Nature Seychelles' Chief Executive Dr. Nirmal Shah is one of ten MPA practitioners worldwide who have given their first-hand reports on the impacts of COVID19 and the Financial crisis on marine protected areas. “The future of conservation, I think, will lie in disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, blockchain and cryptocurrencies. These can help us increase efficiency while reducing expenses, as has already happened in commerce and industry. Traditional conservation will need to leapfrog into what we can call ‘e-conservation’, a brave new world but whose foundations are already built. Conservationists will move from being tech consumers to tech drivers and innovators." he says

Read the article here: We must be laser-focused on actions to keep our institutions and work afloat

A study of how many dolphins are caught in tuna fishing nets estimates the mammals may now be at just 13 percent of their numbers prior to 1980. James Cook University’s Dr. Putu Mustika was part of an international group that looked at the bycatch from tuna gillnets (including driftnets) in the Indian Ocean. The group was led by Dr. Charles Anderson of the Manta Marine organization in the Maldives.

A Sri Lankan registered fishing boat has been intercepted by the Seychelles Coast Guard (SCG) on suspicion of fishing illegally in the Seychelles Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

According to the Today in Seychelles of 28 February 2020, the Fishermen and Boat Owners Association (FBOA) held a meeting on 27 February following the President's State of the Nation Address (SONA 2020) in which he declared a ban on the commercial exportation of the imperial red snapper (bourzwa).

Today in Seychelles Saturday 22 February: Representatives of Seychelles' fishing community have been left stumped by government's surprise announcement that red snappers (bourzwa) will be banned from commercial exportation.

The Mahe Plateau Trap and Fishery Co-Management Plan has been endorsed by the Minister of Fisheries and has been gazette. This is the first time the plan such a plan has been put in place, Today in Seychelles reports in article dated February 14th 2020. The article says that an implementation committee is to be set up.

(Seychelles News Agency 12/2/2020): A joint Nekton expedition in Seychelles’ and Maldives’ waters will for the first time provide information about seamounts — underwater mountains — in the Indian Ocean region.The exploration set to take place next month follows the successful mission in 2019 and will involve 50 international scientists, technicians, media and crew including from the two countries.

(Seychelles News Agency February 6, 2020) : A deep-sea mission by scientists to establish a baseline of marine life and the state of the ocean in Seychelles, the Maldives and the high seas of the central Indian Ocean will start March 16, State House said in a press release on Wednesday.

(Seychelles Nation 14/2/2020): The cabinet on Wednesday approved the revised Yacht Charter Policy which provides guidelines and provisions for the yachting tourism industry in Seychelles. The policy defines three types of yacht charter services available in Seychelles, namely, bare boat charters, skippered charters and crewed charters, and sets out the regulations pertaining to business structures within the industry.

Nature Seychelles' Chief Executive Dr. Nirmal Shah has said that overfishing in Seychelles is a "serious problem" and that "political and social will have to be mobilized quickly" to address it.