Sent 22 May 2020. Part of Little Blue Letter.

“The ocean is more than our life soul. It's who we are."
~ Aquaman (2018)
A story from the Seychelles 🇸🇨
Supporting the island entrepreneurs building the blue economy
The “Blue Economy” must be sustainable to meet Sustainable Development Goal 14 - “Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development”. Ocean-based economic activity is especially important for island nations like the Seychelles.
Known for it's pristine beaches, the Seychelles is taking the lead on marine protection and ocean entrepreneurship
 
In a world first, the Seychelles 2016 debt-for-nature swap aimed to expand marine protection areas, promote sustainable fisheries, and grow the Blue Economy. SeyCCAT oversees these funds and funded a project in 2019 that aimed to promote Blue Economy entrepreneurship in the Seychelles.

A major focus was training local entrepreneurs. The 3 Day Startup course at The Guy Morel Institute emphasized learning by doing, introducing skills like business concept ideation, customer research, business framework creation, and pitching a business concept. Additional training and advising was delivered to post-secondary students at Seychelles Business Studies Academy as well as current Seychellois entrepreneurs.

Participants in 3 Day Startup educational workshop presenting business concepts for feedback.

Another approach to promoting Blue Economy entrepreneurship is to strengthen the “entrepreneurship ecosystem”. Researchers distributed a survey to 200 key actors in the Seychelles and conducted interviews and focus groups. This study comprehensively mapped the resources available for Blue Economy entrepreneurs and identified priority areas for further development.

Map of Blue Economy entrepreneurship ecosystem in the Seychelles

Project lead Andrew Zimbroff meeting with Blue Economy stakeholders in the Seychelles to better understand the resources available to entrepreneurs.

The project’s findings continue to have an impact in the Seychelles and beyond. Findings were distributed to government officials, educators, and the general public through various media. Andrew will soon travel to Mauritius and Kenya to pass share lessons learned and support Blue Economy entrepreneurship in these countries.

Gif of the week
Ribbon eel

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@tiny_seascape
 
Little Blue Letter was curated this week by Andrew Zimbroff and Malshini Senaratne. Andrew Zimbroff is an Assistant Professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Malshini Senaratne is a Lecturer at the University of Seychelles, and the co-founder of Eco-Sol Consulting. 
Editing etc. by Glen Wright. Glen is a researcher studying marine governance, the high seas, and ocean energy. He is a drinker of tea, lover of the sea, and an Oxford comma user. 
Glen recently published Academia Obscura: The Hidden Silly Side of Higher Education.
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