President James Michel on Saturday opened a new visitor centre at the Vallée de Mai, which has been built by the Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF) at a cost of R4 million.

He said the centre at this World Heritage Site shows our commitment to environmental conservation. 
“This site is our contribution to the world. It does not only benefit us as Seychellois but humanity at large,” said Mr Michel, who is the patron of the SIF.

“We are looking after it for the future generations of Seychellois.”
Mr Michel added that we are also conserving the fauna and flora at the site for foreign experts and other visitors to benefit from the well-preserved natural environment.

He said as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) wishes the site to be protected, we will continue to do whatever we can to maintain the environment.

This stretches far beyond the Vallée de Mai and includes, for example, our budding efforts to invest in renewable energy, he added.

“All these are the contributions our small nation is making but, as I said in my address at the Copenhagen summit, Seychelles is a small country and by itself it cannot save the planet. But we will continue to do what we can,” he said.

Mr Michel told the summit that Seychelles is one of the smallest producers of emissions in the world, and over 50% of our land mass has been declared as nature reserves. 

“And yet we are determined to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and we have launched our climate strategy at this conference,” he said in Copenhagen.

“We are taking action to become climate neutral by 2020. We are investing in renewable energy. We are determined to play our part, and we must all play our part. All nations have to play their part.”

SIF chairman Maurice Loustau-Lalanne praised those who have contributed to preserving the site, many of whom have won awards for their efforts.

He and the foundation’s chief executive Dr Frauke Fleischer-Dogley unveiled plaques showing the declarations of both the Vallée de Mai and Aldabra as World Heritage Sites.

Among those present at the opening were Vice-President Joseph Belmont, Education Minister and Unesco representative Bernard Shamlaye, Minister for Employment and Human Resources Development Macsuzy Mondon and representatives of the tourism industry.

Source: NATION 12-21-09

Forrás: http://www.seychellesweekly.com/December%2027,%202009/p20_president_opens.html