The Seychelles Establish a National Hydrographic Office to Better Understand and Manage Their Maritime Domain
The Seychelles are strengthening their capacity to understand, manage and protect their vast maritime domain. The Seychelles Cabinet of Ministers has approved the establishment of the Seychelles Hydrographic Office (SHO) within the Seychelles Maritime Safety Authority (SMSA). This decision establishes a national framework dedicated to the coordination and management of the country’s hydrographic information.
The approval by the Seychelles Cabinet of Ministers formally establishes the SHO as a specialised department within the SMSA and also provides for the creation of a National Hydrographic Committee.
Hydrography: an Essential Tool for Understanding the Maritime Domain
Hydrography plays a vital role in understanding and managing the oceans. Just as land maps help us understand and navigate territories, hydrographic data provide a better understanding of the marine environment.
For an island and ocean state such as the Seychelles, this knowledge is particularly important. It contributes to enhancing maritime navigation safety, search and rescue operations, maritime spatial planning, marine environmental management, and the development of the Blue Economy.
The Seychelles Hydrographic Office will therefore be responsible for bringing together hydrographic information produced by various government agencies and international partners. It will then coordinate, manage and preserve these data as a national asset, while facilitating access to the organisations that need them for their maritime activities.
Hydrographic Data Dating Back Several Centuries
Hydrographic knowledge of the Seychelles is not new. The islands already appeared on old maps several centuries before the country gained independence and even before permanent settlements were established.
The first documented hydrographic surveys in Seychelles waters date back to 1742. A significant portion of the information still used as a reference for current charts also comes from surveys conducted before independence, notably by the British Admiralty.
A Recent Survey Mapped Nearly 650 km²
More recently, the Seychelles reached another milestone through a major hydrographic survey campaign carried out as part of a partnership with the UK Hydrographic Office. Completed in 2024, the campaign generated approximately four terabytes of data and mapped nearly 650 km² of waters around Mahé, Praslin and La Digue.
Despite the importance of this campaign, the data collected also highlight the scale of the work that remains to be done.
The Seychelles’ maritime domain covers approximately 1.4 million km². The nearly 650 km² surveyed as part of the campaign completed in 2024 therefore represent less than 0.05% of this area.
This situation illustrates the importance of maintaining a continuous approach to hydrography. Not all maritime areas necessarily have data from modern surveys. Some still rely on older information and require new surveys to improve knowledge of the seabed and marine environment.
The SHO, a Dedicated National Framework for Hydrographic Data
The establishment of the Seychelles Hydrographic Office comes at a time when knowledge of the maritime domain is becoming an essential component of ocean-state governance.
Beyond the production of charts, hydrography makes it possible to transform ocean-related data into information that can support decision-making. This knowledge can contribute to navigation, search and rescue, maritime spatial planning, environmental management and, more broadly, the sustainable development of activities related to the sea.
Through the SHO, the Seychelles now have a dedicated national framework for coordinating, managing and preserving their hydrographic information. The objective is to progressively strengthen knowledge of the maritime domain and provide reliable data to inform decisions concerning the use, protection and management of marine resources.
For the Seychelles, this initiative therefore represents a new tool for enhancing maritime safety, ocean governance and the development of the Blue Economy, for the benefit of present and future generations.
