Conserving the coco de mer, Seychelles’ flagship tree species

Increasing resilience of Lodoicea maldivica by mitigating the threats of forest fires and poaching

Partner: Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF)
Years: 2021-2023

This project aims to support long-term management and conservation of the Seychelles’ flagship tree species coco de mer by reducing the main imminent threats (fire and illegal harvesting) and by increasing community engagement for its protection and raising public awareness about its importance.

Lodoicea maldivica (EN)

The coco de mer (Lodoicea maldivica) is categorized as Endangered on the IUCN Red List and is endemic to two Seychelles islands. The total population consists of approximately 8200 individuals, across three subpopulations, covering a total area of less than 20 Km2. The population size is estimated to have declined by 30% over three generations and the population is still decreasing due to new and emerging threats such as forest fires, illegal harvesting, invasive alien species, and severe climate change impacts.

To mitigate these threats and increase the resilience of this iconic endemic and threatened species, this project aims to (1) support long-term management and conservation of the coco de mer thanks to targeted species monitoring efforts; (2) reduce the threat of wildfires; (3) reduce the incidence of illegal harvesting; and (4) increase community engagement for its conservation and communication to raise public awareness about its importance.