Information on Fisheries Management in the Republic of Sechelles Seychelles

INFORMATION ON FISHERIES MANAGEMENT IN THE REPUBLIC OF SEYCHELLES

Sector overview

The overall objectives of the sector are :

To enhance its contribution to nutrition.

The creation of the maximum amount of work opportunities.

The maximization of foreign exchange earnings.

The creation of optimum linkages with other sectors.

The insurance of stable development in the industry.

The conservation of marine resources to ensure long-term viability of the industry.

Though these objectives have not been formally redefined, revised objectives have been formulated as a result of the study carried out by FAO and SFA on an inshore fisheries management strategy for Seychelles. These new objectives, which make reference to international agreements and codes of conduct for fisheries, are given below.

With respect to Seychelles domestic inshore fishery, the objectives of Government of Seychelles are:

as a primary goal, to ensure appropriate sustainable management of the resources such that all fishing is undertaken with due regard and concern for the stability of fish stocks and conservation of biodiversity for the long-term benefit of all resource users;

to promote (through economic and fiscal measures) the stable development of an economically viable upgraded fishing fleet in order to target underutilized fisheries distant from the granitic islands, and to encourage the reduction of fishing effort near to the granitic islands; and

to ensure that adequate provision is made for safety at sea and the protection of the rights of individual fishermen.

The objectives for the industrial, mostly foreign dominated, fishery are in certain instances similar to those of the domestic fishery. In general, it can be said that the objectives as defined in the National Development Plan 1990-1994 are still valid. These objectives are:

create the maximum amount of work opportunities;

maximise foreign exchange earnings;

create the optimum linkages with other sector of the economy;

ensure the stable development of the industry;

conserve marine resources in order to ensure the long-term viability of the industry; and

establish Mahé as an important tuna centre for the Indian Ocean.

MAIN MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS FOR MAJOR FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE

Domestic inshore fishery

This is exclusively a marine fishery, with a range of up to 100 km from the main granitic islands. The species are mostly demersal and semi-demersal, the main ones being trevally (Carangoides spp.) (30%), Red Snapper (Lutjanus spp.) (13%); Jobfish (Aprion virescens) (18%); emperors (Lethrinus spp.) (8%); groupers (Epinephelus spp.) (4%); rabbitfish (Siganus spp.) (4%); and mackerel (Rastrelliger spp.) (2%).

Fishing is carried out throughout the year, although the main fishing season is between November and April. The main gears utilized are handline (60%), traps (30%) and nets (10%). Fishing is carried out mostly from small, open, fibreglass boats, powered by outboards 25-40 hp for inshore areas (up to 50 km from shore), and open-deck whalers and schooners powered by inboard engines (between 13 and 37 hp) for deeper waters. These latter carry ice and usually go for trips of up to 8 days and up to 100 km from shore.

The semi-industrial tuna longlining fishery, which targets tuna and swordfish, operates off the plateau and is a relatively new fishery, targeting mostly the fresh fish export market. There are currently seven semi-industrial longline boats operating locally, ranging in size from 12 to 18 m. The catch is kept on ice, with trips of up to 10 days. This is an expanding fishery, with the government providing incentives (duty-free fuel, bait, equipment, etc.) to attract new investment to the industry.

The third most important fishery is the industrial purse seine and longline fishery, which is entirely foreign dominated. There are currently about 60 licensed purse seiners and roughly 250 longliners from the Far East fishing in and around Seychelles waters. Port Victoria in Seychelles is the main transhipment port, with over 80% of the total landings of 350 000 t transhipped in 1999.

The industrial tuna fishery is a highly migratory fishery, with vessels following the fish all over the western Indian Ocean. On average, about 20-30% of the fish is caught in the Seychelles EEZ.

Aquaculture development is restricted by environmental conditions, although a large prawn farm has been established on Coëtivy, a coral island 100 km from Mahé, where 74 ponds have been built and production in 1998 was 581 t. There is very little scope for further expansion of the aquaculture sector due to the limited land and protected sites available, and competition from the abundance of fish caught in the wild.

Management measures

Several management measures and management plans have been introduced to control the exploitation of both inshore demersal and offshore pelagic species. Some of these measures are noted below.

For the inshore demersal fishery:

A ban on demersal trawling in Seychelles waters.

Introduction of protected areas inside reefs, where fishing is regulated and net fishing prohibited.

The use of nets for shark fishing is prohibited.

Closed season for lobster (with only a 3-month annual fishing period allowed).

Restriction on the mesh sizes of traps and the length of gill nets for mackerel fishing.

Requirements that all fishing vessels and nets must be licensed and marked with a seal and a licence number.

Special fishing reserves have been introduced on some of the islands in addition to several marine parks around the granitic islands.

For the offshore industrial tuna fishery:

Restricted zones on all plateau areas and within 12 nautical miles of any islands.

The total number of licences granted to purse seiners should not exceed 60 per annum.

Vessels should keep a daily catch and effort form giving details of catch and position, to be collected on their return to port.

All vessels should report their position by radio or fax twice a week when fishing inside the EEZ or when leaving and entering the EEZ.

Transhipment activities are only permitted in Port Victoria, and all vessels are required to appoint a local agent.

The SFA is currently in the process of setting up a Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) to permit better control of the foreign fleet and improve the SFA statistics system.

The above measures have enabled SFA to develop an up-to-date tuna database on which part of the licence fee is computed, as well as statistics utilized for national research on tuna. For the last two years, the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) has had its headquarters in Seychelles and has started to play a valuable role in tuna management issues in the region.

In the short term, the main scope for expansion of the Seychelles fishery therefore lies in the development of the semi-industrial longline fishery for tuna and swordfish, with the possibility of creating joint ventures with foreign partners in the future to fish for tuna by purse seines.

The law and enforcement

Legal status

Basic Fisheries Legislation in the Seychelles consists of the Fisheries Act (1986) and Regulation 1987 (Appendix 3), the Licences Act, 1987, and Regulations controlling fishing activities for both the local and foreign fleets. The Minister for Agriculture and Marine Resources has been vested with the overall responsibility to manage all living marine resources within the Seychelles EEZ. The law sets the legal framework and structure and gives the Minister the powers to prepare and implement management plans for various fisheries. The expertise in fisheries management is located exclusively in SFA, which also has the authority to negotiate fishing agreements and to establish the conditions of fishing licences. The Licensing Authority is required to consult SFA and the Minister before issuing a licence and SFA’s permission is required to transfer a licence.

Other relevant legislation includes the Maritime Zones Act, 1997; the Seychelles Fishing Authority (Establishment) Act 1984, as amended; and general legislation governing such matters as the Ports Act and the Environment Act.

SFA, as the executive arm of the Ministry, has designated authorized officers that have the power to stop, board and search any vessels in Seychelles waters. The Police have the power of arrest and prosecution. The Ministry of Defence (of which the Coastguard is a part) is authorized to enforce the Fisheries Law within the Seychelles EEZ. All commercial fishing vessels, whether local or foreign, must have a licence from the Seychelles Licensing Authority (SLA).

Enforcement problems

Enforcement is legally complicated in that SFA does not have complete enforcement powers. It does however have the power to request reports and make inspections and uses this to monitor activities. Some SFA officers have been designated as Authorized Officers in order to enforce the Fisheries Act, but the Police and Coastguard have the principal enforcement responsibility. These officers, however, sometimes lack the technical expertise and proper knowledge of the law, hence the Police feel that according to the Fisheries Act they were not intended to enforce the Fisheries Regulations.

Other important problems include, financial and manpower constraints and the extensive surface area of the Seychelles EEZ.

INVESTMENTS IN FISHERIES

In the last 10 years there has been considerable investment in the Fisheries Sector, both by government and the private sector. In the inshore demersal fishery, all boats are now mechanized, with smaller boats of less than 6 m powered by outboard motors, whilst larger boats are powered by inboard diesels. There has been a strong trend towards mechanization of fishing gear, with the introduction of electric reels, echo sounders and radios on larger boats. Most vessels larger than 8 m are now equipped with ice-boxes, and the quality of the catch has consequently improved considerably. Several new prototype boats have been financed by government sources, either through foreign loans (ADB) or through grant aid (mostly from the Government of Japan). Improvement in the inshore infrastructure, such as port facilities, ice plants and servicing facilities, have been carried out. The Seychelles Development Bank has financed an average of US$ 1.5 million annually in loa s to fishermen. Seychelles Industrial Development Corporation (SIDEC) has disbursed more than US$ 5 million in small loans (less than US$ 10 000 each) to finance new fishing projects.

In the semi-industrial sector, incentive schemes have been introduced, with new investors benefiting from duty concession on fuel, spare parts and bait. A new scheme has been introduced, with a grant of US$ 800 000 from the EU, giving soft loans to fishermen.

In the industrial fishing sector, government has invested heavily in the industrial port, with new berthing quays and port facilities, which has consequently turned Port Victoria into the most important tuna fishing port in the Indian Ocean. In 1999, 80% of the tuna transhipped in the South West Indian Ocean was through Port Victoria. The port now also boasts the largest tuna factory in the Indian Ocean, a joint venture between government and the food giant Heinz.

SUPPLY AND DEMAND FOR FISHERY PRODUCTS

Although the supply of demersal species has remained fairly stable in the last decade, it is expected that local production of tuna and tuna-like species through the longline fishery will grow considerably. This fishery, which is barely five years old, has seven boats operating, whilst two more were expected to join the fishery this year. The market prospects for fresh tuna and swordfish are very good and supply is far from meeting demand.

The canning factory tripled its production in the past year and was expected to grow further, targeting a production of 450 t of tuna per day by the end of 2000.

Although the demand for tuna for the regional canneries is expected to grow, it is felt that the stocks have almost reached their optimum level of exploitation. Hence, the present annual tonnage of around 3 000 000t of tuna caught by the purse seiners is not expected to grow much. The long-term plan of the Seychelles Government is to enter this fishery either through the purchase of its own vessels or by entering into joint ventures with foreign partners.

In the final analysis, the potential for expansion of both the Seychelles inshore demersal fishery as well as offshore pelagic fishery will depend on sound management practices as well as on effective monitoring and control of its resources in its EEZ.



Information on Fisheries Management in the Republic of Sechelles Seychelles



Seychelles - National Fishery Sector Overview (from NFSO)

Stakeholders to be consulted on fisheries management plan - 22.06.2012

The Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA) and the United Nations Development Programmme (UNDP) are to seek the views of fishermen and other stakeholders to draw up a fisheries management plan, spread over five years.

Stakeholders to be consulted on fisheries management plan

EU delegation informed of Seychelles’ fisheries plans

A delegation of seven European Union (EU) parliamentarians presently visiting Seychelles, toured the Victoria fishing port yesterday and later heard of the country’s plans in the fisheries sector.

Description: The EU delegation listening to presentations on Seychelles’ fisheries plans

Gathered in the Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA) training room, the EU parliamentarians heard how certain components of the Seychelles-EU Partnership Agreement are being implemented.

Present at the presentation and subsequent discussions were the Presidential Advisor on Environmental matters, Dr Rolph Payet, the SFA chairperson Veronique Herminie, and other senior government officials.

The SFA’s chief executive Finley Racombo outlined some of the body’s objectives - notably ensuring sustainable use of marine resources, maximising revenue from the fisheries sector, enhancing food supply and security and promoting Port Victoria as the main tuna port of the Indian Ocean.

Mr Racombo noted that three main fishing methods prevail in Seychelles. Artisanal fisheries, he said, involved some 350 boats powered by outboard engines and which operate for a maximum seven days and bring in a total of 4000 to 5000 metric tonnes of fish, mainly for domestic consumption.

Mr Racombo said the semi-industrial sector, involving 10 longliners, is a sector which Seychelles is seeking to expand with private sector participation. He said some EU funds will assist in the venture.

In the industrial fisheries, where European purse seiners have been present since 1984, the number of vessels has gone down from 57 in 2008 to 48 in 2009 and to just 35 last year, primarily because of pirate activity which has increased over the past three years in our part of the Indian Ocean.

Among recent developments in the fisheries sector noted are the building of two dolphin quays for purse seiners on Ile du Port as well as land allocation for shore based facilities, such as net repairs, salt storage, which can be relocated from Providence from where transportation aggravates traffic congestion.

The EU parliamentarians were also told of the Fisheries Development Fund, the aim of which is to encourage private sector involvement by maximising fish processing and use of by-catch.

Marine aquaculture is another area which could be a revenue earner for Seychelles. Some 16 sites have been identified around the inner islands with a total surface area of 52 square metres. Based on conservative production criteria, it has been calculated that could potentially yield 15,000 tonnes of fish a year.



Source: NATION 11-3-11



Observation:

During a meeting with local fishermen and Civil Society representatives, the EU Parliamentarians were told that the local industry was not adequately represented at the level of negotiation with the EU Directorate General of Fisheries or on the board of Seychelles Fishing Authority. Representatives of local fishermen disagreed with Mr. Finley Racombo, Director of SFA, that there was adequate representation by the Seychelles Chamber of Commerce, stating that the interests of local fishermen are best served if their own association is directly represented. Similarly, the representative of the civil society association remarked that they too had not been represented during the consultation period and they would like a seat on the SFA board since their members are directly or otherwise affected by what was happening in the fishing industry.

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An Exclusive Economic Zone of approximately 1.4 million square kilometres, with large areas of continental shelf (about 50,000 square kilometres) ensures that Seychelles is rich in both pelagic (surface swimming) and demersal (bottom swimming) resources. The fisheries sector, both artisanal and industrial, makes up one of the most important economic sectors, contributing to production and income generation, employment, trade, foreign exchange generation, government revenue and most importantly animal protein, with a per capita consumption of fish of around 65kg annually, one of the highest in the world.

Seychelles boasts an abundant supply and great variety of tropical fish and other seafood. Products include fresh fish from the artisanal and semi-industrial fishery, black tiger prawns, spiny lobsters, canned and other processed tuna. Other processed products comprise dried shark fins, sea cucumbers, salted fish and smoked fish. Yellowfin and skipjack tunas, the principal industrial species, are exported mainly to Europe and Asia.

Extent of Seychelles EEZ

Artisanal fishing
Lobster Fishery
Industrial Fisheries
Semi-Industrial Fisheries
Monitoring, Control & Surveillance
Further readings

Artisanal fishing

Jackfish
Access to artisanal fishing is only open to Seychellois fishers, who target resources on the banks of Seychelles and around the atolls to the south. Artisanal fishing methods include the use of traps, hand-lines and nets. The total artisanal fisheries catch ranges between 4000 and 5000 tonnes, comprising a wide range of species, such as red snapper, grouper, amberjack, mackerel, rabbitfish and parrotfish; around 200 tonnes of fresh and frozen fish products were exported to countries such as the UK, France, Germany and Mauritius.

Lobster Fishery
Lobster fishing has traditionally been permitted for restricted periods of the year. As a precautionary measure, the Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA) and Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MENR) announced the closure of the lobster-fishing season for another season i.e. season 2004/2005 to prevent over-exploitation of the resource and allow the stock to recover. Meanwhile SFA is considering conducting a fishery independent survey to evaluate the status of the stocks.

A spiny lobster
With the increasing interest shown in this fishery in the late 1990’s, the Seychelles Fishing Authority recognized the need for management of the holothurian fishery but lacked the baseline data on the status of the stocks. In order to protect the fishery from over-exploitation, SFA put in place a licensing system in 1999, which regulates the fishing and processing of sea cucumbers. As a precautionary measure, a quota of 25 sea cucumber fishing licenses has been set for the fishery.



Thelenota ananas (Sanpye)
In late 2003, with the financial help of FAO, the SFA started a resource assessment of the sea cucumber population of the Seychelles Bank and the Amirantes Plateau. The results of that study are expected in the coming months, and will be used to design a management plan for that fishery. The implementation of that plan will be done in consultation with stakeholders, and is expected to be put in place by the end of year 2005.

INDUSTRIAL FISHERIES

The industrial fishery comprises uniquely foreign-owned vessels licensed to operate inside the Seychelles EEZ, and falls under two main categories: the purse seine fishery (mainly EU - French and Spanish vessels) and the long line fishery (mainly Distant Water Fishing Nations - Japan, Taiwan and South Korea). Industrial tuna fishing is an important source of foreign exchange earning for the country, generating an inflow of over US $ 75 million per year.

Purse seining
Purse seining activities in the Seychelles EEZ began in 1983 when French and Spanish fleets moved from the tropical Atlantic to the Western Indian Ocean. Purse seiners target mainly surface swimming tunas like skipjack, small yellowfin and juvenile bigeye. The overall number of purse seiners licensed to fish in Seychelles waters increased from 30 in 1984, averaging some 50 vessels in recent years. Around 70% of licences are issued to vessels fishing under the European Union Agreement.

Longlining
Industrial longline fishing activities began in the Seychelles waters in the early 1950’s. The number of licences issued annually to longliners has continuously increased during the 90’s, ranging from 165 to 241. Longliners target mainly large deep swimming tunas, (big-eye and yellowfin) and billfish (swordfish).

SEMI-INDUSTRIAL FISHERIES


The semi-industrial long-line fishery targets swordfish, tuna and tuna-like species outside the Mahé plateau but mostly within the Seychelles EEZ. This fishery is relatively new, dating back to 1994. It was developed with the objective of relieving pressure on inshore demersal resources by targeting pelagic resources (mainly swordfish and tuna) in deep waters outside the continental plateaux. There are currently 12 vessels, operated solely by Seychellois, involved in this fishery. Swordfish is the dominant target species accounting for 60% of the catch followed by yellowfin (15%) and big-eye tuna (10%).

MONITORING, CONTROL & SURVEILLANCE

The overall responsibility for enforcing the Fisheries Laws of Seychelles lies with the Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) Section of the Seychelles Fishing Authority. The MCS section is responsible for recommending all foreign fishing vessel licences, for conducting port inspection on foreign fishing vessels, tracking all licensed foreign fishing vessels and Seychelles flag fishing vessels through a satellite-based vessel monitoring system and for receiving catch and effort reports as well as entry and exit reports from the Seychelles Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). To effectively enforce the Fisheries Laws, the MCS section works in close collaboration with the Seychelles Coastguard, the Seychelles Licensing Authority and other international organisations, such as the International Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Network, the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission, the Indian Ocean Commission, to name a few.

Extent of Seychelles EEZ - Fisheries

Strategic Overview:

The fisheries strategy of the Government of Seychelles is to increase the yield, value of the yield and the
financial benefit of fisheries to Seychelles by maximising domestic processing, promoting export and
increasing Seychellois stakeholding in the industry. The ultimate objective is to turn Seychelles from a mainly
fisheries transhipment hub to the primary seafood processing centre of the Indian Ocean.

To achieve this, the Government will facilitate increased local and international participation and investment in
the sector and enact measures to enhance its competitiveness.

Situation Analysis:
The crucial role of the fisheries sector in the economy of Seychelles – both as a source of foreign currency and
for domestic employment provision – is clearly demonstrated by economic figures generated by the sector in
recent years.

In 2005, US $200 million (gross) – equivalent to 30% of Seychelles‘ GDP – was generated by the fisheries sector.
The sector dominated Seychelles’ visible exports, accounting for 97% or US $253 million. As a result, the sector
has ensured crucial regular port visits by cargo ships and the resultant necessary infrastructural developments
have allowed Port Victoria to emerge as an important regional shipping hub, most notably in the field of tuna
transhipment and petroleum re-exports.

The fisheries sector employed 17% of the 2005 workforce, some 4,600 Seychellois directly employed and a
further 1,000 finding employment on an ancillary basis. As a result, in excess of 2,200 families were supported
by employment in the fisheries sector.

Dominant in the sector, in terms of employment, revenue generation and volume of fish caught and processed,
is the industrial fisheries segment, and more specifically, the industrial tuna fishery.

Seychelles tuna fishery, exploited principally by European Union flagged vessels, brought in a total catch of
389,256 metric tonnes in 2005, a year on year increase of around 16% on the 1996 catch of 265,658 tonnes.
Unlike many other international industrial fisheries, there is currently no indication of over fishing of the skip
jack and yellow fin tuna stocks targeted by the Seychelles-based fishing fleet, suggesting the sustainability of
the on-going catch increase.

New Focused strategic objectives:
1. To increase the yield, value-addition and local stakeholding, in an industry of enhanced
competitiveness

The competitiveness of Seychelles’ industrial fisheries sector will be benchmarked against competitor nations,
in accordance with the strictures laid down by an independent international auditor on an annual basis. The
findings of the benchmarking exercises will be used to make informed policy decisions to enhance the competitiveness
of the sector in coordination with businesses working within it. Macroeconomic policy will then be
regularly reviewed to ensure that the country sees no erosion in its relative competitive position.

Drawing on lessons learnt from the successful operation of an international tanker fleet by the state owned
petroleum company, a feasibility study into national investment in an industrial fishing fleet will be undertaken
and its findings implemented.

The projected dramatic growth of Seychelles’ tuna catch will allow for expanded production by the Indian
Ocean Tuna factory and the potential development of additional industrial scale processing facilities, focused
on producing the highest value added tuna products for maximum per-unit income.

In addition, the increase in tourist visits to Seychelles will create an increased market for the supply of
high-value fresh fish, allowing for an expansion of the local fresh fish processing sector.

This will be facilitated by increasing the diversity of fish species targeted by the local fishing fleet, improving
fishing methods, developing the capacity of the local fishing fleet through the assistance of institutions such
as the Development Bank of Seychelles, and other policy prescriptions as recommended by the Seychelles
Fisheries Authority (SFA).

Growth in the industrial fisheries sector will allow for increased Seychellois employment in the sector, including
at the Indian Ocean Tuna factory and onboard vessels in the industrial fishing fleet.

To promote local employment in the sector, clear career structures will be identified and consultative
mechanisms introduced to achieve a target quota for Seychellois management representation in the industry.
In addition, Seychellois access to equity will be enhanced, in order to increase domestic ownership, interest and
pride in the fishing sector, beyond the traditional local stakeholders and into the wider Seychellois business
community.
Existing fisheries sector enterprises will be encouraged to outsource non-core activities to local businesses,
further increasing the economic footprint of the sector in Seychelles.

2. Governmental industry support
In order to offset the potential erosion of preferential access to the European Union – as a result of EU-ACP
(African Caribbean Pacific group) post-Cotonou negotiations – the Government of Seychelles will implement
policies to enhance the industry’s competitiveness.

An effective communications strategy, including the identification of fisheries sector representatives, will be
developed in order to enhance community awareness and ownership of the fisheries sector.
Community participation in leadership structures and fisheries business equity will be encouraged.
The policy of social marketing of the sector will be introduced in schools, with emphasis placed on career
opportunities in industrial fisheries, including at the managerial and ownership levels.

Fisheries sector compatible training and expertise of the private sector will be incorporated into the curriculum
of the Maritime Training Centre. This will be accompanied by an integrated skills needs assessment to ensure
adequate labour support for the sector and in industries supporting the sector.
Incentives, including tax reforms and reductions in administrative processes, when offered, will be granted on
an equal and transparent basis.

The Government of Seychelles will reduce its share of equity in the industry, operating instead as a facilitator to
Seychellois and international private sector investment.

The role of the Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA) as a body to promote Seychellois industry involvement will be
bolstered. The Authority will adopt a more commercial orientation and be charged with developing strategic
partnerships between international and Seychellois investors. The SFA will take the lead in researching,
developing and disseminating fisheries sector technological advances.

Business income will be increased through productivity gains achieved through increased acceptance and
ownership of the fisheries industry by Seychellois, and an increase in performance based incentivisation.
The potential of additional markets for Seychelles’ fisheries products, such as China, India, member states of
regional groupings of which Seychelles is a member and countries with which bilateral trade agreements have
been signed, will be actively explored.

An Integrated Fisheries Development Project has been developed and will be implemented with private sector
participation to enhance and promote the strengths of Seychelles’ fisheries sector and tackle its weaknesses.
Throughout the development of Seychelles’ fisheries sector, emphasis will be placed on meeting and
exceeding FAO standards, ensuring environmental protection, stock sustainability and the incorporation of new
technology in fishing and fish processing.

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