Poivre Atoll

Poivre Islands are a group of islands in Seychelles, lying in the Outer Islands of Seychelles, with a distance of 268 km south of Victoria, Seychelles.

Poivre Islands
Poivre Islands
Geography
LocationIndian Ocean
Coordinates05°46′S 53°19′E
ArchipelagoSeychelles
Adjacent bodies of waterIndian Ocean
Total islands4
Major islands
  • Poivre Nord
  • Poivre Sud
Area2.78 km2 (1.07 sq mi)
Coastline21 km (13 mi)
Highest elevation3 m (10 ft)
Administration
GroupOuter Islands
Sub-GroupAmirante Islands
DistrictsOuter Islands District
Largest settlementPoivre Nord (pop. 8)
Demographics
Population8 (2014)
Pop. density2.9/km2 (7.5/sq mi)
Ethnic groupsCreole, French, East Africans, Indians.
Additional information
Time zone
ISO codeSC-26
Official websitewww.seychelles.travel/en/discover/the-islands/outer-islands

History

Poivre was named in 1771 by Chevalier de la Biollière after Pierre Poivre, the famous "Peter Pepper" and governor of Ile de France and Réunion (then Bourbon) from 1769 to 1772.[1][2] He named Florentin island for the Grey herons (Florentin being the Creole name for this species),[3] which are nesting on the island. In 2008, the small boat channel was enlarged.[4] Since 2013 Alphonse Fishing Company have been offering professionally guided catch and release fly fishing trips to Poivre.

Geography

Poivre Atoll is near the eastern edge of Amirante Bank. Poivre Nord is joined to Poivre Sud by a 750-metre causeway crossing the reef flats, which is submerged at high tide. The total area of the reef is 20.24 km2 There are four islets on the reef (with land area):

  1. Poivre Nord, 1.105 km2, located at 05°44′48″S 53°18′20″E
  2. Poivre Sud, 1.5 km2, located at 05°46′18″S 53°18′22″E, and with two additional small projections:
    1. Florentin, 0.163 km2 located at 05°45′40″S 53°18′07″E
    2. Mozambique, 0.01 km2 located at 05°45′48″S 53°18′30″E

The large, elongated lagoon between the 4 islands is very shallow and dries out at low tide.[4]

Demographics

The village stands on the east point of Poivre Nord Island, amid a clump of trees.[5] In some sources it is referenced as Pointe Baleine village. The village houses a handful of caretakers and conservationists who watch over the precious ecosystem and maintain the unpaved grass aeroplane runway. The ruined buildings on Poivre Nord hint at a more grandiose past and are oddly juxtaposition-ed alongside the more modern habitable homes.[6]

Administration

The island belongs to Outer Islands District.[7] Being an island with a small population, there are not any government buildings or services. For many services, people have to go to Victoria, which is a difficult task.

Transport

Poivre Nord Island is bisected by a 1,100 metres (3,600 ft) unpaved airfield. The island is occasionally serviced by an Island Development Company (IDC) aircraft from Mahé.

Economics

The inhabitants on the island are engaged in very small scale farming and livestock which are mainly for the island consumption.[8]

Flora and fauna

The island is known for its rich fish life.

Tourism

There are several local contractors who offer Permit fishing trips to the island.

  • Map 1
  • District Map
  • Poivre Atoll from the south
  • Sat image

References
  1. Panorama der lexikalischen Semantik: thematische Festschrift aus Anlass des 60. Geburtstags von Horst Geckeler (in German), Gunter Narr Verlag
  2. History of the island
  3. Florentin name
  4. Atoll research bulletin
  5. Resort staff quarters info
  6. Article on Poivre from 2016
  7. District map
  8. "Information on the island". Archived from the original on 2016-03-19. Retrieved 2016-04-06.
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