Remarks by Jean-Paul Adam, Minister Of Finance, Trade And The Blue Economy at the opening of the stakeholder consultation on an Indian ocean fisheries improvement programme
August 03, 2015
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The development of our Blue Economy implies a paradigm shift. It requires that we change many of the ways we are used to doing things to secure shared prosperity.
Seychelles has embraced this change. But we cannot wave a wand and expect things to fall into place.
This shift requires engagement at all levels. It requires commitment to long term goals ahead of short term gain.
We are gathered here today at a critical juncture in the conservation and management of our shared Indian Ocean resources.
I am pleased that we are bringing together key representatives in the fishery from across the Indian Ocean region to join our own domestic semi industrial fishermen to forge a common cause towards building a sustainable tuna industry for Seychelles and for the wider region.
Tuna, the great renewable resource of this ocean, has provided for the development of one of the world’s most productive fisheries. It is an intrinsic part of our blue economy. However, due to a combination of factors, the level of threat to the stability of this resource has increased substantially in recent years.
From increasing seawater temperatures to oceanographic anomalies, the effects of climate change are already bearing down on us. Moreover, specific impact on tuna stocks is further magnified when adverse environment-related factors are combined with the ever-increasing fishing pressure.
The result of this combination has already been acutely felt in Seychelles. This is why the government has decided to raise the level of concern with regards to the status of IO tuna stocks.
Furthermore, the government acknowledges that the broader impact of industrial fishing on large marine ecosystems also needs to be studied and better understood. These specific impacts pose further challenges to the sustainability of Indian Ocean fish stocks.
The prognosis for yellowfin tuna in particular is not encouraging. Of major concern is the fact that the fishery lacks a clear Harvest Strategy or specific Conservation Management Measures (CMM), as clearly reported in the most recent MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) pre-assessment report into the Seychelles purse seine tuna fisheries, commissioned by the Seychelles Fisheries Authority.
The collective effort of industry, scientists and managers is of paramount importance if we are to improve the management of these fisheries so that the stock is allowed to rebuild. It starts with our efforts at this meeting as we aim to develop a robust and internationally recognised FIP(Fisheries Improvement Project) and identify a common strategy for the forthcoming IOTC meeting.
Improving the viability of fish stocks not only boosts the long term sustainability of the industry, it is also an essential tool in terms of marketing and exporting our products to key markets.
Seafood consumers are increasingly better informed on key issues such as overfishing and bycatch and tuna consumers in particular are now more and more acquainted with the potential impacts of FADs (Fish Aggregating Devices). Best practice in fisheries management and the sustainability criteria of certification bodies must guide our efforts to tackle these issues.
We need to agree and implement robust harvest strategies that include control rules linked to effective and equitable management responses. We need sensible limits on the use of fish aggregating devices and innovative solutions for mitigating the impacts to bycatch. We need to be innovative and limit waste of valuable living resources- there is no reason why we cannot aim to develop a zero waste tuna industry. Local partners are working to ensure that we can make this happen. Fisheries improvement projects offer us a roadmap for concerted action aimed at addressing these key challenges.
We must not also simply fall into the trap of doing the minimum. We must be ambitious and aim to achieve lasting improvements.
We know that an effective sustainable fisheries plan can grow the market share of sustainable fisheries products.
Our local fisheries entrepreneurs have already started moving in this direction.
It is clear that our Blue Economy platform can create opportunities for all- as long as we embrace sustainable practices.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Transiting to sustainable tuna fisheries is and will be particularly challenging in the Indian Ocean. Our ocean is populated by numerous coastal states that differ greatly in terms of their socioeconomic context, culture and aspirations. The catches of tuna are shared among small-scale and industrialised fisheries, while illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing takes a largely unknown quantity.
Therefore, the institutions that we have erected to govern the exploitation of these resources require strengthening and support. Even if the incentives for fisheries improvement projects are driven by markets, they will be beneficial for all stakeholders if they mobilise additional resources, generate new ideas and strengthen our will to manage tuna sustainably.
This is why Seychelles is also supporting the principle of a fisheries transparency index which allows all stakeholders and consumers to take informed choices. Through such an initiative we also hope to drive standards upwards at a global level.
Tuna has been a key engine of growth in Seychelles for the last 3 decades. Port Victoria is an industrial complex built entirely on the production of this fishery. Our long-term, strategic partnerships with distant water fleets and producers, many of whom are represented here today, have been essential to that development. This is and will always be a multi-stakeholder effort.
Sustainable tuna fisheries and tourism are the foundation for our “Blue Economy”, a concept that is central to our national development agenda. In an effort to promote resilience and adaptation in the face of climate change, Seychelles is developing innovative approaches for governing its ocean space.
The fisheries improvement programme we hope to be able to implement will complement the work we are doing to also develop the sustainable fisheries plan for the Mahe plateau as well as our overall Marine Spatial Plan which allows us to develop our Exclusive Economic Zone in a holistic manner.
But, we recognise that we cannot do this alone, especially when it comes to highly migratory resources such as tuna. We will therefore continue to work through partnership and regional institutions to achieve the necessary changes in governance.
I am glad to see that the urgency of these challenges has brought us here to begin the process of finding solutions and a roadmap for fisheries improvement.
I am confident that through this process we can put in place one of the milestones of our Blue Economy.
I look forward to your proposals to bring about the improvements we need.