Fisheries Week |22 November 2023

Seychelles Nation

‘In the fisheries sector we all have a place and opportunity to grow’ – Naddy Malabage

One becomes who they surround themselves with.  From an early age Naddy Malabage was encircled by friends and family members who were actively involved in the fishing sector. She even had peers who brought clients out on excursion around the different inner islands.

The exposure grew more compelling when Naddy joined the National Youth Service on Ste Anne Island, where she often saw many fishing boats and cruise ships pass by.

“I always thought to myself that one day I would work on one of those boats. I will sail the seas and discover the wonders of the ocean.  This is what sparked my interest in maritime studies,” muses Naddy.

After her studies in the early 1980s, Naddy started off as a research technician in the fisheries division of SFA. She was later posted for the first time on a fishing vessel named Pêcheur Breton. An experience that motivated her to later purchase her own fishing boat.

Naddy is now a senior statistical officer at the Seychelles Fishing Authority and believes this is her lifelong career and where her true passion lies.

“It is no longer a male dominated field. We all have a place and opportunity to grow,” she says proudly.

She delights in the fact that the country places much emphasis on empowering women to take up a career or develop entrepreneurial endeavours in the maritime sector.

Naddy is passionate about conservation and sustainability of the marine resources.

“It should be safeguarded for future generations to benefit like we are. I am forever grateful for my father’s examples. In his own way he did his part in marine conservation that brought me to where I am today,” she concludes.