Police Bay: A Decision That Will Define Our Legacy
- Jul 13
- 3 min read
By Ralph Almeida
There are places in every country that should never be measured simply by their commercial value.
Police Bay is one of them.
It is one of the last remaining stretches of largely untouched coastline in Seychelles – a place where powerful waves meet ancient vegetation, where wetlands quietly perform the work that nature has perfected over thousands of years, and where future generations should still be able to experience what an unspoilt Seychelles once looked like.
Today, this remarkable landscape stands at a crossroads.
The discussion surrounding the proposed hotel development at Police Bay is not simply about tourism. It is about the kind of nation we wish to become.
For decades, Seychelles has proudly marketed itself as a world leader in environmental conservation. We have protected over 30% of our marine territory, promoted sustainable tourism, spoken passionately at international climate conferences, and positioned ourselves as custodians of one of the world’s most unique island ecosystems.
Those commitments now face an important test.
Wetlands are often misunderstood because they appear quiet and unremarkable. Yet they are among the most valuable ecosystems on Earth. They naturally absorb floodwaters, filter pollutants, recharge groundwater, provide habitats for countless species, and store significant amounts of carbon that would otherwise contribute to climate change.
Once disturbed or destroyed, these ecosystems cannot simply be recreated by planting a few trees or landscaping around a hotel. Nature operates on timescales measured in centuries, not construction schedules.
The question before us is therefore much larger than whether a hotel can be built.
The question is whether this particular location should be built upon at all.
Seychelles certainly needs investment.
We need quality tourism.
We need employment opportunities.
We need foreign exchange earnings.
These objectives are not in dispute.
But true sustainable development is about choosing the right development in the right place. Not every beautiful coastline should become a construction site.
Some places become more valuable precisely because they remain untouched.
Around the world, countries are increasingly recognising that protecting natural assets is not an obstacle to economic growth – it is an investment in long-term prosperity. Visitors are travelling ever greater distances to experience authentic, unspoilt environments. Once those environments disappear, they can never again become the attraction they once were.
Police Bay is one of the few remaining places where Seychelles can still demonstrate that conservation is more than a slogan.
It is also worth asking whether all feasible alternatives have been fully explored.
Could investment be directed towards previously disturbed or underutilised sites?
Could existing tourism infrastructure be redeveloped rather than expanding into sensitive ecosystems?
Could Police Bay instead become a flagship conservation and eco-tourism destination, generating economic value while preserving its ecological integrity?
These are not anti-development questions. They are questions of national planning.
No government, investor, environmental organisation or citizen can replace Police Bay.
It belongs equally to today’s Seychellois and to generations yet unborn. One day our children and grandchildren will ask what choices we made when these decisions came before us.
Will they inherit another luxury development that could have been built elsewhere?
Or will they inherit one of the last untouched coastal wetlands in the Indian Ocean?
History rarely remembers how quickly a project was approved.
It remembers whether a nation had the wisdom to preserve what could never be replaced.
Perhaps that is the real decision before Seychelles today.
Not whether we can build. But whether we should.
Because once nature’s masterpiece is gone, no architect can ever build it back.
Conversations That Matter
Author: Ralph Almeida
Photos: Ralph Almeida, Friends of Aldabra, Marina Germain
Police Bay 2025