Aquaculture project to be launched in May |14 March 2020
Mr Lesperance (Photo: Patrick Joubert)
Local and international investors wishing to venture into aquaculture in Seychelles can start contacting the Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA) for the application of licenses now that cabinet has given its approval for this fish farming activity to be launched in May 2020 as the second phase of the project.
The approval came on Wednesday March 11, 2020, during a cabinet meeting chaired by President Danny Faure, where they were updated on the actions undertaken, since 2017, relating to the aquaculture project.
At a cabinet de-briefing on Thursday March 12, 2020, the principal aquaculture officer at SFA, Aubrey Lesperance, said that different maritime zones in the northwest and south of Mahé, including zones on Praslin and La Digue, have been identified and will be made available for such activities.
He noted that buffer zones between zero to 2km, are reserved entirely for Seychellois entrepreneurs but in the event of a foreign partnership, the Seychellois entrepreneurs must hold the majority share in the company.
He further noted that the space available will allow over the next five years for investors to enter into the fish farming business.
With the intention of the aquaculture business aimed towards exportation in the first place, Mr Lesperance said that cabinet has also approved for the products to be sold on the local market.
He further said that SFA wants to launch into the aquaculture industry to gain some income from licenses fees for infrastructure building as Seychelles as a high income country do not benefit from grants from donors for infrastructure facilities.
He said that SFA has invested US $5.5 million in infrastructure and is short of US $4.4 million in funding for further infrastructure development especially an aquaculture research and development facility, where these fish will spawn, and the eggs will be allowed to grow in a specialised hatchery and be sold to fish farmers.
Mr Lesperance that with SFA as the main regulator, the aquaculture regulations is in its final drafting stage at the Attorney General’s office and it will be gazetted by April, 2020, in time for the industry to be launched in May.
He claimed that some entrepreneurs are already lined up to submit their projects but the coronavirus pandemic may affect the number of foreign investors.
The development of an aquaculture sector in Seychelles received a big boost, in October 2019, with the opening of a new Broodstock Acclimation and Quarantine Facility (BAQF), located at Providence Fishing Port. It houses some of our flagship fish species such as Grouper (vyey), Red snapper (bourzwa) and others. They are the parent fish for future generations of fish to be grown in our new aquaculture sector.
The Broodstock Acclimation and Quarantine Facility was officially inaugurated by President Danny Faure and the Ambassador of the European Union (EU) to the Republic of Seychelles, Vincent Degert.
Mr Lesperance said that sea urchin is also among one of the most favoured species for fish farming.