Press Release - Signing of the Agreement on the Provisional Application of the Amendments to the Protocol of the FPA between Seychelles and EU

The European Union (EU) and Seychelles have today signed the agreement on the provisional application of the amendments to the Protocol of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement (FPA). The signing of this agreement was done in Brussels, Belgium between Ms. Mary Veronica Tovšak Pleterski and Ambassador Barry Faure who, respectively, were representing the European Council and the Government of Seychelles.

The Protocol, which sets out the fishing opportunities (expressed in EU vessel numbers) and the financial contribution (by EU) for the period from 18 January 2005 to 17 January 2011, was amended following negotiations between Seychelles and the EC held from 20th – 21st March 2007 in Brussels. The amended Protocol was initialed by both Parties at the conclusion of the negotiation (on 21st March 2007) and has been in provisional application, pending its entry into force, since 18th January 2008.

The amendments made to the Protocol constitute of increases in the reference tonnage and financial contribution. As a result of the good level of catches, the reference tonnage was increased from 55,000 tonnes to 63,000 tonnes. An increase was made in the annual financial contribution as from 18th June 2008, representing an amount of EUR 5,355,000 compared with EUR 4,125,000 per annum for the first three years of the Protocol’s duration. The increased annual financial contribution of EUR 5,355,000 comprises EUR 4,095,000 equivalent to the new reference tonnage (of 63,000 tonnes per year) and EUR 1,260,000 (per year) for the support and implementation of the Seychelles’ sectoral fisheries policy.

It is to be recalled that the Seychelles-EU FPA was negotiated and concluded in 2004 to replace the previous bilateral fisheries agreement between the two parties, and is the largest tuna fisheries protocol ever signed by the EU with a third country. FPAs are the EU’s new generation of bilateral fisheries agreements. According to the EU, the main objective of introducing the FPAs to replace its previous bilateral fisheries agreements was to provide for improved economic, financial, technical and scientific cooperation in the fisheries sector with a view to conserving and achieving sustainable exploitation of the resources.

In this connection, the Government of Seychelles intends to carry out a comprehensive review of all the fisheries agreements it has concluded thus far with a view to ensuring that Seychelles obtains maximum yields from its fishery resources while undertaking the necessary measures for sustainable exploitation of these resources.

87th Session of the ACP Council of Ministers adopts Resolution on Fisheries

The ACP Council of Ministers adopted a resolution on fisheries during its 87th session, which was taking place recently in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 8th – 11th June 2008.

Among other things, the Resolution which was introduced to the Council by Seychelles, calls for a first meeting of the ACP ministers responsible for fisheries to be convened not later than in the first quarter of the year 2009, with the primary objective of establishing a ministerial mechanism for ACP coordination and cooperation on fisheries issues.

The proposal for the establishment of such an ACP ministerial mechanism was initiated by Seychelles following an ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA) fact-finding mission to the country in April 2008. (An article on the said JPA fact-finding mission was posted on this blog on 5th June 2008.)

The ACP Press Statement on the subject is reproduced below (this can also be accessed from the ACP official website - to go to it click here)

ACP PRESS STATEMENT 5 - ACP adopts resolution on establishing a Ministerial Mechanism for fisheries

June 11 2008

The African, Caribbean and Pacific 87th Council of Ministers adopted a resolution today (June 11), which calls for responsible fishing, and implementation of effective management, conversation and control practices in ACP States as well as the establishment of a Ministerial Mechanism for fisheries, no later than the first quarter of 2009.

The resolution, which was tabled by Seychelles, had the backing of the ACP Group, especially those who have stake in fisheries.
Delivering the resolution on behalf of his minister, Seychelles’ Ambassador to Brussels, His Excellency Mr. Barry Faure, said: “The resolution comes at an opportune time when we have reached a critical point in our paths for sustained social development and economic growth.”

He said it is a known factor that the fisheries sector, whether wild or marine and inland fisheries, plays a significant role in the economic and social development of major – not only coastal and island ACP countries, but also landlocked.
Mr Faure noted that fisheries sector contributes considerably to the social-economic development of the concerned ACP countries by providing food security and cheap source of protein.

“This sector constitutes a prominent economic pillar for many of these countries, which is attested by its important contribution to total income, foreign exchange earnings and employment,” Mr Faure said.
The Ambassador went on to say that for some small island countries like Seychelles, fish resources are their only natural resources and can be exploited economically in a significant manner.

However, he said, the rate of renewability is greatly influenced by human actions.
“This very fact requires us to be positive in our actions towards how we exploit our valuable fishery resources if we intend to reach an optimal outcome; an outcome where the yields spread over a long term horizon,” he said.
And he cautions that the reality is that fisheries is unattainable if “we fail to engage in, promote and require for responsible fishing, and implement effective management, conservation and control practices.”

ACP Ministers and senior officials who spoke on the motion had given their backing to the resolution.
Seychelles has also offered to host the first meeting of ACP ministers in charge of fisheries.

Details contact:
Robert Iroga
Attaché de Presse
African, Caribbean and Pacific Secretariat
451 Avenue Georges Henri
1200 Brussels
Tel: +32 2 743 0617
GSM: + 25 (0) 912 2008 08 (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia)
Fax : +32 2 735 55 73
Email: iroga@acp.int

JPA Fact-finding Mission on the Tuna Industry in the ACP

All photos, courtesy of the Seycheels Fishing Auhtority.

Between April 25 and 27 2008, the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA) fielded a high-level parliamentary delegation to Seychelles to undertake a fact-finding mission there with the participation of fisheries experts from Kenya and Mauritius.

Mrs. Glenys Kinnock, MEP (UK Labour/Socialsit Group) and Wilkie Rasmussen (Foreign Minster, Cook Islands), Co-Presidents of the JPA, leading the delegation, spoke to the local press in Seychelles about the outcome of their visit to Seychelles.

One of the main outcomes, they said, was that there was a need for a mechanism for coordination on fisheries matters at the level of the ACP group as they had found that there was much room for improvement in the way the ACP countries were handling their relations with the EU on various questions from the Fisheries Partnership Agreements to Sanitary and Phytosanitary Standards, Ilegal, Unregulated and Unreported Fishing and the Rules of Origin, amongst others.

The challenge, thus, is for the ACP to move towards institutionalizing a mechanism for fisheries at the forthcoming ACP Council due to take place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, between 9th and 11th June 2008. The good news is that the matter already features as an item on the agenda for that meeting and a draft resolution has been prepared for consideration of Council.

Small Island States & Global Climate Change and other environmental issues - Interview by Dr. Rolph Payet, Special Adviser to the President

JPA Report on "Effectiveness of Aid and Definition of Public Development Aid"

Honourables Waven William (Seychelles) and Anne Van Lancker (Member of the European Parliament), Co-Rapporteurs for the ACP and the EU, respectively, presented their preliminary Working Document on "Effectiveness of Aid and Definition of Public Development Aid" to the Committee on Economic Development, Finance and Trade, meeting on Saturday 15th March 2008 during the 15th Session of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA) in Ljubljana (Slovenia).

A key point made in the Working Document, which is of direct relevance to countries like Seychelles, is the case of the Small Island Developing States and the Middle Income Countries, whose specific concerns are not properly addressed in international development strategies. The Report calls for the EU to join hands with the ACP to influence change in the international community's attitude towards these countries.

The Report is largely based on the panel discussions of the Committee at its January 2008 Brussels inter-sessional meeting. It draws attention to the Paris Declaration of 2005 and the Third High Level Forum (HLF3) on Aid Effectiveness, scheduled to take place in Accra (Ghana), 2-4 September 2008. The primary intention of the HLF 3 is to take stock and review the progress made in implementing the Paris Declaration with a view to broaden and deepen the dialogue on aid effectiveness by giving space and voice to partner countries and newer actors (such as Civil Society Organsations and emerging donors). It is widely expected to identify the action needed and hurdles to overcome in order to make progress in improving aid effectiveness for 2010 and beyond. The Co-Rapporteurs are hoping that their Working Document can feed into HLF3, and called for the JPA to approve their request for their participation in the Accra meeting.

Members of the Committee congratulated the Co-Rapporteurs for the draft working document and suggested many ideas for the Raporteurs to consider in drafting the Resolution, which will be tabled for further discussions in the Committee's next meeting in Brussels, September 2008. The final Report is expected to be adopted in Papua New Guinea, November 2008, at the JPA's 16th Session.

Direct from Ljubljana.

ACP Secretariat Announces New Job Vacancies

Seychellois citizens qualify to apply for the new job vacancies at the ACP Secretariat.

The announcement of the vacant positions was posted on the ACP Secretariat's website (http://www.acp.int/) on 13th March 2008. It is to be noted that selections are made on the basis of qualifications. Suitable Seychellois applicants would stand an excellent chance as no Seychelles national has yet been employed by the ACP Secretariat, which is based in Brussels, Belgium.

As per the announcement, applications for these posts must reach the ACP Secretariat no later than 12 May 2008 and must be accompanied by a complete curriculum vitae, certified copies of diplomas, certificates and any other document testifying to the competence and professional experience of the candidates.

Indian Ocean Countries Signal Closer Ties

The Courier Magazine (www.acp-eucourier.info), a magazine of the Africa, Caribbean, Pacific and EU Co-operation and Relations, has carried an article on the recent Colloquium of the Indian Ocean Commission which took place in Seychelles between 4th and 6th March 2008. Below we carry the full story courtesy of The Courier Magazine.

"Indian Ocean countries signal closer ties

05/03/2008 - Debra Percival

Meeting to look at IOC shipping links © M Percival

Closer links between Indian Ocean countries have been signalled by a high level meeting in the Seychelles, March 4-6.

A colloquium “Globalisation and regional integration: the future of the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC)”, is looking at how opening of world makets harbours both challenges and opportunities for the region. It is organised by President of Seychelles, James Michel who is current IOC President.

Founded in 1984, the IOC includes ACP nations Comoros, Mauritius, Madagascar and the Seychelles and French islands of Reunion and Mayotte.

Experts, donors, regional and international bodies and the private sector are studying how to make regional ties stronger among IOC, in particular shipping and airlinks.

“Developing our shipping and air links between the countries of the sub-region and beyond is of fundamental importance to us, as without this basic infrastructure and networks, the objective of deepening regional integration will remain elusive,” Barry Faure, Ambassador of Seychelles in Brussels told ‘the Courier.’

He added: “For the moment our sub-region only has a few airlines serving regular schedules but these are rare and flying from one island to the other can take days in certain cases.Also, global developments are happening that affect the development and viability of the airlines in the region, which depend primarily on tourism traffic from Europe as their revenue mainstay.”

Shipping is in the same boat: “Whilst there is regular traffic, mostly by foreign operated vessels, some of the ports of the region (unlike Seychelles) suffer from a lack of capacity where congestion is quite severe, and costs can be much higher to certain destinations (like to Seychelles) because certain shipping lines monopolise the traffic,” said Ambassador Faure.

This week’s event is ahead of a meeting of IOC Council of Ministers March 27-28, which is expected to take on board recommendations made.

The EU has recently concluded “goods only” European Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with the four ACP states in the IOC. Negotiations with the EU are expected to continue in 2008 to conclude fully-fledged EPAs to broaden trade cooperation.

The EPA negotiations, explained Ambassador Faure, had heightened interest in the role and status of the IOC in building regional and trade cooperation in the East and Southern Africa sub-region which had, “hitherto been on the back-burner.”

When it became clear in October 2007 that the East and Southern Africa region would not be able to conclude an EPA with the EC by the end of 2007, President Michel called for a extraordinary meeting in the Seychelles of all four ACP Member States of the IOC with France Reunion as an observer to form a sub-group in the ESA region to to defend the interests of the island states and avoid trade disruption with the non-Least developed Countries (LDCs) in the IOC, Mauritius and Seychelles. This led the way to the initialling of the “goods only” interim agreements with the IOC four.

Ambassador Faure said there was also increased scope for the IOC four to step up cooperation with the French island of Reunion. Reunion already has cooperation agreements with individual IOC states in the fields of tourism, fisheries, the environment, land use management, education and martime surveillance and control."