EU/Seychelles Fishery Partnership Agreement providing real benefits

Alessandro Mariani, Ambassador and Head of the European Union Delegation for the Seychelles, is pleased to announce that the 2011 EU financial contribution of EUR 5,600,000 of the Fishery Partnership Agreement has recently been paid. It is the first of three such payments under the existing three-year Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the EU and the Seychelles.
Both parties to the Fishery Partnership Agreement (FPA) have notified respectively their completed ratification processes and the Agreement has officially come into force. Therefore the first payment to the Public Treasury of Seychelles has been carried out by the EU as foreseen in the national 2011 Budget.
This EU financial contribution is made of:
- the access right – an amount of EUR 3,380,000 which allows the EU Indian Ocean tuna fleet to fish in Seychelles’ waters ;
- a specific amount of EUR 2,220,000 dedicated to the support and implementation of Seychelles’ sectoral fisheries policy and maritime policy.
The FPA prevents the EU vessels to enter the areas already exploited by artisanal fishermen. Moreover, the total catches of the EU fleet in the waters of the Seychelles will not exceed 52,000 tonnes. If exceptionally it is the case, an additional contribution from EU would have to be paid as required under the Agreement.
The EU fleet plays a crucial role in supplying all the Western Indian Ocean Tuna processing factories whose exports to the EU are consequently granted free of tax. Facing piracy, nonetheless 21 EU purse seine vessels are operating in the Indian Ocean. Their total catches are unloaded or transhipped in Port Victoria and provide sufficient raw material to meet the demand of the canned tuna processors of the region, and in particular, the Seychelles.
The EU grant dedicated to the Seychelles’ sectoral fisheries and maritime policy, as announced by the Seychelles’ Government, will essentially contribute to various infrastructure projects. The latter include processing plants, sales stands and other facilities providing an incentive for fishermen to supply professional market outlets with their catches so that they can meet the local and international demand for sustainable high quality seafood products.
For more information please contact:
Vilija SYSAITE
Press and Information Attachée
Delegation of the European Union
Phone: (230) 207 15 15
Fax: (230) 211 66 24
vilija.sysaite@eeas.europa.eu
Website of the delegation:
http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/mauritius/index_en.htm