Seychelles participated in the 28^th Session of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) and annual meeting held in Thailand, from 13^th to 17^th May 2024.

21-05-2024 – Seychelles participated in the 28^th Session of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) and annual meeting held in Thailand, from 13^th to 17^th May 2024.

The Seychelles delegation, which was led by Mr. Roy Clarisse, Principal Secretary for Fisheries, included officers from the Department of Fisheries of the Ministry of Fisheries and the Blue Economy, Seychelles Fishing Authority and industry representatives.

A total of 24 proposals were submitted for adoption, of which three were presented by Seychelles, with two relating to strengthening data collection and reporting requirements, including for the pole and line fishery as recommended by the IOTC Scientific Committee. The third proposal submitted by Seychelles concerned measures to end the wasteful practice of discards at sea for fishing vessels other than purse seiners, for which such a measure is already applicable. The proposal was adopted as a recommendation.

A total of 16 resolutions were adopted by the Commission, including a new resolution for the better management of drifting fish aggregating devices (dFADs). Notably, the Commission adopted two proposals on management procedures for skipjack and swordfish, which places IOTC ahead of other tuna RFMOs in applying best practice in science-based management of stocks and the first of those to adopt a management procedure for a non-tuna species (i.e. swordfish).

The Seychelles delegation was not entirely satisfied with the outcome of the session, as there remains continued resistance from countries whose fleets use gears other than purse seining to agree on conservation and management measures for their fisheries and in doing so contribute to the rebuilding of the yellowfin tuna stock.

-END-