(Seychelles News Agency) - The Seychelles Parks and Gardens Authority's (SPGA) operation centre will be functional next week and will serve as an information base for the conservation work of protected areas.

The announcement was made by the chief executive of the SPGA, Allen Cedras, after a training session for its staff to use EarthRanger software.

This is a real-time software solution from the Allen Institute in the United States, which helps protected area managers, ecologists, and wildlife biologists make more informed operational decisions for wildlife conservation.

It collects, integrates, and displays all historical and real-time data from a protected area - including wildlife, ranger patrols, spatial data, and observed threats.

A group of SPGA personnel attended the training held by 51 Degrees' representative, Neil Davidson, the EarthRanger's partner in Nairobi, Kenya, supporting them with this project. So far, 25 SPGA personnel have been trained to use EarthRanger.

Cedras told the press that SPGA has been working on the project for the last two years, with the training session being the final touches to have the system up and running.

The SPGA has already started to set up some components that will link up with the EarthRanger system at the newly renovated Anse Major trail. There is a camera at the entrance of the trail, which will provide information on persons going in and exiting the trail.

The Authority is responsible for managing the marine and terrestrial national parks with associated trails and gardens in Seychelles, a group of 115 islands in the western Indian Ocean.

There are two types of sensors being used - one to detect fires and another to detect people visiting different sites.

Meanwhile, Cedras said that once the operations centre is up and running at the man-made Perseverance Island adjacent to the main island of Mahe, the Authority will be working with other authorities such as the Seychelles Fire and Rescue Services Agency (SFRSA) and the police to share information.

"With the information we will be collecting through the system, we will be able to tell where there are fires, and that will assist SFRSA in their duties as well," he said.