Desert island risks

By THE DATA TEAM

GOVERNMENTS and non-profits are muscling in on turf previous reserved for millionaires. Private islands from the Shetlands to the Seychelles are being bought by conservationists eager to protect isolated chunks of nature. In America's north-east, off the coast of Maine, non-profits own 65 islands that nurture seabirds and seals. The unspoiled sands of the Discovery Islands, 150 miles west of Abu Dhabi, were slated for development until intervention by the United Arab Emirates government. In Canada, where a plethora of islands make land cheaper, Nova Scotia Nature Trust is trying to buy or protect over 200 islands. The isles are often bought with donations or gifted to the trusts but cheap prices have spurred them on too. Since the recession the cost of the less-developed private islands, which make up 80% of the market, has halved. And though that is bad news for sellers, it is great news for the seals.

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