Meeting of most Senior EU Fisheries Official with President Danny Faure

President Danny Faure received Mr Joao Aguiar Machado, the Director General of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the European Commission, the most senior European Union (EU) Fisheries Official, at the State House of the Republic of the Seychelles. 

This was the first time that a senior EU official of this position has visited the Republic of the Seychelles, the Indian Ocean region, and a country with which the EU shared a Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement.

The President was accompanied by the Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, Mr Michael Benstrong and the Foreign Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Mr Claude Morel. Mr Machado was accompanied by the Ambassador and Head of the EU Delegation to the Republic of the Seychelles, H.E. Marjaana Sall. The Director General offered the President his warm and sincere congratulations following appointment as President last October. He also confirmed to the President that the EU has, is and will remain a solid, strong partner to the Seychelles in the fisheries domain, not only bilaterally, regionally, but also internationally.  

The Director General noted that the Seychelles and the EU have shared a Fisheries Agreement since 1987 and through this and subsequent Agreements, a strong relationship and partnership has developed in that time. This partnership has evolved to the point, that for the EU, the Seychelles is now our most important partner in the Indian Ocean region – a partnership which is highly valued by the EU and which should continue long into the future.

The Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement is the most important such Agreement for the EU in the Indian Ocean and provides the Seychelles with financial compensation for access to Seychelles waters for EU vessels, and support for the development of the fisheries policy of the Seychelles amounting to a total of €30 700 000 during the period of 2014 to 2020. Half of this amount is dedicated to the support of the fisheries sector, notably the artisanal fisheries interests of the Seychelles.

Although the current relationship is based on fisheries, the Director General strongly believed that this can, and should, be deepened and widened to extend into other areas relating to the marine environment, such as blue economy, maritime spatial planning and ocean governance.

Regarding ocean governance, the Director General extended to the President an invitation, on behalf of the Federica Mogherini, High representative of the European Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-president of the European Commission and Karmenu Vella, European Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, to participate in the fourth high level “Our Ocean” Conference to be organised and hosted by the EU in Malta, in October this year. The Director General hoped that the President would participate to this conference in person, so that he can share the experience of the Seychelles in the development of the blue economy and oceans governance with a wider audience.  

At this conference, the EU would be proposing various actions under the following three priority areas:

This conference is a key element in response to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The President welcomed this invitation and would do his utmost to participate in this important event.

This conference will take place shortly ahead of the EU-Africa Summit in November in the Ivory Coast, where maritime security will be a key consideration. The Director General expressed his confidence in the Seychelles bringing together African States directly concerned by this important issue.

Both the President and the Director General concurred that the ocean is a common resource and they strongly believed that the most effective way in ensuring the protection and conservation of this environment is through international co-operation, on which the EU and the Seychelles should work jointly to further this co-operation and develop common initiatives whenever the opportunities arise. 

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