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FEATURE STORY October 29, 2018

Seychelles Achieves World First with Sovereign Blue Bond

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Photo credit: Julien Million / World Bank


STORY HIGHLIGHTS

  • World Bank helped structure and launch the blue bond, working with three U.S. impact investors
  • Blue bond proceeds will support sustainable marine and oceanic resources
  • Much like green bonds a decade ago, the blue bond can catalyse other forms of innovative blue financing for public and private investors.

October 29, 2018 -  Famous for its pristine beaches, crystal clear seas and impressive biodiversity, the Republic of Seychelles will also now be known for introducing the world¡¯s first sovereign blue bond.  

The Seychelles, which recently issued a, recognized the need to rebuild and sustainably use its fish stocks through improved governance and management of the sector. However, the cost of shifting to sustainable fisheries can be substantial and this is where private sector financing can play an important role. The blue bond is one way to create a link between investors and blue economy projects.

¡°Through the blue bond and other project support, we aim to show how fisheries, as an ocean economy that is already well developed, can shift from business-as-usual to more responsible fishing and management practices that align with the core principles of a Blue Economy,¡± said Seychelles Vice President Vincent Meriton of the blue bond, which was structured with the help of the World Bank.

¡°The beneficiaries of the proceeds of the blue bond will be local communities, civil society organisations and businesses who are seeking financing for activities that can support a transition to sustainable fisheries,¡± he added.

After tourism, the fisheries sector is the Seychelles most important industry, contributing significantly to annual GDP and employing 17% of the population. Proceeds from the bond will fund a range of oceanic and marine activities, from boosting the fisheries value chain, the refurbishment of fishing boats for other purposes such as tourism, to improving aquaculture and marine conservation and spatial planning. The blue bond also complements a debt-for-nature swap that Seychelles did in 2015 with The Nature Conservancy in exchange for greater ocean protection and climate change adaptation.

Much like the World Bank¡¯s first green bond did for climate a decade ago, the Seychelles blue bond is expected to stimulate interest among public and private investors wanting a bigger role in ensuring the sustainable use of ocean and marine resources. Oceans are under increasing environmental stress, from over-fishing and marine pollution to coastal erosion and the devastating impact of climate change, requiring a massive response from both the public and the private sector.

¡°The challenges facing our oceans are too big for governments alone to tackle and the private sector ¨C in this case impact investors -- can play a crucial role in the development and protection of ocean resources for generations to come,¡± said Karin Kemper, Senior Director of Environment and Natural Resources at the World Bank.

The bond was issued with a ceiling value of US$15 million, with a maturity of 10 years. ľ¹ÏÓ°Ôº provided support via a partial guarantee ($5 million) and the Global Environment Facility provided a concessional loan ($5 million), which will subsidize payment of the bond coupons. These credit enhancement instruments allowed for a reduction of the price of the bond by partially de-risking the investment of the impact investors, and by reducing the effective interest rate of 6.5% for Seychelles to 2.8% by subsidizing the coupons.

Since the total amount of the blue bond was relatively low volume in market terms, it was privately placed with three socially responsible impact investors based in the United States, namely Calvert Impact Capital, Nuveen, and Prudential.


"This was a complex undertaking, and we commend the Seychelles Government for having the courage and commitment to take its specific challenges into unchartered waters. We believe the transaction provides proof of concept that market investors are ready to support blue economy objectives in a scalable way, and the time to mobilize resources is now"
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Gianfranco Bertozzi
Lead Financial Officer, Financial Products and Client Solutions, World Bank Treasury


ľ¹ÏÓ°Ôº is also supporting the Seychelles¡¯ efforts to build a diversified blue economy via SWIOFish3, a project co-financed by the blue bond. SWIOFish supports countries in the South West Indian Ocean region to sustainably develop their fisheries sectors by improving fisheries governance, encouraging regional dialogue and cooperation and enhancing the fisheries¡¯ value chain with better conservation, facilities, equipment and training.



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