Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY

A28 SCIENCE
Monday 26 February 2018

Seychelles swaps debt for groundbreaking marine protection

By ADELLE KALAKOUTI to the plan but now is cau-
Associated Press tiously optimistic.
CURIEUSE ISLAND, Sey- “Provided this is done prop-
chelles (AP) — With deep erly, we choose the right
blue waters, white sand companies and we do a
beaches and rich marine proper impact assessment
life, the tiny island nation of before we drill, I feel like
the Seychelles is announc- the country will definitely
ing a pioneering marine benefit from oil and gas re-
conservation plan as part sources,” Joseph said.
of a debt swap deal with The Seychellois govern-
creditors. ment is already benefit-
In an agreement described ing from the confidence
as the first of its kind, the In- the deal has inspired in its
dian Ocean nation popular creditors, with a separate
with tourists is designating bond deal now being final-
nearly a third of its waters ized with the World Bank to
as protected areas, aiming help finance a transition to
to ensure the longevity of sustainable fisheries.
its unique biodiversity. “The Seychelles is lead-
The archipelago’s 115 is- ing the way in terms of
lands have been isolated how it is going to manage
by continental land mass- In this photo taken Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018, a small island is seen above and below the water in its ocean territory ... in a
es for millions of years. The the Seychelles. sustainable fashion,” said
Aldabra atoll, a UNESCO Associated Press Benoit Bosquet, the World
World Heritage Site, is At the height of its debt past economic failures. exploration entity, Patrick Bank’s practice manager
home to the world’s largest crisis in the late 2000s, the The head of the Seychelles’ Joseph, said Petro Sey- for environment and natu-
population of giant tortois- Seychelles was one of the state-owned oil and gas chelles initially was resistant ral resources.q
es, critically endangered world’s top debt-ridden
sea cows and spawning countries. Its sovereign
grounds for a number of debt peaked at nearly $1 Archaeologists find ancient
rare species. But overfishing billion, according to the
has hurt. World Bank. Today the
The government on debt stands at less than necropolis in Egypt
Wednesday signed a bill half of that, according to
restricting nearly all hu- the finance ministry. By MOHAMED WAGDY “This is only the beginning their owners in hieroglyph-
man activity in the waters The deal allows for a cer- Associated Press of a new discovery.” ics.
around Aldabra and over- tain amount of money to TUNA AL-GABAL, Egypt (AP) Archaeologists started ex- Another tomb includes
all setting aside more than be repaid into a trust fund — Egypt’s Antiquities Minis- cavation work in the area several coffins, statues de-
210,000 square kilometers to support conservation- try announced on Saturday started late last year on a picting ancient priests and
(81,081 sq. miles) as pro- related projects, organizers the discovery of an ancient quest to find the remainder other funerary artifacts.
tected areas. The areas said. necropolis near the Nile of the cemetery of Upper Mostafa Waziri, head of
around Aldabra will ban While welcoming the deal, Valley city of Minya, south Egypt’s 15th nome during the archaeological mis-
all extractive uses such as the CEO of the Seychelles of Cairo, the latest discov- ancient times. They found sion, says eight tombs have
fishing and petroleum ex- National Parks Authority ery in an area known to tombs belonging to priests been uncovered so far and
ploration; the rest will be warned that certain threats house ancient catacombs of Thoth, the ancient god he expects more will be dis-
restricted to sustainable to the Seychelles remain from the Pharaonic Late of the moon and wisdom. covered soon.
practices. The plan will be beyond control. “Like cli- Period and the Ptolemaic One tomb includes more In 2017, the ministry found a
completed by 2021. mate, for example,” Fla- dynasty. than 1,000 statues and necropolis holding at least
“A great honor and privi- vien Joubert said. The large cemetery is locat- four well preserved alabas- 17 mummies in the area of
lege,” the country’s en- The new agreement has ed north of Tuna al-Gabal ter canopic jars inscribed Tuna al-Gabal. The area
vironment minister, Didier worried some who say their area, a vast archaeologi- with hieroglyphics and de- is also known to include
Dogley, said at the signing. livelihoods will be severely cal site on the edge of the signed to hold the mum- tombs, a funerary building
The deal with the coun- restricted. western desert. It hosts a mified internal organs of and a large necropolis for
try’s creditors was brokered “If you protect everywhere, range of family tombs and their owner who was a high thousands of mummified
by U.S.-based The Nature where (will) we go fishing?” graves. priest of the god Thoth. The ibis and baboon birds, as
Conservancy and involved Elvis Simon Dingwall said. “We will need at least five priest’s mummy was also well as other animals.
a $1 million grant by the He echoed others who years to work on the ne- found decorated with blue Egypt hopes that recent
foundation of actor Leon- said they have to bear the cropolis,” Antiquities Min- and red beads and bronze discoveries across the
ardo DiCaprio. brunt of the government’s ister Khaled al-Anani said, gilded sheets. country will help spur the vi-
Archaeologists also un- tal tourism sector, partially
covered 40 sarcophagi driven by antiquities sight-
believed to belong to the seeing, which was hit hard
priest’s family members, by political turmoil follow-
some bearing the names of ing the 2011 uprising.q