Mariculture master plan gets added boost with R2m grant |25 June 2013

The agreement for the grant was signed on June 14, 2013 on behalf of both partners by their respective chief executive officers – Dr Ibrahim Assane Mayaki of the Nepad and Finley Racombo of the SFA.

The second phase of the mariculture master plan has been effective since the date of signing and is expected to be completed in October 2013.
 
The agreement for the grant was discussed and finalised at the beginning of May between the Minister for Natural Resources and Industry Peter Sinon and Dr Sloans Chimatiro, the senior fisheries advisor of the Nepad Planning and Coordinating Agency during his visit to Seychelles.

The second phase comprises a regulatory framework that will guide the development of the sector, comprehensive application and evaluation procedures, identification and securing of land sites for hatchery development and GPS coordinates for open ocean sea cages around the inner islands.

The emphasis during this phase is to develop a strong framework within which sound investments can be made.

A steering committee is being set up which will include important stakeholders from the tourism and environment sectors and conservation NGOs.

The steering committee, which will be chaired by the SFA, will have the mandate of providing guidance to the preparation of the mariculture master plan and ensure that their views are incorporated into the process.

The outputs of the second phase will also allow application in the aquaculture sector by investors to be much easier.

Once completed, the second phase will allow the government to make calls for investments to potential investors to set up aquaculture farms around the inner islands in an orderly and responsible manner. Once the activities in phase two are completed, the harmonisation of legislation and marketing of the sector will be crucial in attracting investments and launch research and development initiatives in the sector.

The project is regarded as part of the Nepad agency’s support for the Seychelles National Food Security Policy which is being developed within the framework of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP).

The mariculture master plan is aimed at enhancing the role of fish farming to food security and boost the contribution of fisheries to economic growth.

The development of mariculture will enable Seychelles to diversify the economies of fishing communities and improve the resilience of their livelihoods in the face of climate change.

The development of mariculture in Seychelles ties well with the message in President James Michel’s state-of-nation address 2013: “The blue economy will be crucial for our future. It has enormous potential. We need to ensure that we maximise the benefits from the resources of our ocean...”

Indeed, mariculture may become one of the promising sectors which can provide significant contribution to the country’s efforts to accrue more benefits from the ocean.

Nepad agency is viewing Seychelles as a champion in regional and continental mariculture sustainability for Africa through the “Blue Economy” initiative.

The first part of the mariculture master plan consisted of gathering data and carrying out gap analysis and presenting these in an inception report. After considering the recommendation of the inception report, the Nepad agency has agreed to fund the continuation of the project, now in its second phase.