印度洋的陰謀｜塞舌爾世界自然遺產：阿爾達布拉環礁 重寫日期｜2026/3/15

英國在二次世界大戰之後面對不少殖民地脫離英國獨立，在極具戰略價值的西印度洋的島嶼重新規劃和分配，而使用的方法導致了日後和毛里裘斯兩國的爭端。不過與毛里裘斯同樣由英國獨立出來的塞舌爾，似乎是在這場分配活動中得益，例如得到了前屬英屬印度洋領地的阿爾達布拉環礁。

Conspiracy of Britain｜Endemic birds of Aldabra Atoll

Compared with Mauritius, Seychelles, a small country composed of many small islands to the north, only gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1976, and even received the right to self-government in 1970.

比起毛里裘斯，在其北面的以多個細小島嶼組成的小國塞舌爾在1976年才從英國手中獲得獨立，甚至乎在1970年才得到自治的權利，然而英國在1960年代的一波重組島嶼歸屬行動中間接使日後獨立的塞舌爾多了一些島嶼，也埋下與毛里裘斯對簿公堂的爭端。英國直到1965年之前在印度洋範圍僅有兩個殖民地：毛里裘斯和塞舌爾，在這一年英國政府在塞舌爾和毛里裘斯劃分部分島嶼成立新成立的領地：英屬印度洋領地(British Indian Ocean Territory, BIOT)，範圍包括了原屬毛里裘斯的查哥斯群島和塞舌爾的阿爾達布拉環礁、法夸爾群島、德羅什島，以便這兩個殖民地一旦成功爭取獨立後英國在印度洋區域內仍然擁有土地和影響力，然而毛里裘斯和塞舌爾分別在1968和1976年相繼脫離英國獨立，英國只向塞舌爾「交還」阿爾達布拉環礁等原本由塞舌爾管理的島嶼，卻繼續佔有以不合理手段取得的查哥斯群島，毛里裘斯從獨立開始一直爭取取回查哥斯群島，這個故事我在另外一篇文章已作介紹。 英國政府因為打算把英屬印度洋領地作為英國以及外租給美國的南亞地區軍事補給基地，千方百計將這些島嶼原住民趕離，以致他們大都流離失所，甚至乎為杜絕他們重返家園把這些島嶼納入自然保護區。事與願違，在1976年塞舌爾獲得獨立並從英國取回阿爾達布拉環礁後，塞舌爾政府容許原住民重返島嶼，但同時向聯合國教科文組織申請將該處登錄為世界自然遺產，最終在1982年成功登錄。雖然阿爾達布拉環礁成為世界遺產，但並不如英國般把原住民趕走， 一般的世界自然基金會郵票都是單一物種4枚郵票，這次出現了兩種物種和小型張。 Normally WWF stamps have 4 stamps features single species, but this time there are two species and also a souvenir sheet. 甚至在1984年3月30日重開這裡的郵政分局，塞舌爾郵政局更特意印行郵票紀念。 僅350平方千米大小的阿爾達布拉環礁貼近東非大陸，僅位處於馬達加斯加北面不遠，除了吸引候鳥和海鳥的到臨更有不少僅在環礁上找到的特有種鳥類和動物，塞舌爾郵政局曾在1990年代發行過一組通用郵票繪畫牠們，不過我今次要介紹的是2008年發行的世界自然基金會 (World Wildlife Fund) 郵票，所繪畫的兩種阿爾達布拉環礁特有種嗚鳥：阿爾達巴拉紅頭雀 (Foudia aldabrana)和阿爾達巴拉卷尾 (Dicrurus aldabranus)。 阿爾達巴拉紅頭雀｜目前屬於瀕危級別的阿爾達巴拉紅頭雀雖擁有大而有力的喙，牠們卻僅以地面上的種子、花卉和小昆蟲作為主要食糧，不過正是由於這個強大的喙部，牠們也能捕捉較小型的動物。一般來說雄性雀鳥如郵票所繪一樣是橙紅色，而雌性則是金黃色，偶爾頭部帶橙紅色羽毛。受到外來入侵物種在牠們築巢的椰子樹和卡蘇亞納樹捕食影響，阿爾達巴拉紅頭雀數量在下降，惟牠們曾被發現與生活在馬達加斯加與西印度洋島嶼生活的馬島福迪雀 (Foudia madagascariensis) 進行雜交而一度「脫離」瀕危的級別。 阿爾達巴拉卷尾｜這種全身灰黑色卻如阿爾達巴拉紅頭雀一樣帶著強大喙部的雀鳥目前屬於近危級別，按統計數量大約是1.000隻左右，以其細小的生活範圍算是有可觀數量，牠們喜好在海邊的紅樹林和灌木築巢生活。阿爾達巴拉卷尾主要以昆蟲、小壁虎和蜥蜴為食，並且有空中捕獵的技能。其較特別的是牠們的高頻而具多變的叫聲，尤以交配期清脆悅耳的聲音見稱。 這套郵票我是在本地郵商購買，應該是最後期為數不多在本地郵商購買的郵票，隨網路個人銷售的興起，買賣郵票並不需要如往日倚靠實體商店，價格也相對便宜。留意封背上補貼的郵票正是我上述所說的1990年代塞舌爾通用郵票，這4種動植物都是塞舌爾群島的特有種。

Britain’s wave of island ownership reorganization actions in the 1960s indirectly resulted in the independent Seychelles having more islands in the future, and also laid the foundation for a court dispute with Mauritius. Until 1965, Britain had only two colonies in the Indian Ocean: Mauritius and Seychelles. In this year, the British government divided some islands in the Seychelles and Mauritius to establish a newly established territory: British Indian Ocean Territory, including the Chagos Islands originally belonging to Mauritius and the Aldabra Atoll, Farquhar Islands, and Desroche Islands in the Seychelles, so that once these two colonies successfully strive for independence, the United Kingdom will still have land and influence in the Indian Ocean region. However, Mauritius and Seychelles were separated in 1968 and 1968 respectively. After gaining independence from the United Kingdom in 1976, the United Kingdom only “handed back” the Aldabra Atoll and other islands originally managed by Seychelles to Seychelles, but continued to occupy the Chagos Islands, which it had acquired through unreasonable means. Mauritius has been striving to get back the Chagos Islands since independence. I have introduced this story in another article.

Because the British government planned to use the British Indian Ocean Territory as a military supply base in South Asia leased to the United Kingdom and the United States, it did everything possible to drive away the indigenous people of these islands, so that most of them were displaced. They even included these islands in nature reserves to prevent them from returning to their homes. Contrary to expectations, after Seychelles gained independence in 1976 and took back Aldabra Atoll from the United Kingdom, the Seychelles government allowed the indigenous people to return to the island, but at the same time applied to UNESCO to register the place as a World Natural Heritage Site, and finally successfully registered it in 1982. Although Aldabra Atoll became a world heritage site, it did not drive away the indigenous people like the British did. It even reopened the post office here on March 30, 1984. The Seychelles Post Office even printed a stamp to commemorate it.

The Aldabra Atoll, which is only 350 square kilometers in size, is close to the East African continent and is not far north of Madagascar. In addition to attracting the arrival of migratory birds and seabirds, it also attracts many endemic species of birds and animals that can only be found on the atoll. The Seychelles Post Office once A set of general stamps were issued in the 1990s depicting them, but what I want to introduce today is the WWF stamp issued in 2008, which depicts two species of songbirds endemic to the Aldabra Atoll: the Red-headed Fody and the Aldabra Drongo.

Aldabra Red-headed Fody｜Although the Aldabra Red-headed Fody currently classified as endangered, have large and powerful beaks, they only feed on seeds, flowers and small insects on the ground. However, it is precisely because of this powerful beak that they can also capture smaller animals. Generally speaking, male birds are orange-red as shown on stamps, while females are golden-yellow, and occasionally have orange-red feathers on their heads. The number of Aldabra Red-headed Fody has been declining due to predation by invasive alien species on the coconut and casuana trees where they nest, but they were once “exempted” from the endangered status by being found to have hybridized with the Red Fody that live in Madagascar and islands in the western Indian Ocean.

Aldabra Drongo｜This bird, which is gray and black but has a powerful beak like the Aldabra Red-headed Fody, is currently classified as near-threatened. According to statistics, the number is about 1,000. It is considered a considerable number due to its small living range. They like to build nests in mangroves and shrubs by the sea. Aldabra Drongo feeds mainly on insects, small geckos and lizards, and has the ability to hunt in the air. What is more special about them is their high-frequency and changeable calls, which are especially famous for their clear and sweet sounds during mating period.

This set of stamps from a local stamp dealer, it is probably one of the last few stamps purchased from them. With the rise of online personal sales, buying and selling stamps does not require relying on physical stores as in the past, and the prices are relatively cheap. Note that the subsidized stamps on the cover are the Seychelles general stamps of the 1990s that I mentioned above. These four species of animals and plants are all endemic to the Seychelles Islands.