Sids must innovate, use blue economy opportunity to increase competitive in fisheries industry |10 September 2014

Seychelles supported New Zealand as well as other stakeholders, namely the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency and the Caribbean Regional at a side event during the United Nations conference on Small island developing states, held in Samoa.

The event highlighted the value that Small island developing states (Sids) derive from maximising their respective fisheries resources.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Jean-Paul Adam was a panelist at the event, which sought to mobilise Sids of all regions to share country-specific based practices and to underscore the importance of partnerships to sustainably develop the fisheries sector.

Seychelles espoused the idea of adding greater value to the local fisheries sector that could inherently benefit the economies of all Sids.

To highlight this idea, Minister Adam remarked “sustainable fishing practices from a grassroots level, supported by government policy greatly add to the developmental trajectory of Sids”

In addition, Minister Adam said "the blue economy presents an unprecedented opportunity in Seychelles and in other Sids alike to manage and protect the local fisherman.”

Sids are cognisant of the fact that they cannot compete with the foreign, subsidised industrial fisheries sector but they can maximise the value of their fisheries industry by creating opportunities in existing resources which could also help to boost tourism earnings.