(Seychelles News Agency) - The process of creating an adequate framework and policy for blue carbon in Seychelles is in the final stages.

During one of the final consultation meetings, stakeholders met on Wednesday on the main island of Mahe to finalise and validate the work that has been ongoing since July of this year. 

Speaking to the media about this project, one of the consultants working on the project, Dr Ameer Ebrahim said that this project is meant to align the policies of the country in a way that blue carbon is well integrated. 

“These ecosystems; mangroves and seagrass are marvellous, they benefit the country in many aspects that most Seychellois don’t realise at times, of which they provide habitats for certain fish species, they help with flood mitigation, and they are also excellent carbon sinks; even more efficient than rainforests,” said Ebrahim. 

Ebrahim added that they have ensured that there was an extensive consultative process. “We’ve been working on this project since July this year, after getting everyone’s feedback, we looked at everyone’s perception of blue carbon; in general, we found that there was a lack of understanding regarding what blue carbon is exactly, specifically certain government departments. We found this rather concerning because when you are developing a project, our laws should be aligned with commitments that the country has signed or agreed to be a part of,” he explained.

Blue carbon refers to the carbon that is captured and stored by marine and coastal ecosystems and it is important because it can capture carbon dioxide up to four times faster than terrestrial forests. To note, Seychelles has pledged to protect 50 percent of its seagrass and mangrove habitat by 50 percent in 2025 and 100 percent by 2030.

The director general for Climate Change at the Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment, Justin Prosper, highlighted the importance of having a proper framework in place for blue carbon, adding that “This policy will help us meet the commitments that we have made as a country regarding the protection of blue carbon ecosystems.” 

Answering questions regarding carbon credits and the perception behind them, Prosper concluded that in the first instance, a policy and framework are necessary before this is even considered. This refers to the widespread criticism that that carbon credits do not work effectively to reduce emissions and that voluntary carbon markets are little more than greenwashing mechanisms. 

Ebrahim clarified that following this last consultative meeting, the final draft of the blue carbon policy will be handed over to the Seychelles’ government by next week.