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(海角在线免费) - A tiny emerald in a sea of sapphire blue, the island group of 顿鈥橝谤谤辞蝉, situated in the outer islands of the Seychelles archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, has been announced as an officially protected nature reserve under the Nature Parks and Conservancy Act.

According to a communiqu茅 from the Seychelles environment and energy ministry issued on Thursday this week, the group of islands, which includes the privately-owned island of 顿鈥橝谤谤辞蝉 and the St. Joseph atoll, situated only 2 km to the east, was officially made a nature reserve. This is in accordance to 鈥渢he wishes of the owner of the D'Arros Island Group and conditions of the government sanction over the sale of the property.鈥�

The Bohar snapper,聽a species of snapper native to the Indian Ocean from the African coast to the western Pacific Ocean. (Save Our Seas Foundation, Rainer von Brandis) Photo license:

The ministry has announced that the entire St. Joseph atoll has become a special reserve in order to preserve its unique biodiversity, while a portion of 顿鈥橝谤谤辞蝉 Island will be set aside for consideration as a

鈥淎 ten year plan has been devised and implemented to reintroduce and rehabilitate endemic species in order to restore some of the original habitat,鈥� reads the statement. 鈥淒'Arros Island, which is also rat free, will remain the main settlement in the atoll and host facilities for research and education.鈥�

A murky past

Named after Baron d'Arros, who was a French Marine Commandant stationed in Mauritius in the late 1700s, the island of 顿鈥橝谤谤辞蝉 was since 1975 privately owned, first by an Iranian prince, Shahram Pahlavi Nia, and then by French billionaire Liliane Bettencourt, until it was in 2012 for an undisclosed amount and given over to the Swiss conservation lobby, Save Our Seas Foundation for marine conservation projects.

The purchaser of the island was the unidentified founder of the (SOSF), an anonymous figure whose identity has been kept a secret.

Until the sale, the island spent almost two years embroiled in a legal battle over ownership and taxes, marked by international media coverage of the legal woes of Bettencourt, who was battling a momentous tax evasion scandal in her native country, France.

In 2011 the heiress, who suffers from dementia, was ordered by a French court to hand over nearly $133 million in unpaid taxes after the revelation that she owned 顿鈥橝谤谤辞蝉 and had undeclared accounts in Singapore and Switzerland. Her fortune was subsequently placed under the guardianship of her daughter Fran莽oise Bettencourt-Meyers, who had to hand over $8 million in unpaid taxes to the Seychelles government from the sale of the island.

An ecologically-friendly future

SOSF has funded and supported research, education and conservation projects worldwide over the past ten years. Although it is not a research institute, SOSF鈥檚 contributions have already facilitated over 160 marine research and conservation projects around the world.

The islands, which have been under the management of SOSF in collaboration with the environment and energy ministry for the past two years, already boast of a wide range of conservation and education projects currently underway, including the implementation of a research programme approved by the government.

Hawksbill turtles,聽are a small sea turtle species. They grow up to about 114 centimeters in shell length and 68 kilograms in weight. This endangered spicies are common in the ocean surrounding 顿鈥橝谤谤辞蝉 Island. (Save Our Seas Foundation,聽Rainer von Brandis) Photo license:

The reserve also covers an expanse of ocean extending one kilometre from 顿鈥橝谤谤辞蝉 and St Joseph measured from the furthest reef edge at lowest astronomical tide.

In May this year, sixteen young Seychellois adventurers, known as the 顿鈥橝谤谤辞蝉 Exploraters, who are members of the Save Our Seas Foundation鈥檚 鈥淟ekol Zil Sesel鈥� (SOSF Island School Seychelles), took part in the 顿鈥橝谤谤辞蝉 Experience at the SOSF 顿鈥橝谤谤辞蝉 Research Centre to learn about the unique ecosystems of the islands, and these expeditions will be organised twice a year in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Energy and the Ministry of Education.

In order to increase awareness of the environmental biodiversity of 顿鈥橝谤谤辞蝉, the ministry has said that exhibits will be organized in Victoria, for tourists and Seychellois alike.

Satisfied that another 鈥渏ewel鈥� has been added to Seychelles鈥� collection of conservation successes, Minister of Environment and Environment, Rolph Payet, has expressed the hope that the rewards will extend beyond the present generation.

鈥淥ur outer islands remain part of our unique biodiversity heritage and together with Aldabra will lay the ground for a network of protected areas within the outer islands of the Seychelles. Protected areas will also benefit Seychelles economically in terms of providing important refuge for fish and other marine life,鈥� said Professor Payet.

鈥淲e are fortunate to be able to observe the life of several species close to our foundation. There are in particular many sharks, manta ray or turtles,鈥� added Dr Michael Scholl, CEO of the Save our Seas Foundation.

鈥淭he extraordinary wild life of this unique piece of land, will also allow us to implement several research programs. There is also unique density of birds who are coming back to breed on the islands since we started to reintroduce its original vegetation. This will allow us to perform a detailed inventory of the flora and of the animals present of this exceptional natural site, not only for the Seychelles but also for the natural heritage of mankind.鈥�