Author: NatureSeyBE
-
New Study Charts Seychelles’ Lobster Fishery Transformation
New research in Marine Policy has shed light on the current state of Seychelles’ spiny lobster fishery. The study reveals a significant shift in how Seychelles obtains its lobsters. Through 87 interviews with fishers, hotels, restaurants, and the general public, the researchers discovered that the reliance on imported lobster has skyrocketed: a staggering 96.6% of…
-
Are We Ready for the Business of the Blue Economy?
By Nirmal Jivan Shah Seychelles talks confidently about building a Blue Economy. But how easy is it, in practice, to start, grow and sustain the businesses that are supposed to deliver it? The World Bank’s new Business Ready (B-READY) assessment offers a useful reality check. It is not a Blue Economy report, but it examines…
-
Seychelles’ first floating solar project expected to be operational in December
(Seychelles News Agency 11.7.2026) Installation work on the solar panels for the Seychelles’ first floating photovoltaic project, in the Providence Lagoon, is approximately 10% complete. The 5.8-megawatt power station is now scheduled to enter commercial operation in December this year. Once the floating solar farm becomes operational, it will comprise 9,980 solar panels that will…
-
MPAs need people and resources
By Nirmal Shah A new preprint (not peer-reviewed yet) led by some great researchers says that fewer than 100,000 full-time workers are responsible for about 36 million square kilometres of MPAs, roughly one worker for every 370 square kilometres. On land, protected areas employ about 555,000 people across 20 million square kilometres, or one worker…
-
Education Is Economic Strategy: What Seychelles Can Learn from China’s University Revolution
Nirmal Shah Seychelles has just concluded its first Science, Technology and Innovation Forum, a 3 day initiative that brought together local and international experts to discuss the country’s future. As expected, digitisation, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies dominated the agenda. Obviously people looked towards advanced economies particularly the United States. But there is another country…
-
Great Blue Wall report showcases five years of impact on ocean regeneration across the Western Indian Ocean
Mombasa, Kenya, 17 June 2026 — At the 11th Our Ocean Conference (OOC11) today, the Great Blue Wall unveiled its first Impact Report (2021–2025). The release comes five years after the launch of an ambitious vision to regenerate ocean ecosystems and strengthen coastal livelihoods across the Western Indian Ocean, and it offers compelling evidence that large-scale…
-
State ofCoastal and MarineNature-Based Tourismin the Western IndianOcean (WIO) Region
This a pioneering regional report on nature-based tourism in the Western Indian Ocean led by the African Leadership University School of Wildlife Conservation with funding from WIOMSA SCALABLE project grant. Despite coastal and marine tourism acting as a cornerstone of the region’s Blue Economy, it has historically been understudied. The report bridges this gap by…
-
Mauritius criminalises ecocide
Source: Ecocide International Mauritius has become the latest country to introduce a domestic crime of ecocide. Classified by the United Nations as a Small Island Developing State, it faces significant environmental risks, including sea level rise and pressure on marine ecosystems that underpin key sectors of its economy such as tourism and fisheries. The provision,…
-
The Ocean’s Unsung Engineers: Why Sea Cucumbers are in Deep Trouble
By Dr Nirmal Shah They may be the “ugly ducklings” of the sea, but sea cucumbers are the unsung heroes of our marine world. Far from being mere lumps on the ocean floor, these fascinating creatures are essential ecosystem engineers. Much like earthworms on land, they tirelessly recycle nutrients, clean sediments, and process organic matter.…
-
The Promise of a Sustainable BLUE Economy
At dawn, he pushes his boat past the surf, where the sea smells of diesel, salt, and yesterday’s rain. His phone is wrapped in plastic, yet it still flashes a weather alert: warmer water, stronger storms. On shore, officials call it “the blue economy.” For him, it comes down to whether his net rises heavy…