Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation was among the private funders that backed a deal helping Seychelles use debt financing for ocean conservation.
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Seychelles → back → conservation
The deal helped the island nation increase the area of its ocean under protection from just 0.04% of its Exclusive Economic Zone to 30% by 2020.
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nation → help → 2020
The arrangement worked by converting foreign debt into money for long-term conservation in Seychelles, according to The Nature Conservancy.
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arrangement → work → Conservancy
As part of the deal, $21.6 million in foreign debt was paid in exchange for funding for conservation work inside the country.
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million → pay → country
Seychelles also agreed to create a marine spatial plan to decide how its ocean would be protected and used.
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ocean → agree → plan
The result was a much larger protected area.
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result → protect → ?
By 2020, Seychelles had finalised Marine Protection Areas covering 410,000 square kilometres of ocean.
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Seychelles → finalise → ocean
The Nature Conservancy said this was an area larger than Germany.
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this → say → Germany
Seychelles depends heavily on marine resources, with fishing and tourism providing jobs for more than one-third of its workforce.
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fishing → depend → workforce
So the country divided the protected waters into different zones, allowing some activities to continue while giving stronger protection to areas with high biodiversity.
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activities → divide → biodiversity
Why Seychelles needed the plan
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Seychelles → need → plan
Its economy and local livelihoods are closely linked to the sea.
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economy → link → sea
That dependence also makes protecting marine resources important for the country’s future.
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protecting → make → future
The Nature Conservancy said Seychelles and other ocean nations are among those most vulnerable to climate change.
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Seychelles → say → change
The country faces warming and rising waters, as well as ocean acidification.
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country → face → waters
At the same time, it needs fishing and tourism to continue supporting people and businesses.
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fishing → need → people
The debt conversion offered a way to address both needs.
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conversion → offer → needs
Seychelles could use the financing for conservation while planning where marine resources could be protected and where sustainable activities could continue.
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activities → use → conservation
The government and The Nature Conservancy co-designed the deal, which the conservancy described as the world’s first ocean debt conversion.
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conservancy → co → conversion
The arrangement also created a long-term funding system for conservation projects.
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arrangement → create → projects
What the protected areas allow
The new Marine Protection Areas were divided into two zones.
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Areas → protect → zones
The first, called the High Biodiversity Protection Area or Zone 1, has strict limits on human activity.
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first → call → activity
Almost all activities are restricted in Zone 1, apart from non-extractive uses such as tourism.
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activities → restrict → tourism
It includes 201,235 square kilometres of waters around the remote islands of the Aldabra Group.
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It → include → Group
The Aldabra Group contains the world’s second-largest raised coral atoll, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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which → contain → atoll
The area is home to the dugong, described by The Nature Conservancy as the most endangered animal in the western Indian Ocean.
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area → describe → Ocean
Protecting these areas was therefore a major part of the wider effort to conserve Seychelles’ biodiversity.
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Protecting → protect → biodiversity
Unlike Zone 1, it allows some economic activities while still protecting natural ecosystems.
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it → allow → ecosystems
Catch-and-release fishing, tourism charters and renewable energy are among the activities allowed there.
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fishing → catch → activities
Zone 2 covers 217,548 square kilometres around the Amirantes Group and Mahé Plateau.
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Zone → cover → Group
The area is important for seagrass beds and tuna and also supports the local economy.
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area → support → economy
The idea is to protect marine species and habitats without removing activities that people depend on.
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people → protect → that
How the debt deal funded conservation
The debt conversion was supported by several private funders, including the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation.
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conversion → fund → Foundation
Other private funders listed by The Nature Conservancy included the Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham Environmental Trust, Lyda Hill Foundation, Oak Foundation, Oceans 5, Turnbull Bernstein Family Charitable Fund and Waitt Foundation.
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funders → list → Trust
Governments and international organisations were also involved in the wider initiative.
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Governments → involve → initiative
These included Belgium, France, Italy, South Africa and the United Kingdom, along with the United Nations Development Programme, Global Environment Facility and Global Island Partnership.
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These → include → Programme
The deal also led to the creation of the Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust, known as SeyCCAT.
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deal → lead → SeyCCAT
It was formed in 2016 as an independent private trust.
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It → form → trust
SeyCCAT distributes blue grants funded through the debt conversion and other financing opportunities in Seychelles.
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SeyCCAT → distribute → Seychelles
The money supports ocean conservation and work linked to the marine spatial plan.
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money → support → plan
…and 13 more, not listed.
The Aporia
