EU–Seychelles SFPA Faces Crucial Review As Expiry Nears

Several Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are currently in Seychelles to evaluate the renewal of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement (SFPA) between the island nation and the EU.The deal permits EU-flagged vessels to catch tuna and other fish within the archipelago’s EEZ. The existing six-year accord is set to expire on February 23, placing negotiations over continued access and cooperation at a critical juncture for both sides.

The six MEPs, from the Committee on Fisheries, are reviewing Seychelles’ progress on sustainable fishing, monitoring and enforcement systems, data collection, and measures to curb IUU fishing within its Indian Ocean EEZ.

During the three-day mission, which concludes on Friday, the delegation is holding talks with Seychelles President Patrick Herminie and Fisheries Minister Wallace Cosgrow, alongside visits to purse seine operators, artisanal fishing groups, cold storage facilities, tuna canneries, and infrastructure financed through the EU’s fisheries partnership funds. All this is intended to provide Brussels with a clearer view of how Seychelles is implementing EU fisheries control standards and managing partnership resources on the ground, the committee said, according to The Fishing Daily.

The current fisheries protocol covers the period from February 2020 to February 2026, allowing EU-flagged vessels to catch 50,000 tons of tuna every year. The EU provided EUR 5,300,000 per year, with EUR 2,800,000 dedicated to supporting the sustainable development of the Seychelles’ fisheries policy. The access was given to 40 purse seiners and eight longliners, owned by the Spanish, French, Italians, and Portuguese.

Giuseppe Milazzo, the Italian MEP who is heading the delegation, stated that Seychelles is a key partner of the EU in the Indian Ocean and a strategic actor in the global tuna industry. “We look forward to continuing our dialogue on sustainable fisheries management, and to further strengthen our mutually beneficial relationship.”

In early February, the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI) concluded in its latest report that Seychelles has made significant progress in ensuring the monitoring of its purse seine and longline catches over the past year and worked on the crucial Tuna Fisheries Management Plan. Seychelles has been collaborating with FiTI, since 2020 when it submitted an application, to strengthen sustainable fisheries management, improve public accountability, and protect its economy from the impacts of IUU fishing.