Seychelles is cementing its continental leadership in blue economy, with the signing of a new EU fisheries partnership protocol on July 27, 2026, and the adoption by the African Development Bank of a 2026-2031 country strategy that places the blue economy among its priority support areas. The archipelago is also mandated as African Union Champion for blue economy development across the continent.
A renewed fisheries partnership with the European Union
The new fisheries partnership protocol between Seychelles and the European Commission was signed on July 27, 2026 in Brussels by Seychelles' fisheries minister. It has been provisionally applied since that date for four years, pending formal ratification. Industrial tuna fishing, the backbone of this partnership, is one of the main revenue sources of Seychelles' blue economy.
This renewal comes against the backdrop of the Luanda Declaration, adopted at the African Blue Economy Forum on July 22-25, 2026, which calls on African states to « move from strategy to action » on maritime resource development. The text will be submitted to the next AU summit.
The AfDB consecrates Seychelles in its 2026-2031 strategy
The African Development Bank's new country strategy for Seychelles (2026-2031) identifies the blue economy as one of its structuring financial support pillars. This opens the door to new financing instruments for maritime, fisheries and ocean protection projects led by the archipelago.
At the Africa Forward 2026 Forum in Kenya, Seychelles Vice-President Sebastian Pillay urged his African peers to treat the ocean as a major economic asset: « The contribution of maritime sectors to GDP remains largely underexploited across the entire African continent. »
Why it matters
With approximately 1.4 million km² of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), Seychelles has an exceptional maritime territory. Its positioning as Africa's blue economy champion gives it a reference role in international negotiations (fisheries agreements, climate finance, ocean governance). For other Indian Ocean island states — Mauritius, Comoros, Madagascar — the Seychelles model offers a roadmap for the sustainable development of marine resources.