Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, and Seychelles jointly call for proportionate tuna catch reductions

Four Indian Ocean countries jointly call for proportionate tuna catch reductions. The fisheries Ministers from Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles met last week at the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) Fisheries Ministerial Summit. Ministers analysed the potential socio-economic impact that some of the proposals made by other governments for the 26th session of IOTC (16-20 May) can have on their coastal communities. Ministers also met with representatives of Europêche’s Tuna Group (AGAC/OPAGAC, ORTHONGEL, and ANABAC who joined the group) to address the situation of tuna fisheries in the Indian Ocean. The sector emphasized during the summit the substantial contribution from the Indian Ocean purse seine fleet to the local economies of the IOC countries. Out of the 42 purse seiners operating in the area, 13 fly the Seychellois flag and 3 the Mauritian flag. These vessels fish, land, use port facilities, shipyards and canneries of IOC countries, creating jobs across the whole ...