3rd Fisheries Ministerial Conference: the Regional Fisheries Surveillance Plan moving towards institutionalisation and extending its surveillance area
28 February 2025, Seychelles: Securing the future of Fisheries through institutional commitment, such was the theme of the third ministerial fisheries conference on the Regional Fisheries Monitoring Plan (PRSP*). Organised by the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) in collaboration with the European Union (EU) and the support of the ECOFISH programme, the third ministerial conference on fisheries was held from the 25th to the 28th of February 2025 at the Eden Bleu Hotel in Seychelles.
Ministers, representatives from the participating countries, the IOC and the European Union, together with experts and other technical partners, met on the final day of the conference to focus on the institutionalisation of the PRSP. The main recommendations outlined the shared will of the participating countries to bring their support to regional cooperation. They reaffirmed their commitment by signing the ministerial declaration aimed towards the establishment of a Regional Fisheries Monitoring, Control, Surveillance and Observation Coordination Centre as well as the mobilisation of human and technical resources. With this shared goal in mind, the PRSP is on its way to strengthening its institutional capacity.
Established in 2007 at the request of the IOC Member States, the main objective of the PRSP is to deter, combat and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the South-West Indian Ocean region. Indeed, this region of 7.23 million km² of marine areas abounds in fish resources with an estimated economic value of 50 billion euros, therefore requiring sound and prudent management alongside extensive protection. Supported by the European Union through the ECOFISH programme and implemented by the IOC, this regional cooperation scheme now includes nine participating countries: the Comoros, France/Réunion Island, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, the Seychelles, Somalia and Tanzania.
Having praised the collective efforts made to promote regional cooperation and information sharing during the workshops and other meetings held over the first three days, the representative of the EU ambassador, José M. Troncoso Perera, Head of Cooperation of DEU, acknowledged that “the PRSP has acted as an undeniable deterrent in the region, limiting IUU fishing among industrial fleets.” Nonetheless, he also added that “it is now vital to ensure the sustainability of regional expertise with regard to Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) at IOC level. Apart from the sustainability objective, the EU also plays a key role in supporting maritime safety in the Indian Ocean, a strategic region facing multiple challenges such as piracy, illegal fishing, drug and arms trafficking, as well as the risks associated with climate change.”
Strengthening regional cooperation
In his speech, the Minister of Fisheries and Blue Economy of Seychelles, the Honourable Jean-François Ferrari, expressed his gratitude towards the participants for accepting the IOC’s invitation to this major event on Seychelles territory. Agreeing that the theme chosen for this third edition “takes us right to the heart of the problem of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing”, he emphasised the impact of IUU fishing on food security, the economy and the ecology.
Stressing the need to reinforce regional cooperation, Jean-François Ferrari added that “Seychelles has always played an important role in the governance of our region’s oceans. We are determined to continue these efforts and Seychelles is ready to support the institutionalisation of the Regional Fisheries Monitoring, Control, Surveillance and Observation Coordination, while further contributing to the transformation of the Western Indian Ocean into a zone where international law and regional cooperation prevail.”
Edgard Razafindravahy, Secretary General of the IOC, spoke of the relevance and usefulness of the PRSP, which received an international award from the International Fisheries Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Network in 2023: “This international prize is a reflection of the shared political will to collectively fight against a common scourge, of the involvement of national agencies and professionals on the ground, and of the practical usefulness of regional cooperation and multilateralism.” As such, the ministerial conference represents a key step in providing “a new impetus to our shared vision of managing our maritime resources sustainably, whilst securing the future and sustainability of PRSP activities.”
After underlining the fact that “no State can meet the challenges of illegal fishing and sustainable management alone, and that the future of our ocean depends on our ability to work closely together,” Edgard Razafindravahy concluded his speech by expressing his wish to strengthen “partnerships, shared responsibility and regional solidarity” so that all the parties involved can ensure the future of fishing.
*PRSP : Plan Régional de Surveillance des Pêches
