Seychelles MSP Signed into Law!

On 31^st March 2025, the Republic of Seychelles  signed their comprehensive marine spatial plan into law with the SMSP regulations (S.I. 18 of 2025), an historic moment for the country.  The Plan was developed through an inclusive, participatory, multi-stakeholder, evidence-based approach in which ocean ecosystems and sector priorities were mapped and analysed to identify ocean areas for different protection and use categories. The resulting plan is actionable and legally enforceable for the 1.35 million square km of Seychelles’ ocean territory, including over 30% in marine protection areas. The $21.6 million debt conversion provided three important enabling elements to support the government to address the long-term health of its ocean and blue economy in a changing climate: the refinancing of sovereign debt to unlock funds for conservation and climate, the creation of the independent Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust (SeyCCAT), and the launch of a government-led, TNC-supported process to plan for expanding biodiversity conservation and increasing the effective management and sustainable use of Seychelles’ ocean. The Cabinet-approved Plan was endorsed on the 15^th May 2025, completing the final milestone in the first-ever debt conversion for ocean conservation that led to the formation of TNC’s successful Nature Bonds Program. The Nature Bonds program now has projects in implementation in six countries and has unlocked $1 billion for conservation. Implementation of the SMSP began in July 2025, after a final ceremony to mark the completion of the SMSP Initiative on 27^th June 2025.  For more information, see the announcement on TNC.org, the Seychelles project page on marineplanning.org, and the SMSP website. 

Photo Credit: © Roshni Lodhia