Assessment of the economic and social importance of Seychelles’ sport and recreational fishery

Advance Africa was contracted by the Seychelles Department of Blue Economy to assess the economic and social importance of Seychelles’ sport and recreational fishery, as part of The World Bank-funded Third South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Governance and Shared Growth Project (SWIOFish3).

The aim of this assignment was to develop an understanding of the opportunities that the sport and recreational fishery sub-sector provides in meeting the Government of Seychelles’ vision of a BlueEconomy. The specific objectives of the consultancy were to:

• Determine the contribution of the sport and recreational fishery and associated services toSeychelles’ economy by quantifying production, expenditure, revenue generation, tax contribution, employment and other economic benefits generated by the sub-sector;
• Determine the socio-economic importance of sport fishing to livelihoods and households, stratified by household income levels, gender and fishing region;
• Understand the social and business impacts to the fishery that will result from planned policy and regulatory measures;
• Assess the sport and recreational fishery supply chains, markets and opportunities for enhanced performance, expansion, and diversification; and
• Determine the potential revenues to government coffers from the fishery following the implementation of the proposed licensing/permit framework.

Based on the findings of the study, we prepared a Policy Memorandum which outlined policy implications of the study and provides a set of recommendations to guide the development of the sport and recreational fishery.