JOURNAL INFORMATION
Seychelles Research Journal is published twice a year, in February and August. The aim of this online, open access journal is to demonstrate the vibrancy of research in and about Seychelles. Boundaries are drawn loosely to include comparable issues elsewhere in the western Indian Ocean and in small island states further afield.
Information on how to submit proposed articles and on the refereeing process is explained elsewhere in the website. New proposals are always encouraged.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
Editor: Dennis Hardy
Deputy Editor/Web Design: Jane Woolfenden
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
Marketing Consultant: Guy Morel
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
International Advisers:
- Ashton Berry, Consultant, Australia
- David Brewster, National Security College, Australia
- Christian Bueger, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
- Jean-Pierre Cabestan, Hong Kong Baptist University
- Geoffrey Harris, Durban University of Technology, South Africa
- Kelly Hoareau, University of Tasmania, Australia
- Pascal Nadal, Diocesan Service of Catholic Education, Mauritius
- Peter Rudge, University of Staffordshire, UK
- Nilanthi Samaranayake, CNA, USA
- Jivanta Schottli, Dublin City University, Ireland
- Erika Techera, University of Western Australia
- Kris Valaydon, Founding Editor, Island Studies, Mauritius
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
Sponsors:
Publication would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsor:
- The East Indies Co.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………
This is a publication of the University of Seychelles http://www.unisey.ac.sc
The views and opinions represented in this publication are not necessarily those of the institutions to which the authors and/or advisers are affiliated and, additionally, should not be attributed to the publisher.
©2022 – Seychelles Research Journal, The University of Seychelles
Cover photograph © Jane Woolfenden
ISSN 1659-7435
CONTENTS
♦ EDITORIAL
Read the editorial here: Editorial- Seychelles_Research_Journal-4-(2)
♦ ARTICLES
The Blue Economy and Knowledge Co-Production in Seychelles ♦ Page 3 ♦
Kelly Hoareau
The Blue Economy is the formal term used when describing ocean-based sustainable development. Sustainability is at the heart of the Blue Economy. Knowledge co-production plays a pivotal role in supporting transformation and empowering decision-makers, entrepreneurs, business owners, practitioners and other users of the coastal and ocean space. It also allows the wider community to take an interest in decisions and practices that may impact the quality of this ‘blue’ space. Seychelles has embraced the opportunity provided by international recognition of the Blue Economy, and many locally-facilitated initiatives have evolved from this. One such initiative is the establishment of the James Michel Blue Economy Research Institute at the University of Seychelles. This article describes the evolution and core focus of an academic research institute that aims to ensure that an active knowledge network supports an informed, fair and sustainable Blue Economy.
Read the full article here:The_Blue_Economy_and_Knowledge_Co-Production_in_Seychelles-Kelly_Hoareau-SRJ-4-(2)
……………………………………………………………………………………….
Stocktake and Lessons Learnt from the Ecosystem-Based Adaptation to Climate Change Project in Seychelles ♦ Page 14 ♦
Daniel Etongo, Terence Vel and Johan Mendez
Climate change is having an increasingly adverse effect on ecosystems and societies, with amplified risks expected under the 1.5⁰C projection within the next two decades as indicated in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Report 2022. Seychelles is not immune to such impacts especially as the nation depends on livelihood activities that are climate sensitive. However, Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA), which is the use of biodiversity and ecosystem services to help local communities adapt to the adverse effects of climate change, provides an opportunity to enhance the adaptive capacity of livelihood activities and ecosystems. The objective of the EbA project was to reduce the vulnerability of Seychelles to climate change by addressing issues of water scarcity and flooding. This project, which was officially launched in 2014, came to an end in March 2022 and this paper takes stock and highlights lessons learnt during the life cycle of the project. Activities implemented within the framework of this project include the following: i) rehabilitation of degraded wetlands; ii) mangrove restoration; iii) river management; iv) tree planting on fire-ravaged forest areas; v) science component – water quality assessment; and vi) monitoring and evaluation. The rehabilitated wetland at Bougainville now features a thriving forest of endemic palms, an all-around trail, bridges, park benches, and litter bins. It has become a site of attraction used for picnics, educational purposes, ecotourism, and provides a source of water for the farmers to irrigate their crops. Monitoring and evaluation was an important component of this project in which soil erosion and alga bloom were identified at two of the project sites. This paper provides several recommendations as a way forward in order to ensure that the project outputs are sustained over time, and could serve as guidance for similar projects in the future.
Read the full article here: Stocktake_and_Lessons_Learnt_from_the_Ecosystem-Based_Adaptation_to_Climate_Change_Project_in_Seychelles-D_Etongo-T_Vel-J_Mendez-SRJ-4-(2)
……………………………………………………………………………………….
A Re-assessment of the Taxonomical Status of the Populations of Utetheisa lactea (Butler, 1884) (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae) on the Outer Islands of the Seychelles ♦ Page 38 ♦
Peter J.C. Russell
Following an investigation into the distribution of Utetheisa lactea (Butler, 1884) in the Outer Islands of Seychelles from the literature, it is concluded that the subspecific division proposed by Fletcher (1910) cannot be substantiated. Thus U. lactea aldabrensis is sunk into synonymy with U. lactea lactea syn. nov.
Read the full article here: A_Re-assessment_of_the_Taxonomical_Status_of_U.lactea_on_the_Outer_Islands_of_the_Seychelles-Peter_J_C_Russell-SRJ-4-(2)
……………………………………………………………………………………….
The Stories Told by Dictionaries: Representation of women and men in lexicographic illustrations in Seychelles Creole ♦ Page 50 ♦
Olga Klymenko
This paper addresses the problem of gendered representations in dictionaries. An essential reference tool and a powerful authority on what the norm is, dictionaries have considerable potential in shaping and promoting ideas, values and attitudes. Transmitting socio-cultural information together with linguistic specifics, dictionaries engage in maintaining or constructing gender models, including biased or stereotypical representations. Awareness of asymmetries or prejudice is an important factor in their elimination. This is especially relevant for young languages where dictionaries have an increased significance as the source or newly emerging standard, but definition and illustration of lexicon is challenged by a limited corpus of usage. This study analyses how women and men are represented through textual illustrations in the first multilingual dictionary presenting the lexicon of Seychelles Creole. The paper defines a number of associations between men or women and some specific actions or qualities that this dictionary communicates. Furthermore, such links established by the dictionary are considered against the previously accounted gender stereotypes. Based on the obtained findings, the paper reflects on the messages about women and men contained in the dictionary and their part in the gender role modelling in the contemporary Seychellois society.
Read the full article here: The_Stories_Told_by_Dictionaries-Representation_of_women_and_men_in_lexicographic_illustrations_in_Seychelles_Creole-Olga_Klymenko-SRJ-4-(2)
♦ RESEARCH NOTES
Seychelles and its Key Role in Developing Novel Methods for Identifying Causes of Hatching Failures in International Turtle and Tortoise Species ♦ Page 65 ♦
……………………………………………………………………………………….
Orient and Ocean: The Chinese Community in Seychelles ♦ Page 70 ♦
Orient_and_Ocean-The_Chinese_Community_in_Seychelles-Dennis_Hardy_and_Wang_Dongxia-SRJ-4-(2)
♦ CONFERENCE REPORTS
Pathfinder Indian Ocean Security Conference, 4 March 2022 ♦ Page 76 ♦
Pathfinder_Indian_Ocean_Security_Conference-4_March_2022-Seychelles_Research_Journal-4-(2)
♦ BOOK REVIEWS
McAteer, W. (2022). Another Story: The History of Seychelles 1976-2020 ♦ Page 79 ♦
Book_Review-McAtee_W_(2022)-Another_Story-The History_of_Seychelles_1976-2020-SRJ-4-(2)
Seychelles Research Journal 