Seychelles set for commercial aquaculture debut

The Seychelles has announced plans to launch its aquaculture sector this summer, with production licences for five marine species scheduled to be issued in August.

Red snapper are among the five species that are due to start production in the Seychelles

According to the Seychelles News Agency (SNA), Aubrey Lesperance, a top official from the Seychelles Fisheries Authority (SFA), has said that that the island nation’s cabinet has approved the new aquaculture regulations.

“We will issue a licence for each species. And these will be for finfish such as red snapper and grouper, two subspecies of trevally as well as sea urchins," Lesperance told SNA.

“Now, we are in a better position to participate in different markets locally and internationally to actively advertise for investments whilst before we could only do education and promote the project,” he added.

The SFA also said that it plans to establish a broodstock facility at Providence, on the east of the main island of Mahe.

“Gradually as the sector develops, next year we will explore farming of other species such as the mud crab, ornamental fishes for the aquarium as well as experimenting with growing of corals as some NGOs (non-governmental organisations) are already involved in coral replanting,” Lesperance told SNA.

Although only bids from Seychellois investors will be considered for the initial licences, the country hopes that, in time, the sector will attract foreign investment too.

“Government is all for private and foreign direct investments in aquaculture. With the current moratorium on the development of big tourism establishments, we are hoping that foreign investments in aquaculture will boost up foreign income earnings for the country,” Lesperance explained.