Resource information
This Act provides with respect to the protection of the environment in Seychelles. It designates the Ministry or Department of the Government under the Minister responsible for the environment as the Ministry for the purposes of this Act and defines its functions and powers. The Act also establishes the National Environmental Advisory Council and provides for prevention, control and abatement of environmental pollution, environmental authorisation and environment impact assessment, enforcement, and some matters of miscellaneous nature.The Minister shall, by signed instrument, appoint an Administrator for this Act. The Administrator shall have the functions assigned to it under this Act. The Minister responsible for environment may, among other things, prescribe environmental standards and safeguards, classify all waters in Seychelles based on their best usage, declare a protection zone for the purposes of protecting the catchment areas used for abstracting water for supply to the community and abstraction of seawater for the purpose of desalination, and take measures to upgrade the quality of water deteriorated to such a degree that its state adversely affects its best usage. No person shall, without an authorisation from the Ministry, discharge or place into the ground or dispose of in the sub-soil or dig into the ground any effluent or polluting or hazardous substance or waste, or discharge any effluent or throw, deposit, or place any polluting or hazardous substance or waste or any obstructing matter into in any watercourse or in the territorial waters. The Minister may, by notice published in the Gazette, declare an area as an air pollution control area. The Minister may also declare protected coastal zones and may prepare an Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan and make Regulations to ensure that activities in the Coastal Zone are conducted so as not to cause damage to the environment. The Minister may also make Regulations to govern the environmental performance of petroleum and mineral exploration and exploitation activities within the territorial waters and, or the Exclusive Economic Zone of Seychelles.An Environmental Impact Assessment shall be carried according to prescribed classes. The Minister may appoint an Environmental Appraisal Committee and register a person as an Environmental Impact Assessment consultant. The administrator may serve an enforcement notice or a prohibition notice on persons that are contravening provisions of this Act. The Act furthermore provides for, among other things, declaration of environmental emergencies and establishment of an Appeals Board.
Implemented by: Environment Protection (Restriction on importation, distribution and sale of Plastic Utensils and Polystyrene Boxes) Regulations 2017 (S.I. No. 38 of 2017). (2017-06-30)
Amended by: Environment Protection (Restriction on manufacturing, importation, distribution and sale of Plastic Bags) Regulations 2017 (S.I. No. 37 of 2017). (2017-06-30)
Repeals: Environment Protection Act 1994 (Cap. 71). (2012-06-30)
