Seychelles has received the 2011 contribution from the European Union (EU) worth Euros 5,600,000 a year as part of the Fishery Partnership Agreement, which allows 21 European purse seiners to operate in our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
It is the first of three such payments under the existing three-year fisheries accord.
The allocation is made up of the access right – Euro 3,380,000 – which allows the EU’s fleet in the Indian Ocean to fish in Seychelles waters.
Another sum of Euro 2,220,000 is allocated to support and implement Seychelles’ sectoral fisheries and maritime policy.
The Fishery Partnership Agreement prevents EU vessels to operate in areas reserved for Seychellois artisanal fishermen. It stipulates that the total EU catches in Seychelles’ waters, by 21 purse seiners, shall not exceed 52,000 tons.
Based on an annual catch of 52,000 tons the EU pays the Seychelles government Euro 107 per ton of tuna caught. At the current market high price of Euro 1350 landed Seychelles for skipjack, the license costs represent 8% of the sales value.
If there is additional catch, a further contribution shall be paid by the EU.
The EU fleet plays a crucial role in supplying all the Western Indian Ocean tuna processing factories in Mauritius, Madagascar and Seychelles, whose exports to Europe are exempt of tax.
The MW brands owned IOT cannery in the Seychelles is one of the world’s largest and receives all its tuna from EU vessels.
An additional benefit is the transshipment of tuna in Port Victoria by the purse seiners, which also provides employment for stevedores.
Recently tuna fishing activity in the Seychelles EEZ had declined due to fear of Somali piracy.