Seychelles: half a ton of garbage collected on twelve uninhabited islands

From March 10 to April 2, 2026, the SCGV Saya de Maha, a coast guard ship, participated in the operation to clean up the beaches of twelve uninhabited islands in the archipelago. In twenty-three days, Seychelles Maritime Academy students and scientific technicians recovered 120 DCP elements and 45 bags of waste, or 500 kg.

For the third consecutive year, the FAD Watch mission took place from March 10 to April 2, 2026. Students from the Maritime Academy of the Archipelago and scientists participated in the cleaning of the beaches of twelve uninhabited islands. Despite the actions carried out in the previous two years, in 23 days the participants recovered half a ton of waste: « 120 elements of DCPd as well as about 45 bags of waste, » says seychellesnewsagency.com.

This waste has been brought back to Mahé where it will be treated, stored and recycled.

This great cleaning, of sites far from civilization, has become essential. Sea currents, like the wind, many birds, fish and cetaceans have no borders. Part of the plastic, which colonizes the vortex located south of Rodrigues Island, sometimes stops on the islands and islets of Seychel.

In 23 days, Seychel students and scientists recovered 500 kg of waste during the operation carried out at the end of March and beginning of April 2026. · ©Screenshot Seychelles News Agency

Most of the pollution on the islands is due to tuna senneurs

Fish concentration devices (DCP) are used by tuna senners to artificially reconstitute the food chain. Each boat has more than 200 DCP. They play the natural role of wrecks under which the tuna schools are grouped. Trapped under this device, the fish are raised by the nets (senneurs) of the factory ships. Once on the bridge, the tuna are sent to the factory, then to the hold via the freezing corridors. Sennaurs tuna can land 200 to 300 tons of tuna per campaign.

The problem is that each boat loses several DCP confirms the parc-marin-de-mayotte.fr. These are the devices that the cleaning teams of the FAD Watch project are recovering.

source : France info