Rapid assessment of the Seychelles octopus (Octopus cyanea) fishery value chain: insights for sustainable management

Abstract

The octopus fishery for Octopus cyanea in Seychelles plays an important role in local cuisine, culture and tourism, yet it is unmanaged unlike other octopus fisheries in the western Indian Ocean region. We conducted a rapid assessment of the octopus fishery value chain using a questionnaire survey of different actors (total of 75 respondents) across the inner islands of Mahé, Praslin and La Digue, to improve our understanding of the socio-economic importance of this fishery and to identify interventions supporting its development and management. The findings revealed a value chain distinct from others in the WIO region, with a domestic market orientation, and greater degrees of functional upgrading and vertical integration. Total annual catches were estimated at around 190 tonnes, over six-times higher than officially reported, with a total landed value of about USD 2.26 million. Key challenges include inadequate governance, inequitable value distribution, infrastructure gaps, vulnerability to external shocks, and broader social issues such as substance abuse among participants. The stakeholders support licencing, seasonal closures, minimum size limits, direct-marketing interventions and targeted infrastructure investments. This study underscores the need for context-specific management interventions that integrate economic, ecological and social information, with broader implications for the sustainable development and management of small-scale octopus fisheries in the region.