Seychelles Blue Bond

Impact Story

Cleaning up the sea floor and educating fishers about ocean pollution

Ocean pollution is a big concern, particularly for the small island community in the Seychelles. The ocean and ocean floor are littered with inorganic waste that usually takes many years to decompose, such as plastic bags floating or caught in coral reefs, bottles, cans, and old fishing nets and traps thrown away by fishing vessels. This pollution has consequences for the health of the ocean and its fish and coral populations, as well as for tourism and fisheries -- pillars of the Seychelles's blue economy.

Marcus Quatre, Dominique Thelermont, Mervin Cedras, and Jean-Marc Amelie have been diving for sea cucumbers for over 13 years and have noted how much dirtier the sea has become over the past decade. They feel that they have to do something to ensure that future generations enjoy cleaner oceans and eat cleaner fish, free from plastic and other waste.

Through this project, they are putting their diving skills and experience to good use to clean up three areas around Mahé, the largest island of the Seychelles. Video documentaries of the cleaning up exercises will be done throughout the project to show the public exactly what is happening and how bad the ocean pollution problem is around the main island. Once the clean-up exercise is complete, the team will engage in an educational campaign through workshops and social media to raise awareness about ocean pollution among fishermen (who are currently disposing of a large quantity of waste at sea), youth, and the general public.

Using the video evidence gathered during the clean-up, the team also plans to lobby the Seychelles Fishing Authority to make it mandatory for fishing vessels to return with all waste to shore.

Learn more about the project on the Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust (SeyCCAT) website.

Impact Story

Determining the economic viability of rock oyster farming

Rock oysters occur naturally in Seychelles and can be found growing in a number of areas across Mahé as well as in other islands in the archipelago. Rock oysters grow either on granitic rock or on coral inert rocks, and are usually found in mangrove areas where there is abundant brackish water--usually on rocks by the coast where there is a mixture of seawater with fresh running water supply. While delicious, currently rock oysters do not grow large enough or in sufficient numbers to supply the local demand.

This pilot project, conducted by Dr. Joseph Rath, Jacques Belle, Jean-Marie Croguenec, and Olivier Levi, has been designed to undertake a feasibility study aimed at determining the economic viability of a rock oyster farm in Seychelles, the first of its kind. This study will enable the team to demonstrate that the farming of rock oysters could quickly become a new commercial seafood product for the local market, especially for cold storage, wholesalers, and large hotels. Eventually, the team hopes that rock oyster farming can become a sustainable, income-generating industry for the country as an export item.

Learn more about the project on the Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust (SeyCCAT) website.