The High Commissioner of the Republic of Maldives, H.E, Mr Omar Abdul Razzak, conducted a courtesy call on the Designated Minister and the Minister for Fisheries and the Blue Economy, Mr Jean-Francois Ferrari, this morning (Tuesday 22nd June, 2021) at the Ministry.
The fisheries sector was one of the main points of discussion between the Maldivian High Commissioner and Minister Ferrari. Both the Minister and the H.E Mr Razzak agreed that Seychelles and Maldives should strengthen strategic objectives and partnerships in the tuna fishing industry as members of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC).
In addition, the issue of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing was another important point of discussion, as both countries face this common challenge. The possibility of a establishing a maritime security surveillance Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was discussed as a means of addressing IUU fishing and protecting marine resources notably the yellow fin tuna was also discussed. It was also proposed that the MoU include capacity building for the Seychelles Coast Guard as well as sharing of maritime security data between Seychelles and Maldives.
H.E, Mr. Omar Abdul Razzak and Designated Minister Ferrari
Minister Ferrari used this opportunity to brief the newly accredited Maldivian High Commissioner about current fisheries national projects that are currently being implemented in the Seychelles. This includes the development of the area on Ile Du Port, which has been designated as the Fish Processing Zone, and is expected to be a major step towards the diversification of the local fisheries sector.
Furthermore, Minister Ferrari discussed the possibility of establishing air connections between Seychelles and Maldives to facilitate cargo transportation of fresh/frozen/processed fish in the region.
