The Pakistani Construction Company, ‘Sanken Overseas’, has been awarded the building contract for the new Constance Hotels Seychelles Property ‘Ephilia Resort’ at Port Launay on the main island of Mahe. ‘Ephilia’, with its 225 villas and suites is set to become the largest resort in the Seychelles. It will take up 129 hectare (275 acre) of which 20 percentis marshland, the largest wetland area on Mahe. The Pakistani Construction Company is already on site carrying out initial clearing and demarcation works, and construction material is being accumulated on the Port Launay Site. It is believed that 80 of the 800 expatriate construction staff of the ‘Sanken Overseas’ Company have already arrived in Seychelles. The building of the ‘Ephilia Resort’ is set to take two years. Access to the popular Port Launay Beach has attracted the attention of the public especially after the promoters of the project gave no commitment about public access at a public meeting and after they had ruled out any picnics on the beach once the resort has opened. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) on the project published last year did not provide for beach access. Access to Beaches was the topic for a televised ‘Face a Face’ program where the ruling and opposition parties and government officials, inclusive of Mr. Maurice Loustau-Lalanne, the chairman and CEO of the Seychelles Tourist Board (STB) all agreed that investors would need to respect the right for access by the public to beaches. The developers of ‘Ephilia Resort’ already own and operate the ‘Lemuria Resort’ on the island of Praslin and the Beach Access Issue has been an annoying concern for the Praslin residents. Mr. Patrick Lablache, a Senior Government Official has said on national Television that public access was in place at Lemuria Resort but when the Golf Course was built the public access was removed. ‘Keep Out’ Notice has already appeared as preparations for the building works started and no other Beach Access was designated.
"Picnic Verbot am Strand" - klingt ja schwer nach Qualmverbot in bayerischen Bierzelten - hüstel hüstel......