Aquaculture in a nutshell

The Government of Seychelles has adopted the “Ecosystems Approach to Aquaculture^, whereby it aims to develop the aquaculture sector in a manner that takes into consideration the wider ecosystem and all its socio-ecological interactions with other sectors. The three general principles of the “Ecosystems Approach to Aquaculture” are:

• Aquaculture should be developed in the context of ecosystem functions and services with no degradation of these beyond their resilience.
• Aquaculture should improve human well-being and equity for all relevant stakeholders.
• Aquaculture should be developed in the context of other sectors, policies and goals.

By regulating all forms and processes of aquaculture, we ensure that it continues to play a key role in the development of a vibrant and sustainable economy while protecting the environment.

In Seychelles, aquaculture is in its developmental phase whereby it is striving to be part of the third pillar of the economy, helping to sustain economic growth, and producing our most valuable food export.

Aquaculture is defined as the rearing of aquatic animals or the cultivation of aquatic plants in both seawater and freshwater for food and other purposes. Seychelles is focusing on mariculture which is a specialised branch of aquaculture, rearing of aquatic animals or the cultivation of plants in seawater.

We are prompting a variety of indigenous fish species, as well as shellfish, crustacean, coral, sea urchin and sea cucumber just to name a few.

                                                                   

Why does aquaculture have to be regulated?

The coastal and ocean environment can often have a different property structure than land and is, in many countries, considered a public or common resource. (Reef Resilience Network 2022, Regulations to support sustainable management, Reef Resilience Network, viewed 7 February 2022, https://reefresilience.org/management-strategies/aquaculture/regulations-to-support-sustainable-management/ )

In the absence of regulations, the marine and coastal environment can be subject to degradation from unsustainable human activities, such as overfishing or unsustainable aquaculture. Therefore, governments play a critical role in ensuring that aquaculture is managed in a way that minimizes impact and is developed in a way that benefits communities.

Aquaculture is a complex sector to regulate, requiring expertise in many fields, including marine ecology, aquaculture/agriculture practices, fisheries management, effluent management and hydrology, veterinary practices, animal drugs, marine transportation, feed and food safety, and economics.

As such, several management agencies with expertise in each of these areas typically play a role in regulating aquaculture. While there are many types of expertise needed to manage aquaculture effectively, we at SFA have an important role in the direct regulation of aquaculture activities– ensuring that water quality is suitable for the production of any species.

How is aquaculture regulated?

Operators and/or farmers wishing to establish any form of aquaculture activities in Seychelles must apply for and be granted a licence under the Fisheries (Aquaculture) Regulations 2020. This regulation provides us with powers to ensure that activities which may pose a risk to the environment both on land and in the ocean are controlled. In most cases, this allows operators and/or farmers to operate in an economically viable and sustainable way while placing strict limits on the extent and severity of impacts.

We enforce the regulations by setting site-specific limits and license conditions on the amount of cultivated/rearing species that can be held in any form of enclosure in both land and at sea and the amount of medicines and chemicals that can and cannot be used.

We conduct randomised site visit to ensure that farmers and/or operators are abiding to their license conditions and other rules listed in both the Fisheries Act 2014, Fisheries (Aquaculture) Regulations respectively.

To supplement our Fisheries (Aquaculture) Regulations 2020 we have different Aquaculture Standards. It provides complementary regulatory detail to the “The Fisheries (Aquaculture) Regulations 2020” that must be observed by farmers and operators. The Standards must, therefore, be read in conjunction with the Fisheries Act 2014, and the Regulations for Aquaculture in the Seychelles. The Standards strive to promote environmentally and socially responsible aquaculture practices in the Seychelles.