Establishing a common strategy among coastal states

Representatives from the fishing sectors of Tanzania, Kenya, Zanzibar, Madagascar, Comoros, and Mauritius engaged in a virtual meeting with fisheries officials from Seychelles to deliberate on draft proposals for the forthcoming session of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC).

On Friday, April 19, 2024, at the Escale Resort and Spa, delegates from the Southwest Indian Ocean region convened to forge a collective stance to be presented at the upcoming IOTC session, slated for the following month in Bangkok, Thailand.

Jean-François Ferrari, Minister of Fisheries and Blue Economy, elucidated that the meeting aimed to devise and enact a shared strategy among coastal states with akin objectives. This strategy seeks to mitigate the risk of overexploitation of tropical tuna stocks in the Indian Ocean while ensuring their replenishment. In total, 24 resolutions were tabled during the meeting, three of which originated from Seychelles.

The fishing industry holds pivotal significance in the economy of Seychelles. Hence, embracing such a position would benefit the island nation and catalyze the development of supplementary economic ventures in participating countries. Delegates also discussed another pertinent solution : the closure of fish aggregating devices (FADs).