VICTORIA, Seychelles — Seychelles has regained its place as a leader at the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), Principal Minister and Minister for Fisheries and the Blue Economy Jean-François Ferrari said at a press conference yesterday morning. The Minister attributed the success in part to the country’s compliance with Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTi) standards.
The announcement follows the 29th session of the IOTC, held in Réunion from April 13 to 18, which concluded with the adoption of 14 of 25 proposals tabled by member states on 19 subjects. Notably, a full management framework for tropical tuna was adopted, as were catch limits for skipjack and bigeye, representing a step towards a more science-based regime for the region’s most important fishery. Following a 2023 measure for member countries to reduce bigeye catch by 15 percent, combined with stock replenishment, Seychelles stands to benefit next year from a 15 percent increase in its catch limit.
Members also agreed to enforce measures intended to support shark population recovery, and Seychelles backed a proposal on climate change. One proposal Seychelles had opposed, tabled by Somalia and which would have considered drifting Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) as a form of illegal fishing, was withdrawn. The fisheries sector remains the only product Seychelles exports in such volumes, and the country’s continued voice at the IOTC is seen as essential to keeping the playing field level. Present at the press conference were Vincent Lucas, head of fisheries management at the Seychelles Fisheries Authority, and fisheries director general Sheriffa Morel.
