A dead shark that washed ashore this week at Beit Yanai beach in Israel has renewed concerns about the health of Israel’s marine ecosystems — and the growing risks humans face as climate and coastal pressures intensify.

Beachgoers reported the shark early in the morning, one of several unusual strandings seen along Israel’s coast this year. Marine biologists are investigating the cause of death, but early theories point to two escalating stressors: over-fishing, warming waters and desalination impacts.

Israel’s coastal waters are warming faster than the global average, drawing larger predators like sharks closer to shore in search of cooler currents and shifting prey. Earlier this year a man was fatally attacked by a shark while diving off the coast — a rare but stark reminder that marine behavior is changing.

At the same time, scientists warn that intensive desalination, now underpinning Israel’s national water supply, is subtly reshaping coastal ecosystems. While water is being pumped to replenish a shrinking Sea of Galilee, desalinated water is energy intense.

Brine discharge alters salinity and temperature gradients, influencing fish distribution and potentially disorienting species highly sensitive to environmental change, including sharks and sea turtles.

This is part of a wider pattern of marine disruption in the region. A whale was recently found and dragged to Gaza, where desperate residents butchered and consumed it — a grim indicator of ecological collapse intersecting with humanitarian crisis. Meanwhile, Israel’s sea turtles, already struggling against plastic pollution and beach development, face these shifting conditions on multiple fronts. This man is protecting sea turtles in the Mediterranean Sea. Find out how. 

The dead shark at Beit Yanai may be just one animal, but it reflects a system under stress. Israel’s Mediterranean coastline — once a relative refuge — is becoming hotter, more crowded, and more industrially burdened. Without serious regional cooperation on marine protection, more strandings, more unpredictability, and more human–wildlife conflict are likely on the horizon. And consider just up the sea, in Lebanon, people are fishing with dynamite. 

The post Dead shark on beach injured by fishing nets appeared first on Green Prophet.

Meet Andreas Weil, founder of EcoOcean, Israel’s leading marine conservation organization which has reached hundreds of thousands and brought the concept of Blue Flag beaches to Israel.

Under the blue, sparkling surface of the Mediterranean Sea lies an aquatic world teeming with life, history, and untold stories. For Andreas Weil, founder of the marine protection NGO EcoOcean, this vast marine expanse is more than just a sea; it represents a lifelong passion and mission. Growing up in Sweden, Weil has always had a passion for the environment. Weil explained his reasons for coming to Israel as “I’m going to have fun and do good for the country.”

He began his time in Israel studying Environmental Studies at the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies. He began to discover his purpose and his reason for being.

When Weil settled in Israel, he noticed a stark contrast between his homeland of Sweden and his new home of Israel. While Sweden was one of the first countries to expand, promote, and participate in green initiatives and recycling, Israel was lagging. There was no awareness, education, or environmental culture in the country. This troubled Weil. He saw that Israelis viewed the environment and climate change as a secondary issue. They disregarded the environment.

What troubled him also was the state of the Mediterranean Sea and the beautiful beaches of Israel being covered in trash. One point of emphasis Weil found was that Israelis did not take responsibility for the garbage that was in their seas. So, he decided to put down the facts. His initial research focussed on where the trash was coming from. He found that 80% of the garbage in the oceans was not from Gaza, Jordan, or any other country, as many had thought. It was from Israel. When framed this way, the Israelis realized that if they were to stop putting trash in the ocean, they would be 80% cleaner. Weil envisioned a new Israel, one where everyone was educated on the environment and the dangers of climate change.

Building EcoOcean

EcoOcean was born out of this vision to research, gather facts, and educate everyone. Central to EcoOcean’s success is the Mediterranean Explorer, the only privately operated marine research vessel in the region. Today, the level of research has increased, not without thanks to the Mediterranean Explorer and Weil himself. Armed with his ship and equipment, Weil set sail to find facts to bring back to Israel. The goal of the boat is to investigate water quality, marine life, trash, and other issues within the Mediterranean. With the information they collect, EcoOcean is not only well equipped to inform the public but also the government.

Discoveries are a commonality on board. While most are focused on climate research, they also have made discoveries outside the realm. One recent discovery made by the ship and its team is a sea sponge that possesses properties that could lead to a cure for Alzheimer’s.

Education is at the core of EcoOcean’s strategy. Starting with 10,000 students and evolving 20 years later to over 20,000, Weil and EcoOcean’s mission is to provide education to all on the topic of the environment and the looming climate threat. Weil has accomplished this with the help of others, starting with only two workers and evolving into a team of 18 full-time staff members and 25 freelance teachers.

They have a learning center called Seakura, located in Mikhmoret. Their center is only the start of it. They send their team of teachers to schools across Israel to provide constant, sustained education to the youth. Teachings focus on sustainability, climate change, and environmental ethics. Additionally, EcoOcean and its educators offer hands-on experiences, such as beach cleanups, that forge a strong, authentic connection to the issue at hand. “You are responsible as a citizen not only to pay taxes,” Weil says. “You’re supposed to clean and take care of your gift.” Israel.

EcoOcean doesn’t stop at education. It also works closely with the Ministry of Environmental Protection, local municipalities, and other NGOs to influence Israel’s environmental policies. One notable example of cooperation between EcoOcean and the Ministry is their “Disposable Dishes-Not in my Sea!” campaign, which educated the public on using reusable utensils, cups, and other kitchenware on the beach. The result was a visible reduction in single-use plastics on Israel’s sparkling, sandy beaches. As mentioned earlier, the Mediterranean Explorer is used to collect research for submission to the Israeli government. The abundance of information provided allows Israeli officials to identify and address clear problems.

Read related: This is the only government-funded sea turtle hospital in the world 

Environmental Unity in a Divided Region

Despite regional war and political tension, Weil sees marine conservation as a unifying force. EcoOcean and Weil are committed to providing the same level of education for all Israeli citizens. He says that “The environment does not have boundaries” and that, to have widespread change, the country needs “An Israel where people feel as one.” Nothing changes without cooperation.

You need a resilient population. He strongly believes in Tikkun Olam, the concept of repairing the world. Repairs can be done through education and information.

Looking ahead, Weil and EcoOcean’s ambitions are as expansive as the sea itself. He wants EcoOcean to one day reach 100,000 young people annually. Additionally, he aims to expand volunteer programs and enhance scientific contributions through blue ocean-based, tech, and climate research. Most of all, he wants all Israeli children to have access to marine education.

“If they approach us, we never want to say no,” he says. “We just need funding to say yes to everyone.”Weil’s vision extends far beyond Israel’s shores. “The environment and the threat of climate change can be the catalyst for Middle East peace,” he believes. “We are all part of the problem. We are all part of the solution. We can all fix it if we work together.”

Andreas Weil’s legacy is not about a single shoreline, beach, or sea. It is about a shift in attitude and consciousness. EcoOcean is a national leader in driving change, and its next goal is expansion to a broader area. “I want to go on a trip one day and hear everyone say, ‘I’d never throw trash in the ocean.'” This is when he believes he will have achieved his goals.

Until then, EcoOcean will continue to sail-chart a course for cleaner seas, educating citizens and working towards a future where the Mediterranean is a shared, thriving, and clean sea for all.

::EcoOcean 

The post Meet Andreas Weil, the founder of Israel’s EcoOcean, protecting the seas for all appeared first on Green Prophet.

Assomption Island is the back door to one of the last unspoiled corners of Seychelles, the Aldabra Atoll. The Seychelles is a nation of people that control 115 islands scattered across the Indian Ocean. With just over 100,000 people and a heroin crisis afflicting nearly 10% of its population, this small country faces vast and complex challenges. But perhaps none are more pressing—or more invisible to the wider world—than the fate of its sea turtles.

At the center of this story is Dr. Jeanne A Mortimer, an American-Seychellois biologist who has been studying sea turtles since 1973 and working in Seychelles since 1981. Known affectionately as “Madam Torti” among locals, Jeanne is not an activist. She’s not leading protests or lobbying parliament. She is, as always, knee-deep in research—methodically documenting, measuring, walking the beaches at dawn, and then later at night when the turtles nest, and publishing what she finds.

And what she finds is urgent.

Assomption Beach Too Valuable to Lose

Assomption lies just 20 miles from the Aldabra Atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site world-renowned for its giant tortoises, sea turtles, and pristine ecosystem. But while Aldabra has enjoyed global protection since 1968, Assomption, once over-mined for guano, remains largely overlooked. Development on Assomption will directly threaten Aldabra Atoll, considered to be an outpost of evolution.

According to Mortimer, Assomption once had the largest population of nesting green turtles in all of Seychelles. The island’s seven kilometers of mostly uninterrupted beach and deep offshore approach make it ideal for both turtle nesting and tourism. “It’s a perfect green turtle beach,” she explains, “better than Aldabra’s in many ways.”

That perfection now puts it at risk. Plans have emerged by a Qatari-based company Assets Group—cloaked in secrecy—for a luxury development of up to 37 private villas along the beach. Some like Syechelles presidential candidate Marco Francis, says the government has been bought off for $50 million. Assets Group agreed to an interview with Green Prophet but it’s been a month and they have not responded to our questions over allegations of terror financing and lack of environmental oversight.

Journalists have been there recently on Assomption, but they were not allowed to leave the tarmac or take photos. Building was clearly visible and construction crews are digging away, says a source to Green Prophet firsthand.

The scale and style of the project, suggest permanent disruption to this fragile ecosystem. No formal environmental survey has been conducted. No baseline turtle data has been published. And Mortimer, arguably the foremost authority on turtles in the region, has not been consulted.

Mortimer’s approach is neither alarmist nor oppositional. Her power lies in knowledge. After receiving her PhD under legendary sea turtle biologist Archie Carr at the University of Florida, she brought her expertise to Seychelles at the request of WWF and the local government. Her mandate: to study all turtle activity across the archipelago’s 155 islands.

See our talk with Jeanne Mortimer:

To reach remote islands like Cosmoledo, she traveled aboard supply ships like the Cinq Juin, slept on the floor of yacht galleys during high monsoons, getting soaked with water, and sometimes posed as a cook just to gain passage. Guests aboard the cabin caught on that she knew too much about Biology to be a standard cook.

Once, she stayed five months on Cosmoledo atoll among a dozen Seychellois turtle hunters, documenting the precise dynamics of a community reliant on harvesting turtles, sharks, and fish. When camping at night she wore socks on her feet and keep her hair wrapped in cloth so island rats wouldn’t nibble on her toes or collect her hair for making nests. She even ate turtles because food choices, those days, were slim.

Her presence changed them. “When I first arrived, the men were worried I would interfere,” she later wrote. “But by living with them, working alongside them, they developed a new perspective.” She never asked them to stop; she simply watched, listened, and recorded. That data formed the foundation for Seychelles’ 1994 decision to ban turtle hunting entirely.

She laments those days even, because they had a culture around hunting sharks and fishing and turtles, citing a fondness for Mazarin as the fisherman of fishers. She didn’t judge as it was their income and way of life. There are even times when she helped salt the fish for fear it would spoil before reaching the market.

Assomption: A Mirror of the Past

She says that what happened at Cosmoledo in the 1980s is relevant today on Assomption. The threat has shifted—from salted meat and tortoiseshell to artificial light and luxury development—but the stakes remain the same.
“Turtles are most vulnerable when they’re nesting,” Mortimer explains. “And we now know that females may take 30 to 35 years to reach sexual maturity. When they do, they return to the same beach again and again—sometimes for decades.”

These are the turtles that Assomption once hosted in abundance. And thanks to early signs of recovery, they are starting to return. If left undisturbed, Mortimer believes Assomption’s green turtle population could rival or exceed Aldabra’s.

But the Qatari villa development underway presents a new kind of threat. “The biggest issue is lighting,” she says. “Turtles won’t nest if there’s light on the beach. Hatchlings get disoriented. It’s one of the most studied impacts we know.”

And it’s not just turtles. Assomption hosts rare insect communities and bat populations, many of which could be wiped out by light pollution alone. Developers have reportedly promised a 1% footprint—but Mortimer warns that artificial light knows no boundaries. She also knows how devastating pesticides against bugs will harm the insects and the bats that feed off them. She once wanted to be an entomologist and knows how delicately all parts of island nature is connected.

In over five decades of work across more than 20 countries, Mortimer has seen conservation succeed. The many long-term monitoring programs she has coordinated in Seychelles—at places like Cousin, Aride, D’Arros and Aldabra—are now scientific goldmines. They prove that when science and policy align, recovery is not only possible, it is inevitable. Save Our Seas Foundation has been very helpful to her research, she says.

But Assomption is different. No formal turtle survey has ever been published for the island. No environmental management plan is in place. And development is already underway. Educating locals is one thing but now with international investment it’s a beast she has no experience in tackling and is letting environmental activists do the job.

It is, says Mortimer, “a very valid concern.”

She’s not fighting it. But she’s watching, documenting, and—when asked—offering solutions. “Turtle-friendly development is not a metaphor,” she explains. “It’s a science. Setback lines. Blackout curtains. No visible light from the beach. We know how to do this.”

The problem, as she puts it, is not science right now —it’s politics. “I don’t know why they haven’t asked me to help. But I would.”

Despite everything, Mortimer remains focused on what can still be saved. She invests where she can have impact. And she believes in young people—especially the children of those with power.

“If a Qatari child sees a turtle nesting and says, ‘Hey Mom, Dad, we should protect this,’ that might do more than any scientist,” she told me.

Her advice to the next generation isn’t to give up plastic straws. It’s to demand structural change. “The real responsibility lies with governments and corporations. Not individual guilt. We need investment in alternatives—seaweed-based plastics, smart design, policy change.”

Dr. Mortimer served as a mentor and inspiration to Dr. Yaniv Levy, now one of the Mediterranean’s leading sea turtle conservationists who lived on and near Aldabra Atoll for 2 years. He has built a sea turtle hospital, develops complex rehabilitation devices, and artificial flippers and runs a breeding program where he releases thousands of baby sea turtles back to the sea every year with the help of 600 volunteers. His latest research shows how animal feedstock bags tossed into the sea, contribute to sea turtle mortality.

Levy says that Mortimer’s encouragement and science-first approach inspired him when he met her on Aldabra and shaped his philosophy of protection through data and experience. She is the grandmother of sea turtle research, and leads the conversation globally in the annual sea turtle conference.

Meanwhile, Mortimer isn’t slowing down, but rather speeding up so the science gets published. She continues to write papers, to walk beaches, and to document what others might overlook. Assomption, for now, remains a question mark—a fragile bridge between two possible futures.

—

Karin Kloosterman is a former biologist and works as a science journalist and founder of Green Prophet. She interviewed Dr. Jeanne Mortimer for this story in Seychelles and is actively investigating the conservation status of Assomption Island.

To read more in our series see:

Seychelles Island under threat and linked to terror funds

Seychelles and the battle with royalty and rats – a talk with Adrian Skerrett

He lived on Aldabra Atoll and was inspired to protect sea turtles forever

They knew they shouldn’t be there: journalist Kevin Gepford writing a book on tortoises from Aldabra Atoll

Nirmal Jivan Sha on the history of conservation in the Seychelles

Seychelles Island sold to Qatar, leaving the conservationists out

The post They Call Her Madam Torti. She Might Be the Only One Who Can Save Seychelles Turtles appeared first on Green Prophet.

Commonly used for livestock feed—woven sacks act like floating death traps, snaring turtles by the neck or limbs

In a groundbreaking study published in Marine Science, researchers from Israel’s Sea Turtle Rescue Center (ISTRC), the University of Haifa, and Ruppin Academic Center present the first high-resolution monthly growth data for sea turtles in the eastern Mediterranean—and uncover a deadly new threat: entanglement in polypropylene (PP) sacks.

This study, authored by Shir Sassoon, Yair Suari, and Dr. Yaniv Levy, focuses on the “epipelagic phase”—the early life stage of sea turtles when hatchlings drift passively in open water. While most conservation efforts target nesting beaches, this study shifts attention offshore, where plastic pollution silently kills juvenile turtles long before they reach maturity.

Turtle ‘Lost Years’ Finally Found

Sea turtles spend up to a decade adrift in the open sea, a period known to scientists as the “lost years” due to limited data. Using over two decades of rescue records (1999–2020), the team compiled length data from 577 young turtles—both loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green (Chelonia mydas)—to track monthly growth for the first time in this region.

Findings show that loggerhead turtles grow at an average of 0.76 cm per month during their first 19 months of life, while green turtles grow faster—0.92 cm per month over the first 11 months. These growth rates mirror those found in other parts of the Mediterranean but fill critical knowledge gaps, particularly for green turtles during this early life stage.

Seasonal fluctuations in growth were also observed, with reduced rates in winter months, highlighting the sensitivity of juvenile turtles to environmental conditions.

Polypropylene: A Lethal Trap

But the most shocking discovery wasn’t about how turtles grow—it was about how they’re dying.

Out of 324 injured epipelagic phase turtles treated at the ISTRC, nearly half (48%) were entangled in woven polypropylene sacks. These sacks—commonly used for livestock feed—act like floating death traps, snaring turtles by the neck or limbs. Many were so severely injured that they required amputations; 12% died from their injuries.

Loggerhead turtles were most affected, particularly during the summer months. Between 2008 and 2020, PP sack entanglements surged from just 20% to 75% of all epipelagic injury cases. The number of incidents jumped significantly after 2017, suggesting a new pattern in maritime waste disposal.

These sacks are strong, lightweight, and slow to degrade—perfect for transport, devastating for marine life. When researchers traced the logos on the sacks, they found origins from as far as Romania, Russia, and Greece, mostly linked to livestock shipping.

“The threads unravel and act like tourniquets,” says Dr. Yaniv Levy, director of ISTRC. “We see turtles arrive unable to swim, starved, and in pain. Many suffer limb loss or systemic infections.”

Floating sacks may mimic natural cover like Sargassum seaweed, attracting juvenile turtles who use them as shelter. Once entangled, turtles often cannot free themselves.

ISTRC is uniquely positioned to collect long-term health and injury data. Their clinical records have helped transform the hospital into a research center that informs both policy and turtle care. Turtles are triaged with CT scans, blood tests, and X-rays, and their rehabilitation includes custom slings, IVs, and even prosthetics.

Rehabilitated turtles are typically released after two months of care, but the team notes that many never reach land for rescue. The actual impact is likely far greater than reported.

Policy Implications

The study urges international regulation on maritime waste, especially from livestock carriers. The team tracked suspect ships using Automatic Identification Systems (AIS), identifying several that sail regularly through Israeli waters but do not dock—making legal accountability difficult. There is a natural current that causes plastic sacks tossed illegally off the ship into the sea, to end up on the Levantine shores where they entangle juvenile turtles. Some plastics are believed to be dumped close to show where they blow into the sea.

A proposed bill in the Israeli Knesset calls for an end to live animal shipments, which would reduce sack and marine waste dramatically. It would also reduce undue animal suffering while being shipped for slaughter while alive at sea. Meanwhile, the study suggests declaring protected marine zones and enhancing multinational enforcement to curb this specific pollutant.

The epipelagic phase is one of the most vulnerable life stages for sea turtles. And while global conservation has made strides in nesting beach protection, this study shows that the open sea remains a lawless frontier.

If you live near a marine environment and find a turtle entangled in plastics, it’s important not to remove it without a veterinarian, says Levy. The plastic can cause reduced blood flow and necrotic tissue and removing it puts poisoned blood into the turtle. The turtle above explains what a vet needs to do to treat the turtle. First a round of antibiotics.

The problem with turtles is feed sacks, not plastic straws, Levy emphasizes.

“Plastic pollution regulations must be extended to pelagic zones,” the authors write in the paper. “We need international collaboration and enforcement—not just for turtles, but for the oceans.”

As Dr. Levy notes, these early-stage turtles are not just victims—they’re indicators. “They’re telling us where our waste ends up, and how fast we need to act.”

The post The Rising Threat of Woven Plastic Sacks to Eastern Mediterranean Sea Turtles appeared first on Green Prophet.

Second generation Seychellois conservation leader speaks candidly about the Qatar deal on Assomption Island, environmental secrecy, and the rising tide of neo-colonialism in the Indian Ocean

As controversy brews over a Qatari-backed development on Seychelles’ remote Assomption Island, questions are being raised about environmental transparency, geopolitical influence, and the future of conservation. I reached out to Dr. Nirmal Jivan Shah, CEO of Nature Seychelles, for his unfiltered perspective. A second-generation Seychellois conservationist, Shah has led the rescue of endangered birds, worked with luxury hotels on reef restoration, and witnessed firsthand the transformation of his country’s ecological and political landscape.

Nirmal has talked extensively about the problems of managing 155 islands with a small population of 100,000 people. Some of the islands have been isolated for millions of years, but when settlers came 250 years ago they disrupted and devastated ecosystems for hardwood, and to plant coconuts and cinnamon. He is working to restore island ecosystems through his not-for-profit organization. 

This interview follows my previous reporting on the topic, including conversations with presidential hopeful Maarco Francis and longtime conservationist Adrian Skerrett.

Karin Kloosterman: You’ve worked with private island owners for decades in Seychelles. How does this current deal on Assomption compare?

Nirmal Jivan Shah: I’ve led some of the most successful island restoration and endemic bird rescue projects in Africa and Indian Ocean with 5 star properties on private islands in Seychelles over a period of more than 15 years. If it wasn’t the alliance we forged with these private owners, frankly birds that were on the brink of extinction such as the Seychelles Magpie Robin would have vanished by now. We’ve also been working with internationally branded hotels to restore coral reefs around Praslin island.

Now we are partnering with 5 star establishments on Mahe island and the Ministry responsible for Environment to restore and co-manage wetlands including mangroves. These are amazing examples of corporate responsibility and private investment in the environment.

However, developments wrapped in mystery and secrecy are not the way to go.

The high drama around the Assumption project would not have happened if there was transparency and independent conservation organisations like Nature Seychelles would have been involved from day one. 

I was not comfortable that the NGO Island Conservation Society which works very closely with the Island Development Co, a State Owned Enterprise leading the push for the Assumption project along with its allied company Green Island Construction, undertook the EIA.

I think the ICS should have been the independent, objective party to assess the EIA and monitor the development. As NGOs, I believe we should be watchdogs and honest-brokers.

Karin: Some argue Assomption Island was bound to be developed. Do you agree?

Nirmal: Assumption island itself was ecologically ruined with guano mining during colonial times and development there was inevitable at some point. The sensitivity of it though that is that it is the “gateway” to Aldabra. However, no international conservation organisation had expressed interest in it and the Seychelles Government doesn’t have the resources to maintain and monitor Assumption nor all the other far flung islands of the Seychelles.

Karin: The Seychelles Islands Foundation has raised concerns. Could they help restore oversight?

Nirmal: The Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF) responsible for Aldabra has said it was inadequately informed and consulted. If the SIF gains responsibility for biosecurity and monitoring over the operations, I would be more comfortable.

Karin: What about the broader trend of development in Seychelles?

Nirmal: In general in Seychelles it is obvious there is now overdevelopment of hotels on Mahe in particular but other islands as well. There has been resistance from environmental activists and members of the public which have been well covered by the local media. I believe that after so many years of quite good planning and environmental controls Seychelles has succumbed to big money development across the board.

Karin: You told me everything was approved through proper government channels?

Nirmal: As I understand it, the project was legally approved, by the Cabinet of Ministers, then an EIA was made and approved, and finally approval by the Planning Authority. This is the crux of the problem.

Karin: Your father, Kantilal Jivan Shah, was a legendary conservationist. What might he think?

Nirmal: My father was one of a handful of Seychellois who fought to prevent the British from building a naval base on Aldabra, and who was instrumental in getting the owner of Cousin Island to sell it to BirdLife International to save the Seychelles warbler. But I’m not sure what he would think about development on Assomption. His company supplied and bought copra from the outer islands, including as far away as Diego García, so the development of islands was normal to them to run the plantation-based economy.

Karin: You also revealed a surprising connection between Assomption and sand extraction?

Nirmal: Hundreds and hundreds of tonnes of sand have been taken from Assumption where aeolian dunes build up. In modern times this was done to, reportedly, build the beach at Sun City in South Africa, at the International Airport to welcome the Miss World contestants, and now apparently for the FIFA beach soccer competition this year. 

Karin: What are your thoughts on the Qatar connection? Some critics say this feels like neo-colonialism.

Nirmal: There are still neo-colonial forces dominating Seychelles. The EU tuna fisheries is an example that I personally have publicly contested. The difference today is that Seychellois are by and large well-off and successful and not slaves being worked to death or impoverished workers with no future. Which is why it’s difficult to get many people worked up about what’s going on in the far-flung outer islands where 95% of the population have never been. My conversations with people also reveal that quite a few Seychellois feel that a tiny country with few resources has to make trade-offs to remain actually viable in a hugely complex and increasingly difficult-to-navigate world.

Karin: You’ve said the country faces income inequality and a drug crisis. Can you elaborate?

Nirmal: It’s not to say that 100% of the population have been able to take advantage of economic opportunities and income inequality is a growing problem (as in all high income countries). As is a huge heroin addiction problem (but that also takes money to buy. Where are they getting the money?) Seychelles is the only High Income country in Africa and reports say it is also in a sort of narco-corridor in the Western Indian Ocean with Madagascar and Mauritius forming a nexus of drug trafficking and corruption.

Karin: Do you believe anyone—such as Maarco Francis or a new president—could reverse the Assomption deal?

Nirmal: My take is it would be difficult to halt it at this point. I’ve been told all the proper steps were taken, as per the laws, as I said before. Cabinet of Ministers approved it, EIA was submitted and approved, Planning Authority approved the plans.

Karin: Thank you, Nirmal, for being so candid. It’s clear the story of Assomption is not just about one island, but about how a nation balances sovereignty, ecology, and power.

For related reading see:

Seychelles’ Assomption Island Sold to Qatar: An Alleged $50M Deal Sparks Uproar Over Heroin, Corruption, and a Vanishing Paradise

Is UNESCO nature island being bought by terror-linked funds?

Seychelles and the battle with royalty, rats, and the last truly wild places left on Earth

The post Q&A: Dr. Nirmal Jivan Shah on Assomption Island, Qatar, and the State of Conservation in the Seychelles appeared first on Green Prophet.

An island in Africa’s smallest country is under scrutiny as conservationists raise alarm over an ultra-luxury development project on Assomption Island, Seychelles. Backed by Qatari investors with ties to controversial financial dealings (and alleged terror funds), the resort poses a potential threat to the Aldabra Atoll—one of the world’s most significant biodiversity hotspots and a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.

We spoke with a local conservationist Adriam Skerret, bird expert and chairman of the Island Conservation Society on Mahé, whose interview we will publish next week. He told us that construction workers are already on the ground in Assomption and that there is no oversight.

“We are very concerned – there is no supervision. They are on the island and no one is there. Construction teams are there. They wanted 1500 construction workers and we said that’s too many. Never should there be more than 500. Who knows what’s goes on.”

Assomption Island lies roughly 20 miles from Aldabra Atoll, often called an “outpost for evolution” due to its unique ecological makeup and high concentration of endemic species. The island is home to endangered nesting sea turtles, giant tortoises, and over 400 species found nowhere else on Earth.

Construction has reportedly begun on Assomption Island for a development that includes luxury villas, a wellness spa, extended airstrip, and other high-end amenities. Conservationists argue this could devastate fragile habitats and pave the way for further commercial encroachment in the Aldabra region.

A 3-mile stretch of beach on Assomption is one of the best beaches in the Seychelles and a main breeding ground for the green turtle, says Skerret.

Despite opposition from some environmental NGOs and local communities (Skerret personally is for development, but in the right way), the Seychelles government has approved the project. Critics have questioned the transparency of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process, alleging it was expedited and potentially influenced by vested interests.

Qatari Influence and Allegations

The development is backed by the Assets Group, led by the Al-Khayyat brothers, whose business dealings have attracted international scrutiny. The pair have been implicated in UK court proceedings alleging ties to extremist financing—though these allegations remain under legal review.

Assets Group, the Qatari conglomerate behind the Assomption Island development, is led by the Al-Khayyat brothers—figures currently embroiled in UK legal proceedings over allegations of financing terrorist organizations. Court documents and investigative reports have linked the group to funneling funds through charitable fronts and construction firms tied to extremist networks, raising serious ethical and geopolitical concerns about their involvement in high-profile international projects.

When the Seychelles put out a tender for a development, Qatar was the only one who responded.

Observers such as the Friends of Aldabra fear that the resort is part of a broader geopolitical strategy: using opaque investment structures to gain strategic footholds in vulnerable island nations. Qatar’s expansion into tourism infrastructure across the Global South has raised similar concerns elsewhere.

A Troubled History of Assomption

According to ornithologist and conservationist Chris Feare, Assomption has already suffered catastrophic ecological damage due to guano mining in the 20th century. “Virtually all of its birds, some of them endemic forms, all of its Giant Tortoises and most of its vegetation were lost,” says Feare. The current development could undo decades of slow ecological recovery.

Assomption also serves as a critical logistical access point to the Aldabra region. Conservationists argue that once the airstrip is expanded to accommodate private jets, increased development pressure will follow across other islands in the Outer Islands District.

The Seychelles has long promoted itself as a global leader in marine conservation through its Blue Economy initiatives and high-profile international environmental partnerships. The Assomption project could undermine that reputation, and with national elections on the horizon, public scrutiny is mounting.

Despite concern from prominent figures, including Nirmal Shah, CEO of Nature Seychelles, institutional influence appears limited. “I have no role in any regulatory matter. I run an NGO,” he commented via LinkedIn. We have sent him more questions and he says he will return to us next week.

Visual materials shared by Assets Group show an ultra-luxury resort featuring up to 40 beachfront villas, an outdoor cinema, children’s clubs, diving experiences, and atoll sunset tours—all under the guise of “sustainable luxury.” The resort operator is expected to be announced in 2025, with an opening scheduled for 2027.

Meanwhile, activists continue to raise awareness and rally support to halt the development. The Island Conservation Society produced this environment assessment.

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If you have ever been to Sinai for a famous dive adventure or snorkeling trip, beware of the dangers. We’ve written about the fatal live aboard dive boat accident in the Red Sea this last November, and one reader reached out, a regular traveller to Sinai, about his family’s harrowing boating experience in Sinai, Egypt. Moral of the story: bring life jackets for each of your family members when traveling in countries like Egypt, Sinai, India, Thailand and South America. Don’t expect any travel company or tour operator to have you covered. Here is David’s story:

Your post made me think of what happened in Sinai in 2023. It turns out that if you live through it you have a good story, if you don’t then well… During April, 2023 the family decided to go to Sinai.

One day we visited the Blue Hole near Dahab, we snorkeled around and decided to visit Ras El Satan and further on explore this wonderful lagoon. We left the Blue Hole around 1pm with one of the local fishing boats, it was just us 8 (5 adults, my two sons 13 and 3 and a 5 year old nephew) and the skipper. I noticed there were no life vests. It’s about a 30 minute boat ride depending on the current or tide.

Once there we spent time with the locals and visited the above. Around 4pm I figured we should head back to not be on the roads at dark. When we arrived back at the pier of Ras El Satan there was a large group of visitors who wanted to get back just like us.

This time the polyester boat was stacked with people to the point where I thought, this is unsafe and we should get off, now this was the last boat of the day. I estimate there were about 50 people on this tiny boat, tourists but mostly Egyptian families who were on a day out. Kids, grannies, families.

While leaving I saw a 15-year-old kid fueling the boat with a plastic bottle of gasoline which had large black chunks floating in it. Another red flag. Nobody wore vests as there weren’t any. The waterline was just meeting the waves but once in the water the engine pulled the boat out of the water. Now we’re in the water, engine full throttle, our captain at the steering wheel.

Half way into the trip the engine goes out. Consternation. The boat slows down and waves start pouring over the side. This is where my instinct kicks in. We weren’t far from the shore, I reckoned it’s 200 meters which we could reach by swimming. There are no boats around us and the shore is nothing more than sea bashing onto rockery that climbs up to 20 meters above sea level.

I understand from the panic on the boat that most people cannot swim so I’m now talking to my family to abandon the boat as soon as a big wave goes over it, leave all the bags and just make it to the shore, first get us to safety as it’s very likely that people who can’t swim would grab onto those who would be wanting to help. Horrible. I tell my big boy to get ready to swim to the shore and not look at anyone else, he’s a good swimmer I know he can make it. I tell my wife and that I’d take the small one and my cousin would take the nephew.

Now we are waiting for disaster as the skipper tries to revive the engine. I hear how he is messing up the gear and drowning the engine with fuel. Another person is trying to call but of course there is no reach. By now it’s about 5:30pm and evening is setting in. Two other men are trying to revive the engine and miraculously the engine kicks in again. To get a few hundred meters again and then give up again. The same scenario repeats.

Eventually the engine gets us to the pier at the Blue Hole where it eventually gives up. Now it’s dark. People with flashlights on the pier are yelling, total chaos and disorder. I think we are going to capsize as the swell is rough and we’ll be smashed onto the rocks. Another boat navigates next to ours and skippers are tying our boat to theirs.

A person in full panic tries to jump into the other boat and lands in the water between the two boats, luckily he’s pulled out right away. Eventually the two boats manoeuvre onto the pier and people hurry off. This could have easily ended bad and you would have read about it in the news. N’importe qui as we say in French.

_____

David’s experience is not unique. Another tourist reported various safety issues on a recent boat and snorkeling trip to the Blue Hole and Ras Abu Galum:

“The most convenient access to the next stop is a ten-minute boat ride. Alternatively, one can take an unpaved trail parallel to the shore on foot or by camel. Despite its popularity, the boat service was very disorganized. It was hard for me to figure out whether there was any system for boarding. Everyone crowded around the tiny boat dock, and we waited a few minutes for our turn. These boats were small and pretty crowded. Each boat carries almost two dozen passengers, and It felt a little unsafe the moment we boarded.

“Our boat’s motor blew out a few minutes into the boat ride. Waster was very choppy, and we were left in a drift for a while before another empty vessel came to the rescue. Just when we thought it was smooth sailing, the water became so choppy that our boat slammed hard against the water’s surface.

“For a moment, we thought we might capsize. All of a sudden, one big wave tossed the boat so violently that a girl in our group was knocked unconscious briefly. She banged her head into the side of the boat and started to bleed incessantly. There was blood everywhere. Everybody except the boat operator was super worried. This was officially the worst day tour we ever had. Brian told me he was getting seasick and stressed.”

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This story is not about the Middle East, although the images are a surreal reminder of what is happening on our Mediterranean shores – albeit with a different species. A world apart, both events are variations on an alarming theme that undermines our effectiveness in protecting this planet. Humans are losing connection with the natural world, and empathy for all living in it.

In Costa Rica this weekend, hundreds of tourists swarmed to Ostional Beach in canton Santa Cruz – most steered there by paid tour guides – to witness the migration of female sea turtles crawling from the water to lay their eggs in the sands of this national wildlife preserve. But instead of quietly observing the movements of one of Earth’s most ancient creatures, a mostly shirtless mob stormed the beach, completely disrupting protected habitat, preventing the animals from crossing the beachfront, and trampling vulnerable nests.

Local authorities were alerted, sending in three National Police officers to supplement the park’s two rangers, but they were unable to push back the crowd. The Tico Times reported that tourists splashed alongside the pregnant animals to pose for turtle selfies. Refuge administrator Carlos Hernández told the daily La Nación he had never before seen that many people on the beach. They touched the turtles, and more than a few parents set their children atop the turtles’ backs for impromptu rides and more photos.

Members of the SITRAMINAE, the workers union of the Ministry of Environment and Energy, pointed out that this particular arribada (the regular mass arrivals of the mothers-to-be) occurred over a weekend, when visitor population was high. Mother Nature also played a role in the human intrusion. The region registers its highest rainfall in September and October, causing rivers to swell and blocking beach access by humans. This year has been particularly dry, so tourists enjoyed front-row seats to the parade of pregnant reptiles.

Seems this event isn’t singular. Marine conservationist Jonathon Miller-Weisberger of the Guaria de Osa eco-lodge in Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula noted that this is simply an extreme example of a problem common around the world. He works with people visiting or living near nesting turtle populations to change how they interact with them. His organization, 4Biodiversity.org, teaches local youth how to protect these animals and preserve active nests. But his initiative is contradicted by government policy that permits harvesting turtle eggs.

You read that right. Public collection, and subsequent selling of turtle eggs from Ostional, has been legal since 1987. Blogger Diego Delfino wrote on Medium, “It is the only beach in Costa Rica where this practice is allowed, developed by community members as part of a comprehensive and sustainable model under the control and supervision of the UCR, MINAE and INCOPESCA SENASA.”  The implication is that egg harvesting – which brings in needed income for a largely impoverished community – is systematic and controlled under the auspices of bona fide environmental agencies.  But this week’s rave on the beach shows that “control” is flexible.

Delfino asserts that the biggest predators stalking sea turtles are sea turtles themselves. He says an estimated 93 percent of Ostional turtle eggs die from natural causes, including nest destruction by incoming turtles, attack by vultures and other species, and invasive larvae.  He wrote, “With or without human intervention, the vast majority of eggs are lost.”  Wouldn’t that be reason to step up protection of the remaining eggs?

Sea turtles have been around since the time of the dinosaurs. Found in warm and temperate waters throughout the world, they migrate between nesting and feeding grounds, some as far as 1400 miles, returning to the same nesting grounds where they were born.

Pregnant females come ashore and – using their back flippers –  dig out nests in the beach where they bury their clutch of eggs (between 10-190 eggs, depending on species) and return to the ocean.  Hatchlings may take a week to dig themselves out of the nest, emerging at night, and making their way to the sea. It’s a natural phenomenon over 100 million years old. The image below shows how it’s supposed to look.  Not a bikini or selfie-stick in sight.

What is happening to us? Have we reached a tipping point where we no longer have real connection to nature? Have we lost all respect as to what holds this planet together? We fail to control our personal consumption, and generate unrecyclable waste at unprecedented volume. We commodify basic resources like clean water, while allowing environmentally catastrophic exploitation in pursuit of more fossil fuel. All the while tightening political boundaries, as if water and air and all planetary life respect lines on a map.

I grew up spending summers on a pristine barrier island in the Atlantic, six miles off the New Jersey mainland.  It instilled a powerful and binary feeling towards nature, based equally on fear and respect.  I was tipped to this story by a childhood pal with even stronger ties to that island.  Peggy Messler Schaffer smartly summed things up, “Man has created artificial borders that separate them from the ‘others’, and hardship seems to have become a spectator sport.”

Agnostic me says God help us, because we clearly can’t help ourselves.

Images from SITRAMINAE Facebook page

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An investigation is underway to determine the deaths of dozens of sea turtles that washed up on Egypt’s Mediterranean shore last week. Initial forays prompted suspicion that the turtles had eaten deliberately poisoned fish in Lake Bardawil, but conclusive results have not yet been published.

Minister of State for Environmental Affairs Mostafa Hussein Kamel established a committee to explore the cause of death of the 84 dead sea turtles, though some critics claim the ministry, the Egyptian Authority of Fish Resources and the Sinai governorate were all initially slow to respond. It isn’t clear which species have turned up in Egypt, but six out of seven marine turtles species are listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List of threatened species.

Professors from Suez Canal University and the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency nature conservation sector are among the committee members tasked with determining the cause of death, and they are currently analyzing blood and tissue samples.

“The committee doesn’t want to rush to conclusions, as they are still working on more lab results,” Executive Coordinator of Nature Conservation Egypt (NCE) Noor Noor told Egypt Independent.

“This includes samples of dead turtles and one that is still alive although in critical condition. But some of the professors indicated that the mass deaths occurred as a result of poisoned fish that were consumed by the turtles, however this theory remains under inspection.”

Suez Canal University oceanography professor Magdy Elwani told the paper that it is common for fishermen to poison marine turtles. As fish stocks dwindle and their livelihood suffers, the fishermen eliminate their competition by feeding the turtles small tainted fish.

He added that it can sometimes take weeks for the turtles to die as the poison is absorbed into their bodies; the last two turtles to succumb in this last event are currently being examined to “verify the poison theory.”

Other possible explanations for one of the largest mass die offs of sea turtles in Egypt’s history include pollution or changes in water salinity, though no immediate signs of either presented themselves.

We should know more about the lab results next week, so stay tuned for details.

:: Egypt Independent

Image of sea turtle, Shutterstock

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