Engaging stakeholders to improve the performance of small-scale fisheries in Seychelles

Small-scale fisheries are globally recognised for their critical socio-economic contributions in
the countries where they occur. In Seychelles, the fisheries sector is the second most
important contributor to its national economy after tourism. With a new ‘blue growth’
agenda, the government of Seychelles is focused on sustainably managing its fisheries,
especially its small-scale fisheries (SSF) that exploits coastal stocks. These fisheries provide
food security and employment and are culturally embedded in the societal fabric. However,
there are growing concerns that small-scale fish stocks in Seychelles are being overexploited.
Stakeholder participation can positively influence the fisheries management process. In this
study, I employed a two-phased approach to elicit the views of SSF stakeholders in
Seychelles. First, I conducted semi-structured interviews with diverse groups of stakeholders
(for example policy makers, scientists, fishers, etc…) to characterise SSF in Seychelles,
understand the current status of coastal fish stocks, and explore the challenges in the fisheries
and potential solutions to address these. This information identified areas of consensus and
divergence across stakeholder groups and how these could be leveraged to improve fisheries
management. Following this, survey interviews were conducted specifically with small-scale
fishers, since they have experience specific knowledge and would be directly impacted by
management measures. The survey interviews confirmed the perceptions from the semi-structured interviews that coastal fish stocks are declining. Additionally, both sets of
interviews indicated that challenges in the SSF system extend beyond a decline in fish stocks
and include a myriad of economic, political and social issues. The survey interviews showed
that fishers have a good understanding of sustainability issues and are generally supportive of
the measures to address them. The knowledge sharing processes I facilitated can help build
trust and strengthen relationships between stakeholders and managers. Such approaches are
vital for improving the sustainability and performance of SSF around the world.