Tuna fishing in Seychelles: Opagac concerned about catch limits and high operating costs

Yellowfin tuna catch limits and high operating costs are not a good recipe for the future, said a senior official of the Organisation of Associated Producers of Large Tuna Freezers (OPAGAC). The statement was made by the deputy manager of OPAGAC, Miguel Herrera, in an interview with SNA, who added that there is a possibility of the situation worsening should the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) decide to take more restrictive measures. Yellowfin tuna in the Indian Ocean is currently the most overfished tuna stock in the world. In 2016, the IOTC adopted a resolution reducing the fishing allowance of the species by 15 percent to help rebuild the population. The OPAGAC-AGAC group represents the interests of Spanish six seiners out of the 13 seiners registered in Seychelles. "While we are happy that the height of the COVID-19 crisis is over, we must report that the future does not look bright," he added. The group expected operating costs to reduce in 2022, but this was not the ...