to actively contribute in our habitat restoration program through our ‘Plant-a-Tree‘ initiative.

Rats

Whilst Fregate Island was rat free for most of its history, disaster struck in 1995 when rats colonized the island from inside construction materials brought in via boat. Extremely rare species, like the Seychelles Magpie Robin and the Fregate Beetle, were under serious threat of extinction back then and action had to be taken. A full-scale rat eradication program was quickly initiated under the supervision of renowned New Zealand conservationist, Don Merton. Three islands (Fregate, Curieuse and Denis) took part in a large-scale eradication plan implemented by the Seychelles Government with collaboration and funding by island owners and BirdLife Seychelles.

A specialized poisoned bait was dropped across the island using a helicopter. Whilst the bait was specific to mammals (and should therefore only affect the rats) extra care was taken to protect our most vulnerable species. The Seychelles Magpie Robin and a small number of the giant Aldabra tortoise were taken into captivity on the island and monitored by specialist veterinary staff who resided on the island for the duration of the project. This mammoth effort paid off and after some trial and tribulation, Fregate Island was finally rat free by the year 2000. In the short span of five years, the rats certainly did considerable damage. In the period of 1996 to 2000 the population of Fregate Beetles dropped by 80%, and in the 1999/2000 breeding season alone, 13 Seychelles Magpie Robin chicks disappeared a few days after leaving their nests. Both events were linked to rat predation. However, the quick response in eradication, and the subsequent efforts in habitat restoration, have helped to the restoration of the island’s ecosystem.

Now that Fregate Island is rat free, we are determined to remain that way!

There are several precautions taken to reduce the risk of a rat introduction:

• We only allow boats into our harbour which have undergone an inspection and have received a “Rat Free Certificate” from a registered pest control company. If you are interested in bringing your own boat into our marina, please contact the Guest Services team who will be happy to advise you on our protocols.
• Careful sourcing of all our goods and supplies helps to reduce our risk.
• Rat Proof Fencing around our marina and storage areas helps to prevent rats which may arrive in boats or boxes from entering the island further.
• The use of bait boxes strategically placed around the island targets any rats which managed to make it through.

Sustainability is key for Fregate Island; we use solar water heating, cogeneration air conditioning in villas, electric golf carts, refillable amenities, and reusable glass bottles for drinking water. Around 85% of our fresh fruit and vegetables are grown in our own organic plantation. Wherever possible, we encourage you to choose sustainable local produce and endeavor to share our efforts to be sustainable.

• Water: As an island, water consumption efficiency is a priority for Fregate Island. Water meters are fitted across departments and accommodations, which are checked daily to ensure our water usage is efficient. Our hydroponics facilities exclusively use captured rainwater / runoff, rather than ecologically costly groundwater or energy-expensive reverse osmosis. Drinking water is bottled in our state-of-the-art filtration plant, which uses recyclable glass bottles to cut down on the use of plastic and reduce our carbon footprint.

• Energy: Reducing our energy consumption is a top priority for Fregate Island. All guest villas have had co-generation AC systems installed, which use the heat diverted from the AC systems to contribute to geyser (hot water tank) heating. Our staff accommodation has solar panels to produce hot water. The use of electric golf buggies helps us to cut our carbon footprint and to reduce our emissions. We track and monitor our energy, fuel, and water consumption daily.

• Waste: Fregate Island Private is placing huge emphasis on the sustainability of our waste disposal. Currently we are quantifying our food waste in hopes of reducing the total amount accumulated. We do not use single use plastic bottles and even our staff and guests are provided with reusable aluminium bottles. The plastic bottles that reach the island as well as aluminium cans are recycled through a company based in Mahe that offers the service. Scrap metal is also recycled as well as car batteries, tin cans and electronic parts. Regular meals at our staff canteen and guest dining venues are always served on non-disposable service-wear. Bathroom and Spa amenities are offered in reusable glass and ceramic bottles. The cleaning products are all eco-friendly and the containers are returned to the suppliers, whey they are replenished and sent back to us.

• Education and training: We can reach a wide audience of both staff and guests with our environmental educational programs which are vital to the continued success of conservation and sustainability initiatives on Fregate Island. Staff is regularly reminded of the importance of sustainable habits and the island’s flora and fauna through a daily news section and regular training sessions. Reminders to switch off lights and other electronic equipment when not in use, along with water preservation are featured throughout the staff areas.  We involve the local community in different activities by inviting local school children to teach them about sustainable living, tourism, and practices that are possible and easy to follow.

• Food: Wherever possible we aim to supply our guests with fresh fruits and vegetables grown sustainable by our agricultural team on the island. When we cannot provide certain items, we source through local suppliers. Most of our fresh fish is caught by our marina team with emphasis on our sustainable fishing policy, ensuring that endangered and unsustainable species are not caught. We aim to keep our menus as sustainable and ecologically friendly as possible and are proud to provide our guests with an ecologically conscious dining experience.  All the products grown on the island are free of pesticides.

• Fishing: On Fregate, our guests will notice a QR code on their food menus, if they order fish. Once they scan this QR code, the guest is being presented with the unique social and ecological story of the fish – guests will see WHO caught this fish WHERE and also HOW. This app shall help small-scale fisheries to connect to hotels and restaurants more easily and give them an advantage over big industrial fishing companies. Small-scale fisheries, encompassing all activities along the value chain, play an especially important role in food security, poverty eradication, equitable development, and sustainable resource utilization. In Africa alone, marine and inland fisheries are estimated to contribute to the food security of 200 million Africans, and the income of 10 million engaged in after-catch commercial activities. However, these fisheries continue to be ineffectively regulated and data-limited, with many regional and international efforts still promoting top-down management and control measures. These approaches have proven largely ineffective in addressing sustainability concerns, and are often socially unjust, with limited participation by fishers themselves. Against this backdrop, ABALOBI with support of the Fregate Island Foundation developed an integrated small-scale fisheries information-management system and mobile app suite that aims to enable small-scale fishers to drive and be integrated into information and resource networks – from fishery co-management and maritime safety to local development and market opportunities.

The Seychelles Yellow-bellied mud terrapin and Seychelles Black mud terrapin are endemic to the Seychelles archipelago and listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List. The decline of overall populations is a consequence of increasingly restricted home ranges resulting from habitat fragmentation. The few remaining populations are now constrained to very limited areas and are under threat by drainage, predation and alien water plants. The collection of data on the terrapin populations on Fregate is important, to find out if they are thriving on the island. We aim to know how large the populations of both species are, if juveniles are present, if they migrate between water ponds and their growth rate. With the constant monitoring of our ponds and canals, we aim to learn more about some of the island’s most secretive and mysterious creatures.