Pizzeria reaches out to save turtles

The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MENR) on Friday January 30 welcomed the emergence of small businesses as supporters of environment conservation projects when a local caterer hosted the launching of a new turtle protection project.

Minister Ronny Jumeau of MENR expressed his joy and gratitude that such support is widening when Samad Suleman of Sam's Pizzeria presented a cheque for R5,000 to the Marine Conservation Society of Seychelles (MCSS) for the new initiative.

"It is good to see that it's not only large organisations or establishments like Banyan Tree Resort that are coming forward to support conservation projects," the minister said, as John Neville of MCSS appealed for funds to save turtles on Mahe, Praslin and La Digue.

During the ceremony, which took place at The Wharf, Mr Neville made a presentation in which he said that the three main islands hosted the major turtle populations in the past, "But after 200 years of human presence, activity and development, the number of animals that continue to come ashore on Mahe, Praslin and La Digue is reduced to a tiny fraction of their former numbers," he told guests and supporters who included Minister Jumeau, British High Commissioner Fraser Wilson and General Manager Maximilian Lennkh of Banyan Tree Resort.

Mr Neville said that the new project aims to work with local communities and agencies that live or operate near beaches that host reasonable numbers of nesting turtles and that offer scope for management and rehabilitation.

After listening to the presentation, Mr Suleman said he felt even more convinced that his contribution was indeed towards a worthy cause, and appealed for other businessmen and women as well as individuals to come forward to support the initiatives of MCSS.

"I came forward because I want, among other things, to see to it that future generations enjoy the same richness of the environment as we ourselves do," he said.

LINKS