The ‘Rock Oyster Project’ is an initiative that came from a small group of local entrepreneurs and Oyster Lovers. The rock oyster team has applied for a large grant of SCR 999,500 with the Seychelles Climate Change Adaptation Trust (SEYCCAT) for two years, starting from June 2021. The project has also received SCR 800,000 rupees in co-financing from the project team and its partners.

This pilot project has been designed to undertake a feasibility study to determine the economic viability of a rock oyster farm in Seychelles, the first of its kind. This study will enable to actualize and monetize the previous feasibility study conducted out by Mr K.W.Cox 48 years ago in Seychelles so to show that the farming of rock-oyster if properly developed could quickly become a new commercial seafood product for the local market (like other common shellfishes e.g tec tec, bigorno, bernique, prawn) especially in cold storage, wholesalers and large hotels.

The overall outcome of this project will be to determine that the farming of rock-oyster could become a new commercial seafood product for the local market and eventually become an income-generating industry for the Country as an export item.

Specific outcomes will include to determine the most suitable locations to cultivate rock oysters in line with the guidance of Cox Report including the SFA Marine culture plan; to establish the most appropriate farming methods to grow them; to create public awareness, sensitization, participation and acceptance of the project with the local community and other stakeholders and to start the marketing business plan for the commercialization process of rock oyster in local market. 

The direct beneficiaries of this project will be the people of Seychelles as this study is designed to encourage government of Seychelles to support rock oyster farming which if developed properly will generate extra foreign exchange revenue to the Country’s economy and help to bring a relief with the socio-economic challenges the Country is currently facing. 

Rock Oyster team needed to prove first that farming of rock oysters as an edible product for the Seychelles market and eventually export is possible and can become a reality.  SeyCCAT was proposing a grant to support such a feasibility study to which we applied and won the bid ( SCR 999,500).

As previously indicated, this Project aims to determine the feasibility of commercial farming rock oysters as an edible product for the Seychelles market and eventually export. With the support of SeyCCAT fund, we are planning to demonstrate that rock-oyster farming is feasible and so the expected results of the project will be to turn rock-oyster farming as an accepted activity within the community.

Therefore, our next step will be to include these native species into a new local edible product for the local market, giving it a commercial added value into local market with the continuous support of the Blue Grant Fund. We will continue engaging with main government agencies and our partners in the region so to ensure all our activities are in line with current Government policies and aquaculture regulations. There will be no biosecurity issue as we will be using a locally occurring native species (Rock oysters also known as Crassostrea cucullata).

In 10 years' time, we see our project escalating into a fully-fledged large-scale operational company, the first of its kind. The revenues generated from the sale of the edible oysters both locally and internationally will be used to finance the farm's operations with the support from the Blue Grant fund.    

It is vital that entrepreneurs who want to apply for BGF attend training provided by the sponsors, including SeyCCAT and are informed accordingly on all the steps and procedures to follow.

Entrepreneurs who have ideas that can be beneficial to the country's economic development should step up. A solid and devoted team is the key to success; it is the team altogether that should establish a clear road map of activities for the project to follow. The Passion for the project is also an important aspect not to neglect. Rome was not built in one day, and it is not right to give up on the way of success. In the pathway of life, every achievement will take a great deal of time.