Fishermen from Anse Boileau and Anse à La Mouche jointly form new association |09 August 2021

Father Colin Underwood blessing the fishermen men during the ceremony to launch the Anse Boileau Fishermen’s Association (Photo: June Morel)

The fishing communities of Anse Boileau and Anse à la Mouche have joined together to form the Anse Boileau Fishermen’s Association.

The aim of the association is tobring together fishermen from the two communitiesso that they are better represented and their voicesbetter heard at national level when it comes to airing the different concerns and challenges they face in their work as fishermen.

The association was launched during a short ceremony held at the Anchor Café, Anse à la Mouche, on Saturday afternoon.

Present to launch the association was Minister for Fisheries and the Blue Economy, Designated Minister Jean-Francois Ferrari. Also in attendance were the principal secretary for energy and climate change, Rebecca Loustau-Lalanne;Linyon Demokratik Seselwa (LDS) elected National Assembly member for Anse Boileau Phillip Arissol;chief executive of the Seychelles Fishing Authority(SFA)Nichol Elizabeth; chief executive of the Seychelles Maritime Safety Authority(SMSA)Captain Joachim Valmont; chairman of the association Randolph Valmont; other guests and members of the association.

Addressing the fishermen and guests gathered to witness the event,Designated Minister Ferrari said he is very proud to see that the two fishing communities have been able to do away with their differences and join together to form the association.

He noted that the government will encourage andassistthe two communities with fishingfacilities without distinction. He added that the government appreciateswhen different groups of people come together to work for a common cause as it also wants to transform Seychelles as a country where its citizens take their responsibilityby coming forward and organising themselves rather than waiting for the government to doeverything for them.

He reminded the fishermen that it is their responsibility to take charge of their businesses and facilities that will be allocated to them, while the SFA and the department of fisheries will facilitate, support and encourage them to move forward and grow their businesses.

“The idea is rather than ask what government is doing for you, you should ask what you are doing to help your own business to develop and grow. One has to understand that government is not into doing business. It is only a facilitator. It is the duty of business owners to make the first move to help him or herselfonce the opportunities have been facilitated and made easier,” Designated Minister Ferrari said.

He went on to highlight the need to value the work of fishermen as not onlya daily activity but as a business that is ranked high in society in view of its economic contributions.He called on the fishermen to use their association to tap intobenefits that the fishing sector offers.

The association’s chairman Randolph Valmont said the first priority of the association is to get other fishermento come onboard and secondly to sort out an immediate issue with the authorities with regards to passageways for fishermen in both communities, among other matters.

He thanked all those who have helped to make the association a reality.

SFA chief executive Nichol Elizabeth, for his part, assured the fishermen that the local fishing authority will continue to give them the support and assistance they need. He said in early 2022, the SFA will embark on a bigproject that will benefit fishermen fromthe two communities.

“It will be a multi-million rupee project similar to the one at La Retraite as well as those being constructed in theAnse Aux Pins and Cascade districts and also like the one to be constructed at Baie St Anne Praslin,”said Mr Elizabeth who did not reveal all the detailsof the project for the moment.

But he reassuredthe fishermen that SFA’s assistance will also take into account their demands for the creation of passageways and theinstallation of mooring buoys and navigational aidsat both Anse Boileau and Anse à la Mouche,among other pertinent matters.

Mr Elizabeth also called on them to adhere to SFA’s andSMSA’s regulations to prevent unnecessary search and rescue operations, among other incidents that may end up in court fines or use of tax payers’ money to look for them.

The association received blessingsfrom Father Colin Underwood from the Anse Royale Catholic Church. He thenmade his way tothe shoreline followed closely by the fishermen and other guests to bless allthe fishing boats that were moored in the bay of Anse àla Mouche.

Registered on July 7, 2021, the association has 23 members for the moment. It held its first meeting on July 31, 2021. Apart from Mr Valmont as chairman of the association, the other members of the executive committee are Vincent Didon (vice chairman), Robin Bonnelame (treasurer), Peter Purvis(secretary), Jim Memee, Jimmy Port-Louis and Robin Benoiton (ordinary members).

Ordinary member Memee, a fisherman from Anse à la Mouche, said he hopes the association will attainits objectives in promoting the interests offishermen in the two communities.

After the launch, the members of the association and guests viewed an exhibition on the different varieties of fish caught by fishermen from the two communities and toured the information centre set up by the SFA on some scientific fishing research it has carried out.

Patrick Joubert