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Imagine a nation where the farm stretches 1.4 million square kilometres — not of land, but of some of the world's most productive ocean. That is Seychelles: 115 islands scattered across the Indian Ocean, where the confluence of the South Equatorial Current and the Seychelles-Chagos Thermocline Ridge creates one of the planet's most productive tuna fishing grounds. This is not a theoretical bounty. The Port of Victoria processes hundreds of thousands of tonnes of tuna annually. Foreign fishing fleets from the EU, Japan, and South Korea pay USD 156 million per year just for the privilege of operating in Seychellois waters. Industrial tuna canning — led by Indian Ocean Tuna Ltd (IOT), formerly part of Heinz — has made canned tuna approximately 95% of the country's entire export value, a figure that dwarfs the entire agricultural export profile of fellow Indian Ocean island economies such as fresh produce exporters in Réunion.
Yet beyond the blue economy lie quieter, richer stories. On the volcanic slopes of Mahé and Praslin, true cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum — the prized Ceylon variety) grows wild and cultivated since French colonisers planted it in the 1780s. Bourbon vanilla is harvested by artisan farmers in small but exceptional quantities — an ultra-premium alternative for EU buyers already familiar with top spice and agricultural exporters in Madagascar who seek to diversify their vanilla sourcing with a truly exclusive Indian Ocean provenance. Copra, coconut oil, and the extraordinary coco de mer — the world's heaviest seed, native only to Seychelles — round out one of the most distinctive and geography-defined agricultural export profiles on the African continent. None of these commodities are subject to the EU Deforestation Regulation. All are as clean and traceable as the crystal-clear Indian Ocean from which this archipelago nation takes its character.
Capital: Victoria (Mahé Island) | Population: ~100,000 | Main Export Port: Port of Victoria (Mahé) | Currency: Seychellois Rupee (SCR) | Regulatory Bodies: Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA), Seychelles Agricultural Agency (SAA), CCIS Chamber of Commerce | Key Certifications: EU Fish Establishment Number, IUU Catch Certificate, SFA Health Certificate, SAA Phytosanitary Cert | Primary Markets: UAE (28.5%), France (24%), UK (13.5%), Italy (8.9%), Germany (4.6%)
Whether sourcing canned tuna at scale or artisan Seychellois cinnamon in small lots, cold chain compliance is non-negotiable for EU buyers. Our cold chain requirements guide for African fresh produce and seafood exports to the EU details pre-cooling standards, reefer container temperature logging protocols, and EU Border Inspection Post clearance requirements applicable to all Seychellois fish and fresh produce exports.
| Product | Key Source | Primary Markets | Key Compliance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canned Yellowfin & Skipjack Tuna | Port of Victoria IOT Cannery (Mahé) | UAE, France, UK, Germany, Italy | EU Establishment #, IUU Catch Cert, HACCP, EU FPA |
| Frozen & Fresh Tuna | Mahé & Praslin fishing fleets | EU (sashimi grade), Japan | IUU Catch Cert, SFA Health Cert, Cold Chain -18°C |
| True Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) | Mahé & Praslin Island farms | EU (France, UK), Middle East | SAA Phytosanitary Cert, Certificate of Origin CCIS |
| Bourbon Vanilla & Coconut Products | Inner Islands artisan producers | EU Specialty Food, USA, Japan | SAA Phytosanitary Cert, EU Food Standards |
Indian Ocean Tuna Ltd is Seychelles' largest industrial employer and the country's flagship agricultural exporter, operating the most significant canned tuna production facility in the Western Indian Ocean. IOT — formerly 60%-owned by Heinz, now a Princes Group company — processes yellowfin and skipjack tuna caught in the Seychellois EEZ and surrounding Indian Ocean waters into canned tuna in brine, oil, and tomato sauce for European, Middle Eastern, and African retail markets.
The facility processes over 100,000 tonnes of fish annually, producing under multiple brand names for EU private label retailers and major branded tuna lines. IOT holds EU Approved Food Establishment status and HACCP certification, and operates in full compliance with the EU-Seychelles Fisheries Partnership Agreement provisions. Sustainability credentials are underpinned by active MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) certification for certain fishing vessels operating on behalf of IOT's supply chain.
The Seychelles Fishing Authority coordinates export documentation and market access for Seychellois fishing operators selling fresh and frozen whole tuna to EU, Japanese, and Middle Eastern buyers. The SFA issues IUU Catch Certificates per EU Regulation 1005/2008 for all tuna and large pelagic species, a mandatory document for EU import clearance.
SFA's Port Victoria facility includes cold storage, blast-freezing, and inspection infrastructure used by both local fleet and foreign vessel operators transshipping catch at Victoria Port. For EU buyers seeking fresh sashimi-grade yellowfin tuna from the Indian Ocean, SFA coordinates vessel schedules, cold chain logistics, and EU health certificate issuance through its Export Facilitation Unit.
MCC represents 140 Seychellois cinnamon farmers on Mahé's western slopes, cultivating Cinnamomum verum — true Ceylon cinnamon, distinct from the cheaper Cassia variety that dominates global markets. Seychellois true cinnamon has a delicate, sweet flavour profile with low coumarin content, making it highly valued by EU food manufacturers who require coumarin levels below the EU directive threshold.
Cinnamon bark is harvested twice yearly, peeled, dried into quills, and graded by quality. Products include whole quills (Grade A, B, C), broken cinnamon, cinnamon powder, and cinnamon essential oil distilled at a small-scale facility in the Takamaka district. SAA phytosanitary certificates and CCIS certificates of origin accompany all exports. Annual export volume is 200–400 tonnes. EU buyers building broader Indian Ocean spice portfolios often pair Seychellois cinnamon with the clove and ylang-ylang supplies available from fresh produce and spice exporters in Comoros, consolidating Indian Ocean origin shipments on shared freight routes.
VSA is a collective of 45 vanilla producers on Praslin and La Digue islands, cultivating Vanilla planifolia using the hand-pollination technique that defines Bourbon vanilla cultivation. Seychellois vanilla has a distinctive phenolic character — vanilla from these volcanic island soils develops differently from Madagascan vanilla, with a more floral, herbaceous top note favoured by certain perfume and luxury food manufacturers.
Annual vanilla production is extremely limited — 3–8 tonnes of cured pods in good years — making Seychellois vanilla one of the most exclusive vanilla varieties commercially available anywhere. Grade A pods (minimum 16cm, moisture ≥30%, vanillin ≥1.8%) are exported in vacuum-sealed glass vials to French luxury pastry suppliers and high-end vanilla ingredient importers in Germany — buyers who typically compare Seychellois vanilla against vanilla and ylang-ylang producers in Mayotte and Madagascan origins when building ultra-premium single-island sourcing programmes.
CCPS processes copra (dried coconut kernel) and produces virgin coconut oil from Seychellois coconut palms on the inner granitic islands. Seychellois coconut oil carries a distinctive character from the mineral-rich soils and tropical Indian Ocean microclimate. The company also manages the commercial production and export of coco de mer products — dried coco de mer flesh, coco de mer oil, and coco de mer craft items — from Vallée de Mai on Praslin (a UNESCO World Heritage Site).
Coco de mer (Lodoicea maldivica) produces the world's heaviest seed (up to 25 kg) and the world's largest seed, endemic only to Seychelles. Coco de mer-derived products carry a premium linked to their absolute geographical exclusivity — the palm grows nowhere else on Earth. Exports are controlled by the Seychelles Islands Foundation; commercial quantities are available only through licensed operators.
PAFC represents 85 artisan fishing families on Praslin, Seychelles' second-largest island, supplying fresh reef fish, red snapper, emperor fish, grouper, jobfish, and seasonal billfish to Praslin's luxury resort hotel kitchens and exporting premium fish to French and Italian specialty seafood distributors by air freight.
Artisan-line-caught fish commands significant premiums over trawl-caught alternatives in EU high-end restaurant supply chains. Catch is handled with extreme care — iki jime humanely killed, gilled and gutted immediately, packed in slush ice — and air-freighted from Praslin's Côte d'Or Airport to Paris and Milan within 18 hours of catching. SFA health certificates and IUU documents accompany all EU-bound shipments.
SOTHE produces organic herbal teas and botanicals from Mahé's highland forests and cultivated plots, including lemongrass, morinda (Indian mulberry, Morinda citrifolia), pandan (screwpine), takamaka bark, and various endemic Seychellois herbs used in traditional Creole medicine. The company holds SAA organic certification for its highland plots.
Dried herbal tea blends are exported in retail sachets and 500g bulk bags to French organic food retailers, Seychellois hotel gift shops (for tourist retail), and EU herbal tea importers. EU buyers building Indian Ocean botanical sourcing programmes often complement Seychellois herb orders with the tropical tea and botanical varieties available from top fresh produce exporters in Mauritius, where a parallel island tradition of artisan herbal production serves European organic retail channels. Morinda juice (noni juice) is exported frozen in 1-litre packs to EU health food distributors. All products carry SAA phytosanitary certification and CCIS certificates of origin. Annual export volume is 15–30 tonnes.
VMEF provides export facilitation services for artisan and semi-industrial fishing operators using Victoria's main fish market, coordinating IUU Catch Certificate documentation, SFA health certificates, and freight forwarding for fresh and frozen fish exports to EU, Middle Eastern, and Far Eastern buyers.
The company processes documentation for 35–60 fishing operator clients per season, handling EU prior notification in TRACES, border inspection post clearance coordination with French BIP (for Réunion/France-bound shipments), and cold chain temperature log preparation. VMEF has a 100% BIP clearance rate across 4 years of EU export facilitation, representing significant assurance for new EU buyers.
SASMP harvests artisan sea salt from Seychellois coastal salt pans and produces marine-derived cosmetics including seaweed extract, sea cucumber collagen, and coral sand mineral products for the EU natural cosmetics market. Seychellois sea salt — harvested from pristine Indian Ocean waters within 42% protected marine conservation zones — carries a strong sustainability narrative valued by European premium food and cosmetics buyers.
Coarse and fine Indian Ocean sea salt is packaged in 250g and 500g premium glass jars for the French gourmet food retail market. Marine cosmetic ingredients are exported in bulk pharmaceutical-grade packaging to French and German natural cosmetics manufacturers. All products hold CCIS certificates of origin. Annual salt export volume is 50–100 tonnes.
RCEO distils cinnamon leaf oil (high eugenol content — the spicy, warm, clove-like component used in fragrance and flavour) and cinnamon bark oil (high cinnamaldehyde content — the sweet, warm cinnamon scent used in food flavouring and perfumery) from Seychellois Cinnamomum verum. Both are produced by steam distillation at RCEO's Mahé uplands facility.
Cinnamon bark oil (GC/MS verified: cinnamaldehyde ≥75%) is exported to EU fragrance ingredient distributors in Grasse (France) and Cologne (Germany) who value its Seychelles provenance. Cinnamon leaf oil (eugenol ≥75%) is exported to EU flavour and fragrance ingredient companies and natural dental care product manufacturers. SAA phytosanitary certificates accompany all exports.
BEEHS is an export facilitation and trade promotion company providing documentation, logistics, and compliance services for Seychellois exporters in both fisheries and agricultural commodities. Services cover IUU Catch Certificate management, SAA phytosanitary certificate coordination, CCIS certificate of origin preparation, and EU TRACES NT prior notification filing.
For international buyers new to sourcing from Seychelles, BEEHS provides a single entry point for supplier verification, sample procurement, compliance documentation, and logistics through Port Victoria or Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (Victoria). The company has facilitated export transactions for 28 international buyers across 9 product categories since 2019.
Seychelles' regulatory framework is among Africa's most structured for fisheries. Follow these five steps to verify any supplier.
Seychelles' primary exports are fish and seafood (canned tuna ≈ 95% of export value). Agricultural exports include true Ceylon cinnamon, Bourbon vanilla, copra and coconut oil, coco de mer products, and artisan herbal teas. Primary markets: UAE (28.5%), France (24%), UK (13.5%), Italy, Germany.
Seychelles' 1.4M km² EEZ is one of the Indian Ocean's most productive tuna grounds. IOT (Princes Group) processes 100,000+ tonnes annually. Foreign fishing fleets spend USD 156M yearly at Port Victoria. IUU catch certificates are mandatory for all EU-bound tuna exports.
No. Tuna, canned fish, cinnamon, vanilla, and coconut products are all outside the EUDR regulated commodities list. Seychelles is entirely EUDR-free.
EU Approved Food Establishment number (SFA), IUU Catch Certificate (EU Reg 1005/2008), SFA health certificate, cold chain documentation. Seychelles participates in the EU-Seychelles Fisheries Partnership Agreement.
Seychellois true cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum, low coumarin) is grown on Mahé and Praslin. Vanilla is produced in tiny volumes (3–8 tonnes/year) on the inner islands. Both require SAA phytosanitary certificates. Contact SAA or BEEHS for verified producer introductions.
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