Aquaculture projects in Mauritius: fisheries licensing and EIA
A Mauritius aquaculture project needs clearance from the Ministry responsible for fisheries under the Fisheries Act 2023, plus an environmental licence from the Department of Environment where the activity is listed for an EIA or Preliminary Environmental Report. Lagoon fish-farm zones and land-based hatchery or processing facilities face different site and evidence requirements. Confirm the current licence category and environmental procedure before ordering equipment.
MUR · Mauritian rupee
t/year · kg · ha · m³ · m³/h · °C · kW · kWh
Fisheries administration and lagoon site rights
- The Fisheries Act 2023 (Act 15 of 2023) governs the administration of fisheries and aquaculture in Mauritius, including conservation, marine protected areas and marine environmental quality provisions [1](https://lawsofmauritius.govmu.org/portal/viewlegislationdocument/web/?docnumber=&doctitle=RmlzaGVyaWVzIEFjdCAyMDIz&doctype=act). The Ministry of Agro-Industry, Food Security, Blue Economy and Fisheries operates a Fisheries Planning and Licensing Division, including a Licensing Unit; confirm the current application process and fees directly with that division for the specific activity [3](https://blueconomy.govmu.org/Pages/Departments/Albion%20Fisheries%20Research%20Centre%20(AFRC)/Fisheries%20Planning%20and%20Licensing%20Division/Fisheries-Planning-and-Licensing-Division.aspx).
- A previously declared fish-farm zone in a lagoon does not automatically extend to a new site; an existing operator's expansion into additional zones still required ministry agreement and incorporation into the applicable schedule, illustrating that zone allocation is site-specific and must be confirmed in writing [5](https://environment.govmu.org/Documents/eia/eiareports/fishfarm/exec.pdf).
EIA/PER requirements for fish farms and hatcheries
- Mauritius' Department of Environment lists fish farming in the sea among undertakings that can require an EIA licence or approval, and it publishes sectoral EIA guidelines for fish farming in the sea; confirm whether the proposed lagoon, offshore or land-based facility is a listed undertaking requiring an EIA or a Preliminary Environmental Report (PER) [1](https://environment.govmu.org/Pages/Environmental-Impact-Assessment.aspx). A granted oyster-farm EIA decision shows the kind of conditions imposed, including concessions, clearances and a post-approval environmental monitoring plan with baseline marine water-quality data — treat these as illustrative, not as a template outcome for a new application [5](https://environment.govmu.org/Documents/eia/eiadecision/2017/080617-OYSTER.pdf).
- For a lagoon cage or longline project, provide bathymetry, current and water-quality monitoring data, navigation and concession details. For a land-based hatchery or processing plant, provide water supply, effluent treatment and building/land-use permit status; do not infer either from a supplier catalogue alone.
Equipment delivery to an island site
- Specify the quote currency, Incoterm, receiving port (commonly Port Louis) and last-mile delivery and installation responsibility. Separate tank, net, mooring and treatment equipment from civil works and utility connections.
- Ask for local commissioning, spare-parts logistics and acceptance tests against the stated flow, load or stocking conditions. No yield or survival figure is implied by this guide.
Mauritius project brief checklist
For the Mauritius site, include lagoon zone or land parcel and coordinates, legal applicant and site/concession rights, species/life stage, intended annual harvest and peak biomass, fisheries licence and EIA/PER status, measured seasonal water data, intake/discharge or mooring layout, power and backup, access/delivery point, quote currency and budget. Attach the Fisheries Act licensing status and the EIA/PER application or decision documents described above, and mark every unconfirmed assumption. Separate studies/applications, civil works, equipment, installation and acceptance responsibilities. FishMatch reviews commercial projects of USD 250,000 or more by hand; smaller projects can still use the free planning tools.
Request private project reviewCalculate from your measured site inputs
Mauritius buyer questions
Which local issue should I resolve first in Mauritius?
Confirm fisheries licensing with the Ministry responsible for fisheries under the Fisheries Act 2023, and check with the Department of Environment whether the proposed fish farm or hatchery is a listed undertaking requiring an EIA or Preliminary Environmental Report.
Does a recirculating system remove site and water requirements?
No. Confirm site use, water abstraction, discharge, animal health and the applicable environmental procedure separately. The designer must use the actual species, water resource and permit conditions.
Will FishMatch expose supplier contacts or forward the brief automatically?
No. Project requests are private and human-reviewed; supplier identities and contacts remain confidential and there is no automatic supplier routing. Procurement assistance is for commercial projects of USD 250,000 or more; the planning tools remain free.
Institutional and legal references
- Fisheries Act 2023 (Act 15 of 2023) — Laws of Mauritius
- Ministry of Blue Economy — Fisheries Planning and Licensing Division
- Department of Environment — Environmental Impact Assessment Division
- Department of Environment — Fish farm EIA executive summary (illustrative)
- FAO — Mauritius fisheries and aquaculture profile
Prepared 16 October 2026 from the linked institutional and legal references. This is editorial planning guidance, not a legal opinion, local engineering design, approval or independent expert sign-off. Laws and administrative procedures can change; confirm the consolidated rules and site-specific applicability before committing capital. No verified local tariffs, project prices, production gains or market-demand measurements are asserted.