Seychelles tourism news update – Widow of shark victim speaks out in favour of Seychelles

SEYCHELLES NOT TO BLAME FOR SHARK ATTACK SAYS WIDOW

Gemma Redmond, the grieving British bride who lost her husband in a shark attack in the Seychelles has upon her return home to Britain spoken to BBC Radio and said in a live broadcast:

“The last thing I would want is for any of these events to affect the Seychellois people, their livelihoods and the tourism in the area. It’s a beautiful place, people must come. It’s a one-off accident and I know that everybody is doing everything they can to ensure that the islands are safe”.

 Gemma Redmond, 27,  who is now back to London accompanied by her parents spoke to BBC Radio about her stay in the Seychelles and the snorkeling day at Anse Lazio at Praslin Island where her husband, Ian, 30, was attacked by a shark.

Gemma has reinforced the claim being made by Seychelles Authorities when she said they had gone to the Seychelles partly because they had thought the islands were free from dangerous animals. The Seychelles have stated over and over again that their last recorded fatal shark attack before these two back to back ones was in 1963. Mrs Redmond said on BBC that she hoped the attack on her own husband would not stop people from visiting the area and that local people had been “so kind”. She said: “The last thing I would want is for any of these events to affect the Seychelles Island people, their livelihoods and the tourism in the area.”It’s a beautiful area, people must come. “It’s a one-off accident and I know that everybody is doing everything they can to ensure that the islands are safe – the restaurants on the beaches and the places on the beaches and the hotels shouldn’t be affected by it.”

Ian Redmond lost his life 10 days after his wedding to Gemma Houghton at St Michael’s Church in Dalton, Lancashire, near the bride’s family home.

The Seychelles Government officials have issued a ban on swimming in certain areas close to the two back to back shark attacks until the killer shark is captured. The Seychelles Authorities are still trying to determine what species of shark killed Mr Redmond, and have enlisted the help of South African Shark experts who are expected to arrive in the country this Saturday. The island’s Coast Guards, the Fishing Authority, the Maritime Safety Department and the Department of Environment in their efforts to ensure normality returns to Anse Lazio and it neighboring beaches as soon as possible.

It is also understood that a wide search for the shark had been underway, since the first attack and re-enforce after the second fatal attack in the space of two weeks, and that a small armada of fishing boats, research vessels but even pleasure craft are out and about to seek out the shark and destroy it. The effort is supported by regular aerial surveying and monitoring but in view of the wide waters around Praslin and La Digue islands it is a major task for those participating.

Meanwhile it was also reported that Alain St.Ange, the CEO of the Seychelles Tourism Board has been the main link person of the Seychelles, engaging with the media across the world and he has made it a point to thank the press for their objective and compassionate reporting. “We have always said that the press personality is part of a noble profession. Most of the reporting of the two recent freak shark accidents have been factual and for that we say thank you to the press. It must never be forgotten that we have two grieving families and that we owe them respect and compassion at all times” Alain St.Ange said.