The damage appeared on Google Earth, and then was somehow scrubbed: but we have obtained a before and after photo of Qatari development on Assomption Island in the Seychelles. The same images appear on the landsat open source data supplied by EU’s Copernicus. Why this matters? Assomption Island, one of Seychelles’ Outer Islands lying just 25 miles from Aldabra Atoll, is being rapidly transformed by large-scale construction despite global concern over its ecological importance.

Once lightly inhabited and largely recovering after decades of limited human activity, Assomption is now the site of major earthworks, dredging, and runway expansion for an ultra-luxury development on the beach –– that conservationists say could permanently alter the island’s environment and threaten nearby Aldabra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the “outpost of evolution.”

Photographs and satellite images taken between approximately 2023 and June 2025 show widespread clearing of dunes and vegetation, the extension of the airstrip across the center of the island, and the preparation of foundations for as many as 40 villas. The development, backed by Qatari investors through a company Assets Group, aims to create a luxury resort enclave marketed to the ultra-wealthy. Only the ultra wealthy can hope to dive around the atoll. Getting there means a small plane into Assomption and then a charter boat to the island. Guests need to sleep on the boat. Read this personal account of being a dive master at Aldabra Atoll.

Conservation groups, including Friends of Aldabra and Seychelles at Heart, say the project has proceeded without proper environmental oversight and in violation of Seychelles’ own constitutional protections guaranteeing citizens the right to a healthy environment.

Environmentalists have warned that Assomption’s beaches are vital nesting sites for green and hawksbill turtles and that dredging and construction will destroy their breeding grounds. One widely circulated photograph released by Friends of Aldabra shows a dead turtle crushed in the sand by machinery.

Researchers who have studied the island for decades describe it as a key ecological buffer for Aldabra, helping to protect the atoll from pollution, invasive species, and light disturbance. If Assomption’s natural systems collapse, they warn, Aldabra could be next.

In September, two Seychellois citizens, Victoria Duthil and Lucie Harter, filed a constitutional petition in the Supreme Court of Seychelles to halt the project, arguing that it undermines the country’s environmental laws and its international obligations under UNESCO conventions. The petition targets the government, which granted the development lease and continues to issue work permits despite the legal challenge. The lawsuit has become a rallying point for citizens alarmed by the scale of change occurring on the remote island and by the lack of transparency surrounding the project. This issue will probably determine the next election in the Seychelles.

An Environmental and Social Impact Assessment for the resort identified major long-term risks to turtle nesting, dune stability, and coastal habitats, yet many of its recommendations appear to have been ignored. Conservationists say the new lighting and air traffic alone will devastate nocturnal wildlife. Beach dredging, they add, has already altered currents and sediment flows, increasing the risk of erosion and devastating turtle nesting sites. Pollution and runoff from the site in water and by air are expected to travel toward Aldabra, which hosts 100,000 giant tortoises and some of the most diverse coral ecosystems in the world. Every visitor to that island must have their clothing and shoes checked for the tiniest of seeds.

Developers have advertised the Assomption project as a sustainable tourism venture that will bring jobs and foreign revenue to Seychelles. They have hired a British PR firm called the PC Agency headed by Paul Charles and a Swedish “environmentalist” photographer Jesper Anhede to scout locations and to court buyers and “eco” builders. We reached out to Charles and Jesper to which there has been receipt of our inquiries, but no comments made. Jesper blocked us on Instagram.

Environmental groups like Friends of Aldabra are worried because they counter that the resort’s marketing materials promise exclusive access to Aldabra, a strict conservation zone closed to mass tourism. They warn that the development of Assomption creates an open channel—physical and economic—between Aldabra and the luxury market, undermining decades of conservation policy designed to keep the atoll isolated from human disturbance.

The controversy comes at a politically fragile moment. National elections remain undecided, with about 10 candidates facing pressure to define their positions on the Outer Islands. We spoke with one candidate, Marco Francis, candidate of the Seychelles United Movement, who has pledged to strengthen protections for Seychelles’ marine reserves and eradicate corruption. The outcome of the election may determine whether construction on Assomption is paused, reversed, or expanded.

Until recently, Assomption had been protected under national environmental frameworks, serving as a controlled buffer to Aldabra’s strictly protected ecosystem. Conservationists say that status has now been effectively removed. What began as a quiet island has become a construction hub for a luxury enclave which will give access to Aldabra and other isolated islands that most Seychellois, a nation of 120,000, will never see.

Environmental observers argue that the issue is larger than Assomption alone. It symbolizes the growing global tension between development and conservation in fragile island states.  If this project continues unchecked, the “outpost of evolution” may be destroyed.

Aldabra faces another global problem — plastic pollution washing up from across the Indian Ocean. Cleaning it up would cost millions. Even a lost flip-flop from Zanzibar can end up on its beaches.

Get educated about protecting Aldabra Atoll:

• Seychelles activists sue government for Qatari development on turtle nesting sites
• Seychelles’ Assomption Island Sold to Qatar: An Alleged $50M Deal Sparks Uproar
• Seychelles’ UNESCO island under threat from luxury development and Qatari-linked terror funds
• Seychelles and the battle with royalty, rats, and the last truly wild places left on Earth
• Q&A: Dr. Nirmal Jivan Shah on Assomption Island, Qatar, and the state of conservation in the Seychelles
• “They Knew They Shouldn’t Be There”: Journalist Kevin Gepford on rising pressures at Aldabra
• They Call Her Madam Torti. She Might Be the Only One Who Can Save Seychelles Turtles
• Yaniv Levy’s lifelong quest to protect sea turtles in a time of war and greed
• Light pollution on animals
• Flip flops take over shores of the Seychelles

The post Images of Assomption Island development show extensive beach development appeared first on Green Prophet.

We’ve covered the story of rats and royalty at the Seychelles Islands extensively and the next step in stopping the construction of Qatari villas on turtle nesting sites is led by two Seychellois citizens — Victoria Duthil (from Friends of Aldabra) and Lucie Harter (from Seychelles at Heart). Can the right thing trump money?

The duo have filed a petition in the Constitutional Court of Seychelles seeking an injunction to stop construction of a luxury Qatari hotel development on Assomption Island, 20 miles from the Aldabra Atoll UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is known as the “outpost of evolution” but biologists are worried it will be a playground for rich Middle Easterners.

The Seychelles’ UNESCO island is under threat from luxury development with not so clean Qatari funds. And we have spoken with a handful of environmentalists, scientists and biologists on how wrong this Qatari project is. You can read the whole background on the story below in a series of articles we have posted.

As we speak, critical turtle nesting sites are being bulldozed, the island being sold by the government in a 70-year lease and with a blind eye.

The petition filed last month invokes Article 38 of the Seychelles Constitution (the right to a clean, healthy and ecologically balanced environment).

Assomption Island is next to the Aldabra Atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site globally recognised as one of the most important biodiversity hotspots on Earth. After decades of human degradation, Assomption was showing signs of ecological recovery, serving as a key habitat for sea turtles, butterflies, and other insects.

The Qatari-led construction project poses a serious risk of irreversible harm to these fragile ecosystems, threatening to undo decades of conservation work in the Outer Islands. 

The claimants say that “legal action was taken to safeguard the constitutional right of every Seychellois to live in and enjoy a clean, healthy, and ecologically balanced environment, as stated in Article 38 of the Constitution of Seychelles.”

From the outset, “we have reported that this development has proceeded without transparency or legal safeguards. The Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) was conducted by an NGO with financial and governance ties to the project contractor, raising serious concerns about conflict of interest. 

“Construction began before any environmental accountability had been assigned: no environmental officer was present, no monitoring was in place, and the biosecurity protocol ignored—despite this being critical to prevent invasive species from devastating island ecosystems.”

Green Prophet interviewed turtle expert Jeanne Mortimer earning her the title of Madame Torti in the Seychelles. She was not consulted about how to safeguard the turtles but knows how it can be done.

“There is a lot going on behind the scenes related to Assomption. Actually I am somewhat optimistic. We will see…” Jeanne Mortimer told Green Prophet today. Our video with her has gone viral.

According to Mongabay and various NGO and media reports, the PR agency named The PC Agency is being used by Assets Group to promote the development and its narrative (for example, offering tourism packages). Also, Mongabay says that the London-based PR company: “Through a website run by its PR firm, the PC Agency, Assets Group has made it clear it is offering tourists an Aldabra islands package not limited to Assomption Island.”

“In May 2025, the Planning Authority issued a Stop Notice for these violations, but it appears to have been immediately waived or disregarded. Since then, evidence has surfaced of unauthorised dredging, light pollution visible from Aldabra that disrupts the behaviour of both terrestrial and marine species, and a photo of a gravely injured giant tortoise.”

It is common for Middle East developers to hire Londoners and Europeans to greenwash development projects in the Middle East. It is happening currently in Saudi Arabia with its Neom mega project.

Iranian architect Ronak Roshan tells Green Prophet greenwashing is happening by respected international organizations, including the greenwashing by the Aga Khan Foundation in promoting projects on islands that are definitely not good for turtles, nature or the environment. She writes her piece on Green Prophet from her home in Iran. And what they are doing on Hormuz Island.

Green Prophet has not received any comment from Assets Group. Or Aga Khan.

Follow Friends of Aladbra if you want to help and get involved.

Further reading on Green Prophet

• Seychelles and the battle with royalty, rats, and the last truly wild places left on Earth
• Seychelles’ Assomption Island Sold to Qatar: an alleged $50M deal
• Q&A: Dr. Nirmal Jivan Shah on Assomption Island and Qatar-backed development
• “They Knew They Shouldn’t Be There”: journalist Kevin Gepford on Aldabra
• They Call Her Madam Torti: Jeanne Mortimer and Seychelles sea turtles
• Yaniv Levy’s lifelong quest to protect sea turtles — and fears for Aldabra
• When conservation oversight isn’t independent: structural conflicts highlighted

The post Seychelles activists sue government for Qatari development on turtle nesting sites appeared first on Green Prophet.

The Majara Residence on Iran’s Hormuz Island has been praised internationally for its vibrant architecture and community narrative – even winning an Aga Khan Award for Architecture. But field research of the superadobe construction suggests the reality on the ground tells a different story: one of habitat loss, fragile ecosystems at risk, and a disconnect between architectural acclaim and ecological responsibility.

Architect Ronak Roshan Gilvaei who works on Sustainable Design, Architectural Restoration & Urban Renewal weighs in for this Green Prophet exclusive.

Hormuz Island – just 8 km from Bandar Abbas in Iran – is a geological wonder, famous for its rainbow-colored soil, unique marine biodiversity, and role as a nesting ground for critically endangered sea turtles. Studies have documented nesting by hawksbill and green turtles, especially on the island’s less accessible southeastern beaches.

The Majara Residence (Persian: اقامتگاه ماجرا, where Majara translates to “adventure”) is a complex of roughly 200 colorful superadobe domes built on Hormuz Island as a seaside eco‑tourism project. Designed by ZAV Architects, it was completed around 2020.

At first glance and by its own descriptions, seems inspired by the philosophies of architects such as Nader Khalili, Francis Kéré, and Shigeru Ban. It could read as a model for sustainable development, particularly in its social dimension. However, my field visits and closer examination as an advocate for sustainable architecture and environmental conservation in Iran suggest the project’s execution contradicts the core principles of sustainability.

Its inclusion on shortlists for awards purportedly grounded in sustainability and environmental justice –– most recently the Aga Khan Award –– is surprising and concerning, especially given warnings and objections raised by activists, experts, and local communities in recent years. What has been labeled superficially as “revitalization” has, in practice, meant habitat invasion, erosion of indigenous values, and exploitation of local resources and people.

Like we learned from the Seychelles, these habitats require careful protection from light pollution, human traffic, and coastal development. Yet in recent years, tourism investors have eyed the same pristine stretches for high-profile projects, including the Majara Residence.

Its location – less than 80 metres from the high-tide line – puts it directly in sensitive turtle nesting zones. Standard conservation guidelines recommend at least a one-kilometre buffer from such areas. (Related: read the article on turtle conservation on Assomption Island.)

The consequences go beyond the hotel’s 1.5-hectare footprint. Artificial lighting can disorient hatchlings, while heavy machinery, coastal vegetation clearance, and increased visitor pressure threaten the wider ecosystem.

Digging deeper into science papers, Hormuz Island has played a vital role in the life cycle of two protected sea turtle species over the  past decades. According to local research and the scientific paper “Nesting of Hawksbill Turtle  (Eretmochelys imbricata) on Hormuz Island, Iran” (2011–2012), the island has been recognized  as an active and potential protected habitat for the critically endangered hawksbill turtle in Iran. My field observations are all documented here, and are summed up for a quick read below. 

This study mentioned above confirms regular nesting events, the relative success of hatchling survival, and the  pristine condition of some of the island’s beaches. Additionally, the paper “Turtles in Iranian  Beaches of Oman Sea during 2008–2010” (BEPLS, 2014) highlights the simultaneous presence of  both hawksbill and green turtles on Iran’s southern coasts, including Hormuz, and notes that  numerous nests of these species have been observed on the island’s shores in past years.

Although these studies lacked GPS-based nesting site mapping or granular habitat delineation to pinpoint exact nesting sites, this does not mean nesting does not occur in specific areas—rather,  it underscores the need for more comprehensive research before any construction projects. 

Most nesting activity has been clearly observed in the southeastern part of the island, an area  less affected by human intervention due to its inaccessibility. However, in recent years, due to  its visual appeal, some investors—including the current developer of the Majara Residence have aggressively pursued tourism development projects and new hotel constructions on this land. 

Examples include last year’s proposals by Next Office and Studio KAT, which faced protests from activists and locals, halting their progress.

Destruction of Native Vegetation

Before construction, the site hosted resilient species like tamarisk, glasswort, and saltwort – plants that stabilise soil, reduce erosion, and withstand Hormuz’s extreme heat and salinity. Around 2.5 hectares of this vegetation was removed, with no ecological restoration plan in place.

ZAV Architects, in their project on Hormuz Island, identified the dominant vegetation as Prosopis juliflora (mesquite) and described it as an invasive species with deep roots that can harm biodiversity and infrastructure. However, from a scientific and ecological perspective, although mesquite is non-native and semi-invasive, it plays a vital role in stabilizing the soil, preventing erosion, and reducing desertification under the harsh environmental conditions of  Hormuz.

Removing this plant without replacing it with native species and without an ecological  management plan not only leads to habitat degradation but also contradicts the principles of  sustainable development in sensitive areas, potentially causing further environmental damage. Therefore, the hotel’s action to remove the mesquite without considering these scientific and ecological factors is unjustified and harmful.

The hotel’s basic ozonation and composting systems lack advanced treatment needed for sensitive coastal zones. Without independent monitoring, there’s no way to confirm that wastewater meets safety standards. On an island without a municipal sewage network, any leakage could threaten coral reefs, seagrass beds, and turtle habitats.

The architects also promote the project as empowering Hormuz’s native residents. Yet reports indicate persistent economic challenges: water scarcity, high transport costs, and weak tourism management. The island’s own Sustainable Development Plan, developed with local participation, focuses on training, infrastructure, and sustainable livelihoods – a deeper approach than cultural tourism alone can provide.

Systems Thinking: A Missed Opportunity

As systems thinker Russell Ackoff argued, environmental challenges must be addressed holistically, recognising the interdependence of ecological, social, and economic factors. Successful examples, like wildlife restoration in Yellowstone Park, such as bringing back the wolves to restore the forest, show that strategic, science-led interventions can achieve balance.

On Hormuz, protecting sea turtles could have anchored an ecotourism model combining indigenous knowledge with conservation science – creating lasting benefits for both people and nature.

The Majara Hotel’s waste and sewage management system reportedly includes an ozonation unit with a daily capacity of 20 cubic meters, oil treatment up to 8 cubic meters, and compost production of 50 kg per day. However, the equipment used is basic, lacking advanced biological  or physical-chemical treatment technologies. This is particularly alarming given the hotel’s location less than 70 meters from the shoreline, where any leakage or incomplete sewage treatment could severely endanger the island’s marine ecosystem. 

According to studies by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA, 2020) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP, 2019), hotel wastewater contains fats, detergents, nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus), micro-pollutants, and pathogenic microorganisms. Without advanced treatment processes—such as activated sludge reactors, biofilm systems, or ultrafiltration/nanofiltration membranes—this wastewater can degrade coral habitats, promote toxic algal blooms, reduce coastal water quality, and threaten public health (WHO, 2018). 

The Majara Residence’s vibrant domes have captured global attention and won architectural accolades. But without rigorous environmental safeguards, it risks being remembered as an object lesson in how eco-tourism can turn extractive. Architecture awards that celebrate such projects without full ecological due diligence may inadvertently undermine the very sustainability principles they seek to promote.

Hormuz Island deserves development that honors its ecological fragility, cultural heritage, and the resilience of its people – not just in form and color, but in function and legacy.

Contact: ronak.roshang@gmail.com | ronakroshan.com

The post The Aga Khan is greenwashing their awards appeared first on Green Prophet.

A few weeks ago, I took my son Gabriel to the edge of the sand dunes in Michmoret, a peaceful pocket of the Israeli Mediterranean coast a half hour drive from Tel Aviv. We weren’t there to sunbathe or surf, but to meet a man who has dedicated his life to turtles—at first the ancient ones who still roam the Indian Ocean’s most sacred atoll and injured survivors stranded ashore in a Mediterranean Sea increasingly shaped by war, overfishing, plastics, and politics.

This is the story of Dr. Yaniv Levy, founder of Israel’s Sea Turtle Rescue Center—the world’s only government-supported turtle hospital and breeding center unlike any in the world. But to understand why his work matters, you have to go back nearly 30 years, to another coastline altogether: Aldabra Atoll, part of the Seychelles, one of the last untouched Edens left on Earth.

“My Heart Is Still There”

Levy’s journey began in the mid-1990s. He was 26 and nursing invisible wounds and finding solace underwater—onboard a dive boat in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. For three years he lived and worked on the boat, as a deck-hand, first mate and a dive instructor and guide, spending many months navigating between remote islands of the Seychelles, mainly in Assomption Island and the Aldabra Atoll.

Aldabra is no ordinary coral ring island. Home to giant tortoises, flightless rails, sacred ibis, and staggering numbers of green and hawksbill turtles, it is so pristine that boats are prohibited from entering its lagoon, and a 40 km radius around it. Access comes only through Assomption Island, a now-threatened outpost with a tiny airstrip, where wealthy tourists fly from Mahe before sailing two hours to what Levy calls “holy land.”

“I kissed the ground,” he recalls. “It is one of the most untouched places in the world… maybe one of the five last places of Eden.”

But Eden is under siege.

Today, Qatari developers with alleged terror-funding links are eyeing Assomption for luxury tourism, a move Levy fears will devastate Aldabra by turning its logistical lifeline into a backdoor for exploitation. Green Prophet was contacted by the developer’s PR company but they have not returned with any answers to our questions. It’s been 2 weeks.

“They will kill Aldabra. No questions asked,” says Levy. “It is one of the most preserved areas of the world.”

“You Are a Scientist”

While in the Seychelles, Levy met Roselle Chapman, a British biologist who would become both his mentor and his love. It was she—and her supervisor, the renowned Seychelles-based turtle researcher Dr. Jeanne Mortimer—who first taught him to track, study, and live among turtles.

“She looked at my maps, my drawings, my charts… and said, ‘You are a researcher.’ That changed my life.”

Levy would spend up to 10 days at a time on Aldabra, and over all every visit for two to three months. Sleeping on the boat or near nesting beaches, diving with manta rays and sharks. He remembers it as “the best diving I ever had.”

His dates with Chapman? “They were at turtle nesting sites.”

From Paradise Lost to Hospital Founder

The boat company in the Seychelles went bankrupt–– the original plan was sailing to Micronesia with a documentary crew with only a brief stopover for drydock and maintenance before heading to Micronesia. He found himself in Ashkelon, Israel and started his Marine Biology undergrad degree in Michmoret as Roselle predicted he should, and then, a turtle washed up.

“It was a loggerhead with a hook deep in its throat,” he recalls. A vet removed the necrotic tissue, and Levy—now reporting the case to the authorities as required by law—caught the attention of Ze’ev Kulur, Israel’s chief turtle biologist on behalf of the National Nature and Parks Authority at the time.

He saved the turtle.

After demonstrating his experience in Israel and on Aldabra, Levy was encouraged to launch a formal turtle rescue initiative. In 1999, he founded what would become the only government-supported turtle hospital in the world—a marine rehabilitation facility with research credentials, surgical suites, and even prosthetic limbs and buoyancy stabilizers designed in-house.

“They are lifers,” Levy says of his breeding turtles, about 30 of them in a large pool swimming together. “They’ve only lived in captivity. I don’t believe they can adapt to live in the wild, but their being here in captivity is with a cause for their whole population, they will reproduce and their hatchlings will return to sea and revive the almost extinct population.”

His 30 baby turtle “children”, now over 20 years old, are given names like Moana, Stitch, and Pocahontas. “I call my human kids my second batch,” he says.

Sea Turtles Have No Borders

Levy has treated over 2,000 sea turtles from Israel, Gaza, and beyond. He sees victims of boat strikes, plastic entanglement, and most disturbingly, war and fishing trauma.

“The booms and the bangs… the turtles suffer,” he says. Explosions in Egypt’s Bardawil Lake, where fishermen still use blast fishing, are particularly devastating. “Soft tissue trauma, inner ear injuries. Shockwave trauma.”

He’s tracked turtles rehabilitated in Michmoret—16 tagged individuals—and most of them returned to these dangerous waters. He’s also seen evidence of dynamite fishing in Lebanon, confirming earlier reports by Green Prophet.

In countries nearby, suspicious people sometimes trap or catch birds, turtles and animals tagged by Israel, calling them spies of the Mossad. They are often, sadly, killed. 

According to Levy, turtle injuries are not always visible. Some are so weak they can no longer float or dive. For these cases, Levy has invented floating slings that suspend turtles partially in water, allowing them to heal without exhausting themselves.

Plastic straws, he says, are a red herring. “The real problem is the polypropylene feed sacks—20kg bags used in livestock farming. Turtles get caught in them and lose fins and many die. That straw video from Costa Rica? It’s not really true about the straws, and maybe he tried the best he could, but what’s killing turtles at sea is something else, Levy tells Green Prophet.

He’s written research papers on this phenomenon, citing feed bags for livestock from Eastern European countries that have made it to the sea. 

A Message from Eden

Levy’s work is both clinical and spiritual. A veterinarian scientist with a PhD, he’s published research on turtle rehabilitation and consults globally on marine conservation. But when asked about fear—of being alone on Aldabra, for instance—his answer is revealing:

“I’m more afraid of people than of animals.”

Though his collaboration with Gaza has decreased—some residents now eat turtles out of protein desperation—he emphasizes empathy. “I don’t judge. I understand.”

He also stresses the regional unity among turtle workers. “Despite the conflict, we work with our Arab neighbors. People who work with turtles are… cool.”

The Israel Sea Turtle Rescue Center will open its breeding program to the public in September, offering hands-on education for children and adults. More than 600 volunteers already help guard nesting sites, relocate eggs to hatcheries, and release baby turtles back to sea.

“This is not just conservation,” Levy says. “It’s about showing that turtles have no borders.”

Assomption Island may seem far away—just a dot on a maritime chart near Mahe—but its fate is linked to our own. The ecological encroachment by luxury developers and the silent suffering of sea turtles in war zones should alarm anyone who cares about nature’s last strongholds.

Sign up for hatching tours and more at the Israel Sea Turtle Rescue Center.

? Learn more: Israel Sea Turtle Rescue Center
? Related: Green Prophet on Seychelles island development threatens Aldabra Atoll
? Take Action: Stop development at Assomption Island. Support the campaign at friendsofaldabra.org

The post Yaniv Levy’s Lifelong Quest to Protect Sea Turtles in a Time of War and Greed appeared first on Green Prophet.

A remote coral island in the Indian Ocean is quietly being transformed into a luxury resort and international airstrip for Qatari royalty—allegedly sold off in a secretive $50 million deal to Qatar by Seychelles President Wavel Ramkalawan, without public consent or environmental oversight. The deal is linked to alleged terror funds. 

The backdoor deal, first rumored in Indian media and brought to light by opposition leader Maarco Francis, President of the Seychelles United Movement political party, threatens the fragile ecosystems of nearby Aldabra Atoll, a UNESCO World Heritage Site home to rare birds, turtles, and giant tortoises. The atoll is globally revered for its ecological importance, and the development of Assomption—just 27 km away—is igniting fierce resistance among locals and environmentalists. We interviewed a leading conservationist here.

“They built an international airport on a coral island with no environmental impact study,” Francis tells Green Prophet. “The president is pushing construction forward as fast as possible before elections this September, hoping future governments won’t be able to stop it,” he says.

Fragile Coral Island, Rare Nesting Site for Turtles 

Assomption Island, unlike granite-based Mahé, is a low-lying coral formation. It hosts vital nesting grounds for endangered green sea turtles and stretches of untouched white sand—the longest of any in Seychelles.

What makes the situation even more alarming is Assomption’s proximity to Aldabra, which lies within a marine protection zone created through a high-profile “debt-for-nature” swap meant to safeguard 30% of Seychelles’ ocean territory.

Aldabra Atoll in the Indian Ocean is one of the largest raised coral reefs in the world. This atoll, consisting of coral islands ringing a shallow lagoon, is known for the hundreds of endemic species—including the Aldabra giant tortoise—that live there. According to UNESCO, Aldabra contains one of the most important natural habitats for studying evolutionary and ecological processes.

But according to Francis, secrecy and foreign influence have trumped conservation. Qatari construction and a 1,000-person crew from India and Bangladesh have already begun work on Assomption, despite local opposition.

Francis tells Green Prophet that he connected the dots when he heard about a Gulf royal bragging in an Indian newspaper that her husband had bought an island in the Indian Ocean for $50 million. At the same time the news came out President Ramkalawan of the Seychelles was in the Maldives. He claims the two incidents are connected. 

Conservationists like Adrian Skerrett, Chairman of the Island Conservation Society, have heard reports of damage already done to the dunes.

Francis says, yes, access is tightly restricted: drones are forbidden, photography is controlled, and independent visits to the island require Qatari authorization, he claims. You could take a boat out for a 3-day trip to the island but they won’t let you on it. Not even if you were the BBC, he says. 

A Locked-Down Island and a Silenced Nation

Environmentalists and journalists have been barred from visiting Assomption, says Francis. The Qataris, he claims, now effectively control the island.

“You won’t get permission. The government won’t grant it,” he claims. “They’ve built a dock. Foreign workers live in container housing. Diesel is shipped in and polluting the sea. The currents will carry that pollution straight to Aldabra.”

Locals also report that planes and supplies are landing directly on the island without passing through Seychelles’ immigration systems—suggesting an autonomous zone operating outside the nation’s legal framework. This worries Francis both now and for the future.

One in 10 Seychellois is addicted to heroin. This heroin is trafficked from Iran and Afghanistan. An international airport with no government oversight would be a free pass for the drug trade into the Seychelles and the rest of Africa where it can be transported out. Animals are at risk too –– Gulf countries lead the way with an appetite for illegal wildlife trade.

Terror Links and Unanswered Questions

Francis alleges the development is being fast-tracked with funds linked to Qatari investors—a case currently under investigation in the UK with connections to alleged terror financing and potentially tied to interests far beyond tourism. He questions why the President met Qatari officials in the Maldives instead of in Qatar or Seychelles, hinting at intentional secrecy.

“There are allegations of terror financing,” Francis says. “Our own political broadcasters reported it. The BBC is silent. Maybe it’s because the UK is bought by Qatar. Everyone’s turning a blind eye because there’s money involved.”

As for locating the alleged $50 million: “It’s backhand money—you don’t know where it goes,” says Francis. “He was trying to go somewhere he thought no one would notice. But we’re aware of the terror money links. He’s been silent on that, pretending he doesn’t know. This group is linked to terrorists. They are building an international airport, and we as a country won’t know who’s going there or what deals are being done.”

Francis also points to the President’s dual role as patron of the Seychelles Islands Foundation—a conflict of interest, he says, that lets him sidestep environmental protections.

“He appoints the chairman,” Francis says. “So of course, the study will say it’s okay. But scientists and the public are strongly opposed.”

Crisis at Home: Heroin, Despair, and a Stolen Future

While foreign elites carve out paradise for themselves, everyday Seychellois suffer. Youth unemployment is high. Over 10% of the population is addicted to heroin. Hope is vanishing as fast as the coastline on Assomption.

“Our youth have no opportunities to achieve their dreams. They get depressed and turn to drugs,” says Francis. “They need something to aspire to, something that makes them want to wake up in the morning and break the routine.”

Francis says agriculture development projects could help.

At 47, he presents himself as a businessman with a vision, offering a generational shift from an older, out-of-touch leader. He’s running for president this September and says he will win, appealing to younger voters who understand environmental sustainability.

“The current president is 65. We need leadership that protects the environment and creates prosperity.”

A New Chagos Moment?

The crisis draws comparisons to the Chagos Islands scandal, when Britain ceded land to the U.S. military, displacing its inhabitants. Back then, public resistance stopped the destruction. Francis believes the same can happen again. Seychellois also previously stopped India from developing a military base on Assomption that would have required a larger runway and heavy docks.

“This is our Chagos moment,” he warns. “Back then we fought. Now, our own president has sold us out.”

In the 1960s, Seychellois scientists and citizens protested U.S. military expansion, ultimately preserving foreign influence. Today, the threat comes not from a colonial power—but from within. 

“He’s an Anglican priest, but clearly this is not about faith. He is blinded by money.”

With elections looming and construction underway, the future of one of the planet’s last untouched ecosystems—and the soul of a nation—hangs in the balance.

President Ramkalawan’s press secretary acknowledged our request for comment. There is currently no comment from his office. 

Read our previous articles on the Seychelles scandal:

Rats and Royalty with conservationist Adrian Skerrett 

UNESCO-island development linked to terror funds

The post Seychelles’ Assomption Island Sold to Qatar: An Alleged $50M Deal Sparks Uproar Over Heroin, Corruption, and a Vanishing Paradise appeared first on Green Prophet.

A Fine Line in Paradise: Bird expert Adrian Skerrett on Cautious Development in the Seychelles

Off the powder-soft sands and turquoise waters of the Seychelles, a quiet storm is brewing—one that involves royalty, rats, and the last truly wild places left on Earth.

At the heart of it all is Assomption Island, what could be a jewel of an island in the remote Aldabra Group in the Outer Seychelles islands. While its neighboring atoll, Aldabra, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site home to rare flightless birds and thousands of nesting turtles, Assomption is scarred from a history of guano mining, a failed Indian army expansion plan, and is now the center of a controversial luxury development funded by Qatari investors –– linked to terror funding.

Adrian Skerrett, a long-time Seychelles resident on Mahé and a leading authority on its birdlife, has been watching over these islands for decades. He’s not against development but is for balance. As Chairman of the Island Conservation Society and editor of a number of definitive field guides on the region’s birds, he knows the tightrope between development and destruction better than anyone.

I know that if I am going to get any reliable information about the Seychelles, birders are the best choice. They are usually modest elders with experience, meticulous in documentation and they have a keen sense for the beautiful and fragile balance of life on earth. As a bonus, Skerrett is an accountant.

“We’re not against development,” he tells Green Prophet. “There are positives to come out of it. Some of our most successful conservation efforts are supported by tourism—eradication of rats, monitoring of turtles, even full-time conservation staff on islands like Alphonse.”

But Assomption is different, he says. And its development has roused a handful of international conservation organizations who believe that the development of Assomption will lead to a catastrophic downfall of nature. A lesson like that was learned in Thailand after The Beach movie turned Maya Beach into an over-touristed spot that devastated the nature around it. Thailand was able to roll back development, but will the Seychelles?

A Royal Playground Disguised as a Hotel?

Seychelles decided it wanted to develop and put out a tender which Qatar answered. It was the only group to answer. The proposed resort is being developed on Assomption Island by the Qatari Assets Development Company, part of the Assets Group, whose leadership—Moutaz and Ramez Al-Khayyat—are currently embroiled in UK lawsuits over alleged links to terrorist financing.

The development, Skerrett says, is “seemingly for private use, for members of the royal family.”

The concern? “There is no way this is a commercially viable hotel. The original plans were horrendous including jetties, construction and lighting right on top of the beach and development on the dunes creating nightmare risks of disturbance to nesting turtles and damage to fragile ecosystems. There was an apparent lack of concern for planning procedures.”

Despite early enthusiasm from the developers, Skerrett and his team were hired to conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment—and what they found was alarming. (You can find the report here)

“We used our scientists and hired a number of other experts under the umbrella of ICS. I am Chairman, but the authors had a free reign to write what they saw without me,” he says.

“They wanted to build directly on the beach, on top of dune ecosystems. Some damage had already begun before we arrived.

“To be fair, following discussions, the developers made amendments to their original plans and agreed to a minimum 40-metre setback from the high-water mark while the proposed two jetties would be reduced to one, involving the rebuilding of the historical jetty to its former size and adding a floating pontoon to the end. The dune system had already been damaged prior to arrival of the ICS team and we are very concerned there will be further damage. We are also deeply concerned that the EIA beach set back will not be respected.

“Unfortunately we now have no access to Assomption to monitor the situation.”

In documentation and videos that Green Prophet found online through a hired “explorer” and which is being used to advertise the developer’s plans, we see photographers going on missions and walking around nesting sites on the islands while baby turtles are trying to make their way to the sea.

Who is overseeing the private explorations and fact-finding missions?

Assomption once boasted one of the most significant nesting beaches for endangered green turtles. Exploitation in the early 20^th century saw thousands taken. Every year thousands would be culled, until they crashed and disappeared. “Turtles take 30 to 40 years to mature. It was only much later that we started to see the impact of what happened decades ago,” says Skerrett.

He recalls a previous proposal to hand Assomption over to the Indian government for use as a military base—an idea that was met with strong public and environmental resistance. “It would have been an absolute disaster,” he says. “A deep-water port, heavy infrastructure—it was horrific.”

That plan was eventually scrapped due to public outcry, but now the concern is that tourism may be used as a political mask. “There is no way this is a commercially viable hotel.

“If the EIA is not respected, it will be an absolute disaster for the turtles.”

The development threatens a resurgence of turtles. Plans show construction stretching across the island’s best beaches, about a 3-mile stretch where turtles nest. Worse still, there’s currently no conservation presence.

“The Qataris want development along the entire stretch of beach,” says Skerrett.

“What we’re fighting for now is a model like Alphonse—where the investor pays a conservation levy, enabling year-round conservation presence, biodiversity monitoring and rehabilitation projects. Without it, this becomes a private playground with no accountability.”

Conservation Requires Teeth—and Cash

Skerrett and his colleagues have already created a foundation for Assomption, which has been merged with other existing foundations to create the Aldabra Group Foundation. Trustees would include government representatives, NGOs, and even Qatari stakeholders will be invited onto the board. The goal: fund full-time staff, implement rehabilitation programs, and, critically, eradicate invasive rats.

“If you’ve ever been to a rat-free island,” he says, “you feel the difference in the whole biodiversity. Lizards, birds—rats devastate everything.”

The rats on the outer islands, he adds with a dry laugh are “Arabic rats,” while those closer to Mahé are “French.”

The distinction is genetic—but poetic, given the geopolitical stakes.

Aldabra: What Could Go Wrong?

The ripple effects don’t stop at Assomption. Conservationists worry the project will increase traffic to Aldabra, potentially compromising biosecurity and fragile ecosystems.

“Motorised sports of any kind are strictly prohibited in the  Aldabra group for a reason,” says Skerrett. “But we have been advised that the promoters propose a comprehensive marine recreation facility on Assomption involving over two dozen boats and motorised water sports, as well as a marine workshop and repair facilities and additional accommodation, none of it envisaged under the initial masterplans which were subject to the EIA.

“We’re concerned this could bring pressure—more frequent helicopter visits, uncontrolled access, seeds on shoes, invasive species.”

The Seychelles Islands Foundation has promised oversight for biosecurity, but with no current supervision on Assomption and reports of construction crews already active, Skerrett is deeply uneasy.

“They initially wanted 1,500 workers. That’s insane. We said 500 max, but who knows what’s actually happening there right now.”

How You Can Help

The Island Conservation Society has established a UK-registered charity to support conservation in the Seychelles. Donations are tax-deductible, and funds go toward island-specific endowments—building a financial buffer for the future of biodiversity in the region.

For conservationists and ecotourists alike, Skerrett’s vision is clear:

“Tourism has brought us wealth, stability. You don’t see begging or homelessness here like in the West. But if we let private development run rampant, the cost will be our wildest places—and the creatures that call them home.”

Prior to the project, Assomption Island was not permanently inhabited by a civilian population. The only people who resided on the island were a small number of personnel from the Islands Development Company (IDC) who maintain the airstrip and oversee basic infrastructure.

The Islands Development Company (IDC) of Seychelles is a parastatal organization owned by the government, tasked with overseeing the sustainable development of the nation’s outer islands. The company plays a vital role in managing islands such as Alphonse, Assomption, and Farquhar, focusing on eco-tourism, conservation, and agricultural development.

The IDC is run by a board of directors: Cyril Bonnelame, who was appointed CEO in January 2025, leads the operational direction of the company, bringing over 25 years of experience in various sectors. The board, including directors such as Naadir Hassan (Chairperson) and Astride Tamatave (Vice-Chairperson), ensures strategic decision-making and policy implementation to align with national and environmental objectives.

IDC and ICS have signed an agreement, recognizing ICS as conservation advisors on all IDC islands.

The company plays a vital role in managing islands such as Alphonse, Assomption, and Farquhar, focusing on eco-tourism, conservation, and agricultural development.

There is no established community, and no public facilities like schools, hospitals, or stores on Assomption Island.

With limited oversight and major concerns voiced by local conservationists like Skerrett, this island will quietly become a playground for the ultra-rich without public scrutiny or ecological safeguards.

Green Prophet uncovered footage from Swedish photographer Jesper Anhede—hired by Qatari developers and now based in Qatar according to his LinkedIn profile —freely roaming turtle nesting sites on the islands during peak turtle season. He is also reaching out to his network on Instagram looking for developers who can help the Qatari investors build glamping sites for Qatari royalty.

This raises serious questions: who authorized these excursions? Who is regulating the access?

Green Prophet reached out to Anhede about environmental oversight when he is at the Seychelles and he quickly deleted his Instagram profile shortly thereafter and stopped replying to our messages.

If you believe in the power of transparency and storytelling to protect fragile ecosystems, reach out to the The Island Conservation Society. Let’s help them find the right allies —journalists, scientists, conservationists, and funders. Assomption may not have a population, but its silence doesn’t mean it has no voice.

It’s time we amplify it.

Send tips to seychelles@greenprophet.com

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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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There is a vast number of captive turtles kept as pets in homes, and it is up to their owners to give these wild animals their freedom back. At the Gazelle Valley Park in Jerusalem, an unusual animal welfare initiative aims to protect the local turtle population.

Turtles aren’t domestic animals and should live in their natural habitat. But over the past decades, massive development has taken place over what were previously open areas where turtles once thrived. This urbanization also includes paving roads that endanger the animals. For this reason, it is necessary to protect them from confinement and preserve their environment.

World Turtle Day is celebrated May and is sponsored by the American Tortoise Rescue, a nonprofit organization established in 1990 for the protection of turtles. This day was created to help people celebrate turtles and tortoises and protect their disappearing habitats.

200 turtles returned in 5 days

Gazelle Valley Park, an urban nature park in the heart of Jerusalem, is taking advantage of the World Turtle Day by campaigning for people to give up their pet turtles and bring them to the park. This park is the largest urban nature site in the country and is the consequence of planning in collaboration with the general public. The valley encompasses an area of about 25 hectares, where, over the years, a herd of 30 deer has lived.

A similar initiative was launched last spring by the Jerusalem Municipality, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and the Gazelle Valley Park. “We contacted the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, and we told them about the fact that people have turtles at home. We worked together in a campaign to ask people to bring the turtles to Gazelle Valley. We were amazed to see that in 5 days, we had over 200 turtles returned,” says Yael Hammerman, Director of Gazelle Valley Park.

The turtles are divided into three different groups: unhealthy turtles that are taken to the Israeli Wildlife Hospital for rehabilitation, turtles in good health (either due to short captivity time or good care), and turtles that need to stay in Gazelle Valley Park in order to to be evaluated to determine if they should return to nature.

Turtles in danger

There are two tortoise species in Israel: the Greek tortoise (Testudo graeca), which can be found throughout the country, and the Negev tortoise (Testudo werneri), which inhabits mostly desert areas.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), of all the recognized species of turtles and tortoises, 51.9% are Threatened, this includes species that are Critically Endangered, Endangered and Vulnerable. This means that more than half of the world’s turtles are in trouble.

Turtles from Asia have the highest percentages of endangered species, due to much higher levels of exploitation. They are collected and traded in the East Asian meat consumption trade, and their shells and bone are also used for traditional Chinese medicines. Live animals of all sizes, especially of rare and/or attractive species, have been poached and illegally marketed to the high-end international pet trade, primarily in China, but also to other Asian countries (e.g., Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, and Indonesia) as well as to Europe and the United States.

One of the biggest threats to turtles is keeping them as pets, which is happening worldwide; Israel is no exception. Having a pet turtle is both a problem for the turtle, which is deprived of its natural habitat and for the turtle owner, who might get sick from the diseases that turtles carry (e.g., salmonella). On the other hand, many pet owners are unaware of the nutritional needs of these animals. “Turtles get sick in people’s homes because they receive insufficient or inappropriate food,” says Yael Hammerman.

Another problem turtles face in captivity is when females want to lay their eggs. In the absence of a male, a female turtle will lay them regardless, but they will not be viable. In addition, when turtles do not have a suitable substrate to deposit their eggs, they will lay one or two eggs at a time over a few weeks rather than the entire batch at once; they may even not lay any eggs at all. The unlaid eggs will become increasingly calcified the longer they are held, making them more prone to breaking inside the turtle, which is a condition called egg-yolk peritonitis and can be fatal if not treated.

Free the turtles, responsively

If pet owners decide they can no longer care for their turtles, they sometimes free them on their own accord, which is illegal. These domesticated turtles may not survive on their own and may infect wild turtles with diseases they contracted during captivity. Released turtles that are not native to the area can out-compete local species for food and habitat, thus threatening the original biodiversity.

“If you see a turtle walking outside, enjoy by watching it but don’t pick it up! We want to see more and more turtles in the wild and not in houses. Let’s respect nature by helping it to be how it is supposed to be,” says Hammerman.

Kevin Packer, ZAVIT* – Science and Environment News Agency

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Some people make injured sea turtles human-engineered solutions like this turtle that got new flippers but most sea turtles are just getting caught in fishermen’s nets or choking and dying from plastic without us even noticing. World sea turtle populations are steadily declining, but at some amazing sites in Abu Dhabi we still have hope. 

Abu Dhabi has wildlife refuges such as the Bu Tinah Island Atoll, that is home to populations of rare sea turtles. Abu Dhabi is now going one step further to have these sites included in a UN sponsored list of locations which are vital to the preservation and well being of a number of endangered sea turtle species.

Abu Dhabi’s Environment Agency recently submitted a proposal to the Indian Ocean and South East Asia (IOSEA) Secretariat to include the Bu Tinah and Zirku Islands in the Secretariat’s network of locations vital to the survival of endangered sea turtle species.

The Bu Tinah Island Archipelago was particularly singled out due to its favorable conditions.

The Agency has been studying the sea turtle populations at Bu Tinah and Zirku islands since 1999 and has closely monitored the wildlife populations; including critically endangered sea turtle populations such as the hawksbill sea turtle.

Being listed by the IOSEA Secretariat will enable the Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi to receive more attention to help preserve their sea turtle populations, which number as many as 5,750 sea turtles inhabiting the waters during winter season and 6,900 during the summer.

Thabit Al Abdessalaam, the EAD’s senior adviser on terrestrial and marine biodiversity, said that being registered in the IOSEA’s network will help insure the island’s long-term conservation; particularly in regards to cleaner coastal waters and protecting these locations as nursery grounds for sea turtles and other wildlife species.

More articles on efforts to preserve sea turtles and other wildlife in the Arabian and Persian Gulf:
Rare Sea Turtles and Other Wildlife Living Happily on Persian Gulf Atoll
Greater flamingos return to Abu Dhabi Wetlands and hopefully to Bu Tinah
Protect the Middle East’s Natural Wonders – vote Today!
Persian Gulf Mermaids Face Man made Environmental Threats

Photo of hawksbill sea turtle by Wikipedia

The post Abu Dhabi puts great effort in giving sea turtles their rightful home appeared first on Green Prophet.

Most tourists who visit Oman’s Gulf coast are treated to pristine views and sparkling waters, but Ray Montoya, an American angler and art teacher living in Muskat, produces YouTube videos that show another side to the country. Using a small yellow kayak, the hapless eco-crusader travels along the nearly 1,000 miles of coast, frequently discovering animals trapped in discarded fishing nets and unfathomable piles of rubbish. Hit the jump to watch a video of one such turtle that would almost certainly have drowned if it hadn’t been for Ray and his handy snippers.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zy-qsyXGCQM[/youtube]

The hapless eco-crusader

Originally from New Mexico and a fly fisherman who practices sustainable catch and release fishing, Ray wears a Go Pro Camera with a wide angle lens that offers a unique view of the 150 or so trips that he has taken in the remote area between Masirah and Shuwaymiah.

In this video, he happens upon a turtle that is completely tangled up in a fishing net. Ray pulls the turtle out of the water and proceeds to snip away the bits of net around its neck and body. It struggles at first, but relaxes eventually as though grateful for the help.

When Ray finally gets the last of the net off the turtle and releases it back into the Gulf, it swims away furiously. That is one turtle saved, but what happens to the animals that Ray doesn’t reach?

Thousands of dolphins, turtles, and other marine mammals die each year in Oman as a result of manmade debris, Ray says in the introduction to the YouTube video that has received a surprising response from viewers all over the world.

Creative awareness

Although he has yet to received any response to an email sent to the environment or tourism ministry, which the inadvertent activist encourages everyone to contact, several news organizations have contacted Ray about this video including MSNBC and a Japanese Television show that is going to interview him tomorrow.

“I didnt expect it would receive so much attention,” Ray told us in an email, “but I am glad it did because I have personally witnessed Oman’s coastal environment go from pristine to a complete mess.”

Although kayaking on the water probably started as a recreational activity for Ray, now he is trying desperately to raise awareness of the terrible degradation of Oman’s marine environment that has occurred in the ten years since he has been teaching art at a local high school.

He has been in touch with the Environment Society of Oman, which runs several educational programs and is currently engaged in the “Say No to Plastic Campaign,” and tries to convince other fishermen that he encounters to take a more sustainable approach to the sport.

“I am also a fisherman,” Rays tells us. “I fly fish, which is a very specialized form of fishing; we use artificial lures which we make on single barbless hooks and release about 95 percent of our catch unharmed; I’m also trying to get other sport fishermen to practice catch and release, but its tough to convince others that they do not need to kill more than they can eat. I also like to swim with whales, but have not video taped that yet…soon.”

Ray encourages people to contact the Ministry of Tourism in order to raise concerns about these environmental concerns. The addresses for the Minister and Under Secretary are as follows: minister_sec@omantourism.gov.o­m, unsmot@omantourism.gov.om.

More on Oman:

Communities in Oman Face Growing Risk of Floods

Terra Nex to Help Oman Build its Own Solar Supply Chain

Land Rover Revs up Omani Leopard Conservation

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