Moratorium on longline vessels extended ahead of fleet management plan
Seychelles to develop national plan for fleet capacity management
SEYCHELLES: The decision to extend the moratorium on chartering and importing small-scale longline fishing vessels for a further two years was approved at last week’s Cabinet meeting.
The initial one-year moratorium ended in June this year after the number of vessels operating in the tuna fishery increased from 36 to 55 in four years. According to an article published by Seychelles News Agency in August last year, boat owners were struggling to pay off loans as fish stocks dwindled.
According to the statement issued by the Cabinet after their latest meeting, findings from a recent memorandum, highlight persistent issues such as misreporting of fishing statistics, reliance on foreign crews, limited infrastructure capacity, and the increasing threat of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The decision to extend the moratorium has been made in response to these findings. The Cabinet believes the decision will allow time for the development of comprehensive policies and strategies aimed at ensuring the long-term sustainable growth of Seychelles' small-scale longline fishery, including the finalisation of a national plan for fleet capacity management and local employment incentives.
Additionally, the Cabinet has approved the processing of 23 pending import authorizations for vessels, subject to stringent conditions and oversight by the Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA).
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