Tuna Fishing: The European Union and Seychelles Renew Their Agreement for Four Years
A new protocol allows up to 38 European vessels to catch a reference amount of 55,000 tonnes of tuna and other migratory species annually in Seychellois waters, with €23 million in EU funding and commitments on control, employment and sustainability.
The European Union and Seychelles signed a new protocol to their Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement in Brussels on 27 July 2026. It allows European vessels to resume fishing in Seychellois waters for four years after the previous protocol expired on 23 February.
It has applied provisionally since signature, but definitive entry into force still depends on the consent of the European Parliament.
The protocol provides fishing opportunities based on an annual reference amount of 55,000 tonnes of tuna and other highly migratory species for a maximum of 30 purse seiners and 8 longliners.
The 55,000 tonnes are not a guaranteed quota that will automatically be caught, but a reference ceiling associated with the access opportunities under the protocol.
What each side is seeking
- Secure supply: tuna is the most widely consumed aquatic product in the EU, at 2.68 kg per person in 2023
- Tuna represented 11% of the total volume of EU fishery-product imports in 2024
- Regulate the activity of the European fleet in the Indian Ocean
- €23 million in EU funding over four years
- €3 million earmarked for Seychelles' sustainable fisheries sector
- Licence fees, a €90 fee per tonne caught, and economic activity for ports and processing
The protocol also provides funding for artisanal fishing, aquaculture, scientific cooperation, health controls and action against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. It includes commitments on employment conditions aboard vessels with reference to International Labour Organization and International Maritime Organization standards.
Why “sustainable” still has to be demonstrated
These provisions alone do not prove sustainability. The real impact will depend on the condition of fish stocks, the quality of scientific data, the level of monitoring at sea and in ports, and operators' actual compliance with the rules.
Tuna is a migratory resource exploited regionally, so its management cannot rely on a bilateral agreement alone. It is also governed through the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission, which coordinates decisions between regional states and fishing nations.
The distribution of value remains another question. Public revenue and port activity support the Seychellois economy, but the long-term benefit will depend on the country's ability to strengthen local processing, skilled employment and controls.
The €3 million allocated to sector development must be assessed through concrete results rather than the announced amount alone.
Read the original article on Commission européenne, Seychelles News Agency et ANSA