Two artificial islands for Baie Ste Anne

The spot at Baie Ste Anne earmarked for two artificial islands.

A dredger expected here soon to extend the man-made Ile Aurore off Anse Etoile, is expected to build two islands at Baie Ste Anne, Praslin. This has been revealed by a government official linked to reclamation projects who said the islands will go up some distance from the main reclamation area near the coast and off Anse La Farine. It is as yet unclear how big the islands will be and what they will be used for. In the same vicinity is Emerald Cove Hotel, built over ten years ago by an Italian group in partnership with the Lesperance family, who own the land.

At low tide, it is possible to walk to Round Island, where a French entrepreneur runs a small deluxe establishment. Dredging at Praslin will probably come after a scheme to reclaim more land on the east and south coast is completed. Now that government has bowed to South African Pinnacle Holdings’ wishes to extend Aurore, all kinds of projects will be conceived to optimise the substantial cost of bringing the dredger here. Engineer Marc D’Offay has already initiated a campaign against such misguided reclamation, which is bound to impact negatively on much of Mahe’s beachscape.

On Praslin, there were no clear plans for the reclamation when it was carried out a few years ago. Until now, it has been used for just a school, a boat repair and the desalination plant. Plans to move the yacht moorings there have still to be activated two years later.

Meanwhile, the beautiful bay that once was the pride of Praslin has disappeared forever.