Spanish Tuna Company Initiates Crew Training Program For Seychellois

Spanish company Albacora is providing crew training to Seychellois youth aspiring to a career in the fishing industry. Last week, the first cadet joined a Seychelles-flagged purse seiner, owned by Isabelle Fishing Ltd., a subsidiary of Albacora, to learn about tuna fishing operations and real-time navigation. Albacora posted on LinkedIn that Rye-Anne Vel, a graduate in marine mechanics and a Seychellois, embarked on the ‘Galerna II’, “This experience will allow you to gain practical knowledge on board.”

The program will start with three cadets and expand to include more Seychellois in the coming months. Organized by Albacora, in collaboration with Bermeo Tuna World Capital, the Bermeo Nautical Fishing Centre, and the Seychelles Maritime Academy (SMA), the initiative will help to strengthen ties between Europe and the Western Indian Ocean, two key regions in the global tuna fishery. A spokesperson from Albacora said: “We continue to invest in young talent, international cooperation, and the continuous improvement of the sector,” reported Europa Azul. Finding young people to work on tuna boats is a challenge for many fleets. OPAGAC previously launched initiatives to hire youngsters for careers in fishing.