Victoria, March 13, 2023 – Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust (SeyCCAT) has selected 13 Seychellois-led projects to be awarded 11,7 million rupees in grants to advance marine conservation, climate adaptation and the blue economy.
The thirteen selected projects will support marine and coastal protected areas including sustainable use zones. The project activities will include strengthening the management of these zones, providing research on water quality, and deepening the understanding of critical habitats such as coral reefs.
The Blue Grants Fund was established in 2016 and is capitalized from the proceeds of the Blue Bond and the Debt-for-Nature Swap. It offers grants of up to 2 million rupees to commercial, non-profit and research projects that advance marine science, support climate adaptation and contribute to the blue economy development.
Every year, the Blue Grants Fund launches a 6-week call for applications from Seychelles-based individuals, businesses, civil society, government departments and parastatal organizations. Once confirmed, the applicants will have one year (for small and medium grants) or two years (for large grants) to complete their projects.
In the past, the Blue Grants Fund supported such internationally recognized initiatives as the Aldabra clean-up, rotating fisheries closure in Praslin, and coral connectivity research in partnership with the University of Oxford.
“We are very encouraged to see our applicants becoming more and more ambitious and pitching ideas that are larger in scope and in funding needs. At SeyCCAT, we are happy to support them and nurture their ideas that protect our unique natural environment and help us build a stronger and more resilient economy”, says Marie-May Jeremie, CEO of SeyCCAT.
Full list of the Blue Grants Fund 6 nominated grantees
Small grants – up to SCR 100,000
- Desroches Foundation
- Alessia Lavigne
- Gilberte Gendron
Medium and large grants – up to SCR 2 million
- John Nevill
- GVI Seychelles
- Nature Seychelles
- Marketing guru
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Seychelles
- Richard Assary
- Islands Development Company (IDC)
- Sheryl Vangadasamy
- Seychelles Parks and Gardens Authority (SPGA)
- Marine Conservation Society Seychelles
For more information: Info@seyccat.org