Agulhas and Somali Current Large Marine Ecosystems Project

History

• But for visiting Austronesian seafarers and Arab traders, Seychelles was uninhabited when the British East India Company arrived on the archipelago in 1609. The French took control of the islands in 1756, administering them as part of the colony of Mauritius.
• As competition increased between European nations for the lucrative trade with India and Asia, so did the importance of the Seychelles as a strategic stopover point for vessels making the trip between Asia and Europe. The French and British battled for control of the islands between 1793 and 1813. In 1814 the British gained control of the island.
• The Seychelles became a British colony separate from Mauritius in 1903 and was granted independence in 1976. The first president, James Mancham, was overthrown in 1977. New president, France-Albert René at first created a socialist state with a one-party system, but later reintroduced a multiparty system.
• René was voted out of power in April 2004, after 27 years as president. His vice president, James Michel, assumed the presidency.

Geography

• Seychelles is an archipelago located in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar and about 1,600 km east of Kenya. There are 155 islands in the archipelago, but many of these are not permanently inhabited.
• Seychelles has a total area of 455 km² making it the second smallest country in Africa.
• The principal islands are Mahé, Praslin, and La Digue. The Aldabra, Farquhar, and Desroches groups of islands are included in the territory of the republic. The capital city of Seychelles, Victoria, is located on Mahé.
• About half of the islands are granite, with narrow coastal strips and central ranges of hills. The other half are coral atolls, many uninhabitable.
• Coastal temperatures remain fairly constant at about 27°C throughout the year. From November to April, the weather is hot and humid. The remainder of the year is characterised by dry air and strong winds.

Economy

• Seychelles’ economy rests on tourism and fishing. The tourist sector employs about 30% of the labour force but is subject to sharp fluctuations in visitor numbers, as was experienced following the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. In a bid to reduce dependence on tourism and fishing, the government has promoted the development of farming and small-scale manufacturing.
• The public sector drives the economy and accounts for more than 40% of GDP. The government controls the importation, licensing and distribution of virtually all goods and services and exercises significant control over all sectors of the economy. However, in 2005 and 2006 it implemented several measures aimed at liberalising trade and privatising state-owned entities.
• Seychelles exports canned tuna, frozen fish, cinnamon bark, copra and petroleum products. It imports machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products and chemicals. Its major trading partners are United Kingdom, France, Spain, Japan, Italy, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and South Africa.
• The fisheries sector is an important source of revenue and foreign exchange. It also provides employment to many people involved in the catching, processing and sale of fish and fish products.
• Challenges facing the government of Seychelles are the curbing of the budget deficit, including the containment of social welfare costs and further privatisation of public enterprises. According to the World Bank, Seychelles is per capita the most highly indebted country in the world.
• The currency of Seychelles is the Seychellois rupee (SCR).

Demographics

• In 2005, the population of Seychelles was estimated at 81,188 people.
• The Seychellois are composed of people who have immigrated to the island. The largest ethnic groups are those of French, African, Indian and Chinese descent.
• About 90% of the Seychellois people live on Mahé Island. Most others live on Praslin and La Digue.
• Most Seychellois are Christians, with Roman Catholicism being the predominant denomination.
• The official languages are English, French and Seychellois Creole. This is a language derived from French and various African languages.

Social services and infrastructure

• An international airport opened on Mahé in 1971. The main port is at Victoria Harbour on Mahé. Private ferries connect Mahé to Praslin and La Digue.
• The road network totals an estimated 373 km, of which 315 km is paved. One road encircles Mahé, and another runs across it by way of a central mountain ridge.
• The Social Security Fund in Seychelles provides benefits for old age, disability, sickness and maternity. Employees and employers are required to make monthly contributions. The Full Employment Scheme, established in 1980, allows the registered unemployed to work on government-approved projects in order to receive a daily subsistence wage. Health services are free for all residents under the National Health Plan.
• Public education is free and compulsory between the ages of 6 and 16.

Marine environment

• The marine life around the islands of Seychelles, especially the more remote coral islands, is rich and diverse. More than 1,000 species of fish have been recorded. The reefs comprise a vast collection of soft and hard corals.
• The taking of marine turtles was completely prohibited in 1994. The use of gill nets for shark fishing and the practice of shark finning are now banned.
• As the Seychelles is an archipelago of small islands, most of its land area can be considered coastal. Therefore, most human activities have a direct impact on the coastal environment. For example, as new roads and housing developments spring up on the hillside, rain washes loose red earth into the sea where it settles and smothers seagrass beds and coral reefs.
• Currently the Seychelles has five officially declared marine national parks, two special reserves which include marine habitats, four shell reserves and several other marine protected areas.
• The Seychelles Ministry of Education places strong emphasis on the coastal environment in the national curriculum. Also, an extra-curricular network of environment clubs offers indoor and outdoor activities to help children learn about the marine environment and participate in conservation.

Fisheries

• The Seychelles’ fishery sector comprises three main components: artisanal fisheries, semi-industrial fisheries and industrial fisheries.
• The artisanal fisheries, carried out by local fishers with small, motorised boats, targets mainly demersal and semi-pelagic species. Total landings for the artisanal fishery have remained fairly constant for the last 20 years, with approximately 4,000 tonnes of fish landed annually. Except for a few high value invertebrate fisheries, most artisanal fisheries are open access fisheries and overfishing, especially in inshore areas, has led to localised depletion of resources.
• Semi-industrial fisheries comprise small, locally-owned longliners, primarily targeting tuna and swordfish. The catch is sold to two local companies which export mainly to the European Union.
• Industrial fisheries are operated by foreign-owned, licensed vessels and have two main categories. The purse seine fishery (mainly French and Spanish vessels) targets mostly surface-swimming tuna. The longline fishery (mainly Taiwanese and Japanese vessels) targets deep-swimming big-eye and yellowfin tuna.
• Seychelles has a fish processing industry, with two plants producing for both the local and export markets. There is also a large canning factory, which processes an average of 350 tonnes of tuna a day, mostly for the export market.
• There are no distinct fisher communities in the Seychelles and no fishing villages.

Sources