EU - Sechelles Seychelles Fisheries partnership agreement

Fisheries partnership agreement

The fisheries partnership agreement concluded between the EU and Seychelles covers the period 18.1.2005 – 17.1.2011. During the Joint Committee held in March 2007, the reference tonnage and the corresponding financial contribution were revised. As from 17.1.2008, the financial contribution amounts to 5 355 000 € out of which 56 % is dedicated to the support of the fisheries policy of the Seychelles.

This fisheries agreement allows EU vessels mainly from Spain, Portugal, France and Italy to fish in the Seychelles waters and is part of the tuna network fisheries agreements in the Indian Ocean.

EU - Sechelles Seychelles Fisheries partnership agreement

Accord de partenariat dans le domaine de la pêche

Seychelles-EU committee focuses on improving fisheries management - 17.02.2012

The joint Seychelles-European Union (EU) Fisheries Partnership committee meeting being held in Victoria is focusing on improving the management of artisanal and industrial fisheries, fisheries infrastructure and specialised training for personnel of the Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA).

Delegates at the meeting yesterday

The yearly meeting, which opened yesterday and ends today, is discussing the work programme of the SFA from the financial contributions under the partnership protocol, which for 2012 is €2,220,000.

The Seychelles delegation is led by Philippe Michaud, the current SFA chairperson, while the EU delegation is headed by Constantin Alexandrou of the EU’s directorate of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.

The first priority -- improving the management of artisanal and industrial fisheries -- includes fisheries surveillance and development of an aquaculture master plan.

It also involves observer programme on fisheries vessels and support to other related fisheries and maritime organisations.

The committee is also discussing fisheries infrastructure development for the artisanal and industrial sectors. It includes the construction of a new quay at the Ile du Port to further ease the activities of the industrial tuna fishing.

This also involves support to the local private sector in fisheries development, equipment for coastal fisheries, infrastructure for the artisanal fishery, processing plants to produce value-added fish products and other support facilities.

Another priority under discussion is specialised training for SFA personnel and support to other related institutions, such as the Fisheries Inspection Unit of the Seychelles Bureau of Standards, the Maritime Training Centre, the Faculty of Environmental Science at the University of Seychelles and other local partners.

Seychelles-EU committee focuses on improving fisheries management

Union européenne – Seychelles - 13.05.2013
Signature à Mahé d’un nouveau Protocole de Partenariat Pêche entre l’UE et les Seychelles

Un nouveau Protocole de Partenariat Pêche encadrant les activités de pêche de la flotte européenne dans les eaux des Seychelles a été signé vendredi dernier à Victoria.


Cette signature est l’aboutissement des négociations et des discussions qui ont commencé en mars cette année et qui se sont déroulées de manière très constructive et productive entre l’Union Européenne (l’UE) et la République des Seychelles au niveau bilatéral, régional et multilatéral. Ces négociations et discussions se sont déroulées aux Seychelles et à Bruxelles, en Belgique.

Le Protocole a été signé du côté seychellois par M. Philippe Michaud, président de l’Autorité de la Pêche Seychelloise (SFA) qui dirigeait la délégation seychelloise aux négociations, et du côté de l’UE par M. Roberto Cesari, chef de l’unité en charge des accords bilatéraux et du contrôle dans les eaux internationales, de la Direction Générale des Affaires Maritimes et de la Pêche qui dirigeait la délégation de la Commission européenne aux négociations.

Présents pour témoigner cette signature étaient M. Peter Sinon, Ministre Seychellois des Ressources Naturels et de l’Industrie, l’ambassadrice de France aux Seychelles Madame Geneviève Iancu, le Haut commissaire adjoint du Royaume Unis pour les Seychelles M. Richard Jones et les membres des deux délégations qui ont participé aux négociations.

Le Protocole et son annexe prévoient des possibilités de pêche pour 40 senneurs et 6 palangriers dans des conditions qui s’appliqueront pour une période de 6 ans à compter du 18 janvier 2014 et suivant lesquelles la contrepartie financière totale de l’Union Européenne s’élève à 30,7 millions d’euros pour toute la période considérée. Ce montant correspond à :

- 15,5 millions d’euros pour le droit d’accès sur une période de six ans, basée sur un tonnage de référence de 50 000 tonnes chaque année et ;

-15,2 millions d’euros pour un montant spécifique alloué sur la période de 6 ans à l’appui à la mise en œuvre de la politique de développement du secteur de la pêche et de la politique maritime, dans le but de promouvoir une pêcherie durable dans les eaux seychelloises.

A cette contribution financière de l’UE, s’ajoutera la contribution des armateurs qui sera augmentée de façon significative et progressive à travers le paiement de leurs licences sur l'ensemble de la période. Les dispositions relatives au suivi de leurs activités de pêche dans les eaux seychelloises comprennent la mise en place du Système de Déclaration Electronique des captures, ce qui permettra un suivi journalier de ces captures.

« Ce partenariat constitue une base solide pour le développement de nos relations politiques afin de s’adresser aux enjeux du futur de l’industrie du thon dans la région », a déclaré M. Michaud.

Mr Cesari a ajouté que « ce protocole pourrait garantir non seulement un développement économique mais également renforcer le rôle stratégique des Seychelles en qualité de partenaire stratégique de l’Union Européenne dans la région ».

Pour M. Michaud, «l’augmentation de la contribution de l’UE permettra un développement accrue des infrastructures portuaires au Port de pêche de Victoria ainsi que d’autres facilités existantes dans le pays pour les pêcheurs seychellois ».

M. Michaud a remercie la délégation seychelloise pour tout le travail accompli et la délégation de l’UE pour son effort et attitude positive démontrée tout au long des négociations.

M. Cesari a, en outre, qualifié ce partenariat de «fondamental et bénéfique pour les deux parties et pour la région ».
Il a également souligné que l’UE a fait des efforts et a reconnu les efforts faits par les Seychelles à travers les améliorations trouvées dans le Protocole.

A savoir que la conserverie seychelloise – IOT (Indian Ocean Tuna) – dépend étroitement pour ses approvisionnements des activités de pêche de la flotte européenne. Elle génère 2 400 emplois et la valeur de ses exportations représente 3 milliards de roupies seychelloises par an (environ 200 millions d’euros).

A travers ce Protocole, les Seychelles vont continuer à recevoir un appui de l’Union Européenne pour mettre en œuvre leur politique de développement de la pêche. Le développement des infrastructures sera poursuivi en particulier, afin que Port Victoria demeure un port d’attache attractif pour tous les thoniers senneurs de la région. De même, la pêche artisanale bénéficiera d’infrastructures de débarquement et de commercialisation propices à la création de valeur ajoutée et d’emplois.

Au delà des aspects économiques, ce partenariat offre le cadre politique et l’instrument approprié pour que les deux parties supervisent et mettent en application des pratiques de pêche responsables, pour qu’elles luttent efficacement contre la pêche illicite, non déclarée et non réglementée (INN) et assurent ainsi la durabilité de la pêcherie thonière dans le sud ouest de l’Océan Indien.

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Seychelles and the European Union (EU) have signed a fishery access agreement, which will allow Seychelles flagged vessels to continue their fishing operations in the waters of Mayotte.

The accord was signed yesterday by the chairperson of the Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA) Philippe Michaud and the head of unit bilateral agreements and fisheries control in international waters, Roberto Cesari, who is also the directorate general of maritime affairs and fisheries in the European Commission.

Witnessing the signing of the accord, which took place at the SFA headquarters, were Minister for Natural Resources Peter Sinon and French ambassador Geneviève Iancu.

The waters of Mayotte will become EU waters when this island state becomes an outermost region of the union on January 1, 2014.
The agreement will allow eight tuna purse seine vessels to operate in the Mayotte waters under the jurisdiction of the EU for the next six years with the payment of licence and catch fees coming directly from ship owners.

After signing the agreement, Mr Cesari said the accord will add a positive element to the bilateral cooperation between the EU and Seychelles.

Mr Michaud described the signing as a historic one and proof of the union that exists between the EU and the Seychelles especially in the fisheries sector.

The accord is set to strengthen the strategic relationship shared by the EU and Seychelles in the region.

It will also bolster the cooperation and joint efforts to maintain and expand general fishery governance based on the highest standards of sustainability, transparency, control and monitoring of the respective fleets.

For the EU, this is the first inter-governmental agreement which has provided vessels of a third country the right to fish in its waters on the payment of fees.

These vessels will be subject to the rules and regulations of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), and the conservation and management measures established by the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC)- the body responsible for the management of the tuna stocks in the Indian Ocean.

The accord also permits Seychelles to fulfil its obligations as a responsible flag state by enforcing the actions agreed under IOTC to safeguard the sustainability of the resource.

It also builds on the recently agreed new Protocol to the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the EU and Seychelles.

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Seychelles and the European Union (EU) have signed a fishery access agreement, which will allow Seychelles flagged vessels to continue their fishing operations in the waters of Mayotte.

The accord was signed yesterday by the chairperson of the Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA) Philippe Michaud and the head of unit bilateral agreements and fisheries control in international waters, Roberto Cesari, who is also the directorate general of maritime affairs and fisheries in the European Commission.

Witnessing the signing of the accord, which took place at the SFA headquarters, were Minister for Natural Resources Peter Sinon and French ambassador Geneviève Iancu.

The waters of Mayotte will become EU waters when this island state becomes an outermost region of the union on January 1, 2014.
The agreement will allow eight tuna purse seine vessels to operate in the Mayotte waters under the jurisdiction of the EU for the next six years with the payment of licence and catch fees coming directly from ship owners.

After signing the agreement, Mr Cesari said the accord will add a positive element to the bilateral cooperation between the EU and Seychelles.

Mr Michaud described the signing as a historic one and proof of the union that exists between the EU and the Seychelles especially in the fisheries sector.

The accord is set to strengthen the strategic relationship shared by the EU and Seychelles in the region.

It will also bolster the cooperation and joint efforts to maintain and expand general fishery governance based on the highest standards of sustainability, transparency, control and monitoring of the respective fleets.

For the EU, this is the first inter-governmental agreement which has provided vessels of a third country the right to fish in its waters on the payment of fees.

These vessels will be subject to the rules and regulations of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), and the conservation and management measures established by the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC)- the body responsible for the management of the tuna stocks in the Indian Ocean.

The accord also permits Seychelles to fulfil its obligations as a responsible flag state by enforcing the actions agreed under IOTC to safeguard the sustainability of the resource.

It also builds on the recently agreed new Protocol to the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the EU and Seychelles.

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Avenues for a more dynamic relations between Seychelles and the EU

Thu, 09 March 2017

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President Danny Faure received the Director General of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries for the European Commission, Mr Joao Aguiar Machado, at State House today. He was accompanied by the Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the European Union (EU) to the Republic of Seychelles, H.E. Mrs Marjaana Sall.

The President welcomed Mr Aguiar Machado on his first official visit to Seychelles and on behalf of the Seychelles government, expressed appreciation for all the support given by the EU and for being an excellent partner in development of Seychelles.

"I would like to express my country's appreciation for the long outstanding partnership between Seychelles and the European Union. If today we have infrastructure, policies and development in the fisheries sector, we owe it to the EU for the help that you've given us over the past thirty years. We value this partnership and we look forward to further development of our already excellent relationship," said President Faure.

During the meeting, President Faure and Mr Aguiar Machado discussed issues of mutual interest and value to both Seychelles and the European Union, in which they explored new avenues of cooperation. They spoke about capacity building in the fisheries sector and enhancement to modern technologies, good governance structure of the ocean, blue economy, and maritime security among others. Mr Aguiar Machado conveyed the commitment of EU to continue partnering with the Seychelles and providing technical assistance where necessary.

Speaking to the national media after the meeting, Mr Aguiar Machado said that Seychelles is a key partner for the European Union in the fisheries sector. He said that his visit to Seychelles testifies the importance of the bilateral relations between Seychelles and the EU as well as the will to broaden their relations.

Also present at the meeting was the Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, Mr Michael Benstrong, Chairman of the Seychelles Fishing Authority, Mr Philippe Michaud, Foreign Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Claude Morel, Diplomatic Advisor to the President, Ambassador Callixte D'offay, Chief Executive Officer of the Seychelles Fishing Authority, Mr Bernard Arnephy, Head of Unit responsible for Fisheries Agreements (European Commission), Mr Christian Rambaud, Policy Officer (European Commission), Mr Alan Gray, and Attaché (European Commission), Mr Denis Reiss.

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Maritime Affairs and Fisheries - EU official pays courtesy call on VP Meriton

13-March-2017
The director general for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries in the European Commission Joao Aguiar Machado paid a courtesy call on Vice-President Vincent Meriton Saturday at State House.

Mr Aguiar Machado was accompanied by two EU representatives.
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