10 October 2006
Seychelles Seychelles will this year be hosting its first Tuna Festival from October 12 - 18, to pay respect to this tasty pink-fleshed oceanic fish, one of the most valuable commercial fish species in the world today.
The Tuna Festival, which coincides with the annual FAO (Food and Agricultural Organization) World Food Day on October 16, aims to help Seychellois families eat more tuna, cooked in innovative and interesting ways.
It also seeks to reinforce the importance of this marine resource that not only guarantees employment to several thousand Seychellois but also plays a key role in ensuring the nation’s food security as well as its economic development.
And, what better way to do so than to organize a Tuna Festival, where for one week a series of activities will be held on Mahe and Praslin islands to celebrate the important role tuna plays in the lives of the Seychellois people.
The celebrations will be marked by two gala nights, cookery programs, exhibitions, a float parade, distribution of flyers with tuna recipes, as well as radio games where callers can win interesting prizes.
Both local and foreign chefs have been called upon to participate, and tuna delicacy evenings will be organized in restaurants and hotels as well as outdoor venues such as Dimans Borlanmer and Lanbyans Labrin. Tuna dishes will be sold at discounted prices to hotels, restaurant, ‘Take aways’, and to outdoor vendors so that the Seychellois public and tourists will be able to taste such exotic and dishes such as tuna gaspachios, sashimi and sushi which remain largely unknown to the Seychellois public.
This year’s theme ‘Ton i Korek’ reflects many aspects of the tuna resource i.e. it is a truly national treasure and its contribution extends beyond that of nutritional and financial value, to be also part of our cultural heritage. The Festival, it is hoped, will allow the public to discover the many ways in which tuna is really ‘korek’.
There are presently a number of countries worldwide hosting tuna festivals notably Italy, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, including the famous one held in General Santos City, Philippines.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and the Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA), the hosts of the Festival, wish to acknowledge the contributions and support of a number of ministries and organizations, as well as foreign missions, and foreign-owned vessels, notably the Spanish and French for this initiative.
