Ocean-based Sustainable Development: Challenges and Opportunities for Seychelles

By : Diana Benoit

Page No: 211-219

Introduction
The opportunity for trade, security and sustainable development heightened global interests and dialogues about the Indian Ocean, the third largest of the world’s ocean. The Republic of Seychelles is a small island developing state in the western Indian Ocean and is an ideal case study to illustrate the challenges and opportunities for a small island nation with a population of less than 100,000. The Seychelles archipelago is rich in terrestrial and marine biodiversity and, with the support of the private and civil society sectors, the country plays an important role in environmental protection and conservation. This article explores tourism and fisheries as the two main drivers of the Seychelles economy and discusses about the impacts of external shocks on economic growth. As a long-term solution for sustainable development and food security for small states, the article proposes economic diversification for Seychelles to recover from socio-economic and environmental disasters. This article also draws on the opportunities that Seychelles as a seaboard country has by utilising its territorial sea and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). To illustrate this, three main concepts are discussed - the Blue Economy, maritime security and international cooperation - as interlinked components that can lead to peace within the region.

Author :
Diana Benoit is the Founder and Director of the James R. Mancham Peace and Diplomacy Research Institute at the University of Seychelles, an academic research institute that focuses not only on Seychelles but also eastern Africa and the western Indian Ocean region.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32381/JIOS.2021.29.03.3