VICTORIA, Seychelles — Seychelles once again affirmed its leadership in sustainable fisheries governance and equitable fisheries management at the opening of the 29th session of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission being held this week in La Reunion, France. Delivering Seychelles’ official statement, Principal Minister and Minister for Fisheries and the Blue Economy, Jean-François Ferrari, highlighted the central role of science, equity, and transparency, and collaboration in ensuring the long-term sustainability of tuna stock resources that are central to the food security and economy of Seychelles and the broader Indian Ocean region.
The principal minister underscored the country’s consistent compliance with the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission’s (IOTC) conservation and management measures and called on all IOTC members to honour their obligations — particularly the timely submission of fisheries data and active participation in scientific processes. Seychelles proudly announced that it had become the first country globally to be declared compliant with the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI) — a milestone reflecting its commitment to accountability, trust-building, and investor confidence in fisheries management.
Highlighting Seychelles’ use of purse seine gear with drifting fish aggregating devices (FADs), the principal minister noted that all legal fishing gears have value when properly regulated. On the margins of the IOTC session, the principal minister held a high-level bilateral meeting with EU Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans, Costas Kadis. The meeting reaffirmed the longstanding and strong partnership between Seychelles and the European Union, which is grounded in cooperation in tuna fisheries, trade, and economic development. Both parties reaffirmed their strong partnership in tuna fisheries and agreed to initiate discussions on renewing the European Union-Seychelles Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement (SFPA), which expires in February 2026. The 29th Session of the IOTC continues this week, and key decisions on stock management, allocation reform, and compliance mechanisms are expected.
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