Rapid assessment of the Seychelles octopus (Octopus cyanea) fishery value chain: insights for sustainable management

The octopus fishery for Octopus cyanea in Seychelles plays an important role in local cuisine, culture and tourism, yet it is unmanaged unlike other octopus fisheries in the western Indian Ocean region. We conducted a rapid assessment of the octopus fishery value chain using a questionnaire survey of different actors (total of 75 respondents) across the inner islands of Mahé, Praslin and La Digue, to improve our understanding of the socio-economic importance of this fishery and to identify interventions supporting its development and management. The findings revealed a value chain distinct from others in the WIO region, with a domestic market orientation, and greater degrees of functional upgrading and vertical integration. Total annual catches were estimated at around 190 tonnes, over six-times higher than officially reported, with a total landed value of about USD 2.26 million. Key challenges include inadequate governance, inequitable value distribution, infrastructure gaps, vulnerability to external shocks, and broader social issues such as substance abuse among participants. The stakeholders support licencing, seasonal closures, minimum size limits, direct-marketing interventions and targeted infrastructure investments. This study underscores the need for context-specific management interventions that integrate economic, ecological and social information, with broader implications for the sustainable development and management of small-scale octopus fisheries in the region.塞舌尔海域的蓝蛸（Octopus cyanea）捕捞产业在当地饮食、文化与旅游业中发挥着重要作用，却未如西印度洋地区其他章鱼捕捞产业般纳入规范化管理。本研究针对塞舌尔主群岛的马埃岛（Mahé）、普拉兰岛（Praslin）与拉迪格岛（La Digue）的各类产业参与者开展问卷调查（共计75名受访者），对该章鱼捕捞产业链进行快速评估，以期深化对该产业社会经济重要性的认知，并梳理可支撑其发展与规范化管理的干预措施。研究结果显示，该产业链与西印度洋地区其他同类产业链存在显著差异：以国内市场为导向，且具备更高水平的功能升级与纵向整合程度。据估算，该产业年总捕捞量约为190吨，较官方公布数据高出六倍以上，总上岸产值约合226万美元。该产业面临的核心挑战包括治理体系不完善、价值分配不公、基础设施存在短板、易受外部冲击影响，以及从业者物质滥用等普遍性社会问题。产业利益相关者支持实施捕捞许可制度、季节性休渔、最小捕捞尺寸限制、直销模式干预以及针对性基础设施投资等措施。本研究强调，需结合当地实际制定融合经济、生态与社会信息的针对性管理干预方案，该方案对本区域小型章鱼捕捞产业的可持续发展与规范化管理具有广泛借鉴意义。