Minister Ferrari leads delegation on exchange visit to the UK and France |07 October 2022

The Seychelles delegation

The designated minister and minister responsible for Fisheries and the Blue Economy, Jean-François Ferrari, is heading a Seychelles delegation on a peer-to-peer exchange visit to examine fisheries management in both Shetland Islands, United Kingdom and Sete, France.

The exchange is aimed at capacity building for stakeholders involved in the co-management committee for the Mahé Plateau Trap and Line Fishery Co-management Plan.

The exchange provides an opportunity to learn from the experiences of peers who have been impacted, either positively or negatively, by change or performance in how fisheries are managed, and to appreciate the challenges and opportunities of co-management from contexts where such governance systems have operated for longer periods than Seychelles.

The minister is being accompanied by representatives from the Seychelles Fisheries Authority, Green Island Foundation, SWIOFish3, department of Fisheries, La Digue Fishers Association, Bel Ombre Fishers Association, Fishtec, PFBOA, among others.

Minister Ferrari has had the opportunity to meet with the Depute Convenor of the Shetland Islands Council, Bryan Peterson. Mr Peterson has welcomed the minister and his delegation to the islands and noted that “there is much that links Shetland with the Seychelles. We are both island societies where the sea provides both opportunities and challenges”.

He further stated that “Shetland extends a warm hand of friendship from the north Atlantic to our fellow islanders in the Indian Ocean” and hopes that the visit may strengthen the Seychelles fisheries sector even more.

In response, Minister Ferrari asserted that the Seychelles “values its new friendship with the fellow islanders in the North Atlantic” and that similarly to Shetland, Seychelles’ economy is heavily reliant on fisheries and the food security of its people is largely dependent on seafood. The minister also emphasised on the need to improve governance and build capacity for co-management of fisheries.

To conclude, he said he is convinced that these peer-to-peer exchanges can be an effective way to learn how stakeholders in other islands have addressed challenges common to fisheries and the development of our blue economies.

During the visit in Shetland, the minister and the delegation will have the opportunity to experience best practices and learn more about the Shetland seafood industry and the fisheries management, training and research initiatives being undertaken on the islands.

Furthermore, they will have the chance to visit the fish electronic auction centre, a technical college for fishers, a tour of the main harbour on board pilot boats and attend discussions on the different roles of the Shetland Fishers Association, Shetland Fish Producers Organisation and Shetland Shellfish Management Organisation.

Next week, the delegation will make their way to Sete, France and will be able to sit for a presentation on the French Mediterranean fisheries and of the Bluefin Tuna Management Plan by OP SATHOAN.

Moreover, they will be meeting with ‘Cepralmar’, which is a technical centre dedicated to fisheries and aquaculture as well as visit an experimental shellfish farm.

Before their journey ends, the delegation will be able to visit the port of Gruissan and the Halle à Marée - Criée d'Agde.

By the end of the trip, the minister and the delegation will have a better understanding of how stakeholders in the Shetland Islands, UK and Sete, France have managed their fisheries sector and how reforms have been undertaken to benefit livelihoods and their economy.

In addition, they will have a much clearer understanding on how to effectively manage Seychelles ocean spaces to allow fisheries, aquaculture and other blue economy initiatives to co-exist.

Press release from the Ministry of Fisheries and the Blue Economy