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Opportunities in the Blue Economy
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Aquaculture/Mariculture
Seychelles Aquaculture is a Government initiative to develop a marine aquaculture sector. Mariculture is a specialized branch of aquaculture involving the cultivation of marine organisms in sea water.
With a growing human population, it is clear that traditional land resources will not be enough to meet the demand for resources, such as food or energy, required to support high-quality livelihoods. As a result, the oceans are emerging as a source of untapped assets, with new industries, such as aquaculture, marine biotechnology, marine renewable energy and deep-sea mining, growing or developing rapidly.
Two studies were conducted to determine the desirability of developing marine aquaculture in Seychelles. They revealed positive support for the development of an environmentally and socially responsible mariculture sector leading to the development of a Mariculture Master Plan (MMP), which started in 2011 and continues today.
The Mariculture Master Plan (MMP) is a tool “enabling the Seychelles to develop a sustainable marine aquaculture sector that is integrated into the country’s economic vision and respects the unique and sensitive nature of the marine environment.”
The Seychelles Mariculture Master Plan (MMP) facilitates the development of this aquaculture industry in Seychelles and is centred on the Ecosystems Approach to Aquaculture (EAA). The EAA lies at the core of many modern strategies for sustainable development and is in line with Seychelles’ Blue Economy strategy.
The following the type of marines species have been identified for aquaculture in Seychelles
- Fin Fish Farming
- Sea Cucumber Farming
- Mud Crab Farming
- Prawns Farming
- Oyster Farming
- Sea Urchin Farming
Fisheries Aquaculture Regulations -2020
Seychelles National Aquaculture Policy – 2022
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Assistance to attract financing and technical expertise to meet the renewable energy target
Investment in renewable energy can contribute to a reduction in dependence on imported oil, clean energy, which is important to Seychelles Blue Brand, as well as a more secure energy supply. Seychelles can consider more ambitious 2030 renewable energy targets as part of its 2020 climate commitments, given the size of its economy and overall energy demand to transition to a low carbon economy and reduced dependence on imported fuel. Lessons learnt from cities of similar size could be considered.
In general, a number of renewable energy opportunities exist including offshore wind, wave and tidal energy and ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC). Some of these are mature technologies increasingly approaching commercial scale, whilst others are still in development phase (e.g. wave energy). For Seychelles, a pre-feasibility study for OTEC highlighted a potential location for a plant as the cleanest energy source available.
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Establishment of Creative Recycled Industries with a focus on reducing waste and to alleviate the burden on waste management
According to the Seychelles Sustainable Development Strategy (2012-2020), the 95,000 inhabitants of the island nation generates about 48,000 tones of waste per year. A three-week study conducted by 36 students from ETH Zurich University and the University of Seychelles in collaboration with Ministry of Environment showed the shortcomings in how waste is managed in Seychelles in spite of the policies and laws in place. The study found that there is a working system in place for the processing and export of PET bottles and cans, but that is not the case for glass and paper. With increasing economic development, more waste is being produced, and there are no clear national targets for waste reduction and recycling. The Ministry of Environment being responsible for developing and implementing of all waste management policy and regulatory frameworks sees waste management as a top priority as it touches economic, social aspects and the protection of the environment. With land being scarce in Seychelles the government has been looking at ways to reduce waste.
