(4 minutes read)
· Seychelles exported more than 6,600 tonnes of fish and crustaceans in 2019 worth US $13 million, according to Seychelles Fisheries Authority (SFA)
· Tuna, sea cucumber lead items of export
· Sea cucumbers are mainly exported to Hong Kong, the United States and Cote D’Ivoire, which also contribute the most to Seychelles’ economy through their imports of fish
Seychelles exported more than 6,600 tonnes of fish and crustaceans in 2019 worth US $13 million, according to Seychelles Fisheries Authority (SFA). The authority also has given the break up also of the fish exported. A little over US$6.5 million – just half of the export earnings, has come from tuna. Yellowfin, skipjack and bigeye tuna are the main species in tuna exported. These catches were made mostly by the French and Spanish vessels during their fishing activities in the Seychelles Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Seychelles has an exclusive economic zone of 1.4 million square kilometers and a sizable part of its income comes from exports. Tourism is the mainstay of the Island nation lying off the East Coast of Africa. The island nation looks to the sea for sustenance. Most fish caught by purse seiners are not processed in Seychelles and are transshipped to other countries. The government is planning to create processing capacities in the island to gain more revenue from export of fish as also to provide gainful employment to people. The Seychelles fishery authority’s date indicates that Cote D’Ivoire was the country that imported the most tuna last year – over 2,600 tonnes at a value of US$1.5 million.
A purse seine is a specialized type of netting deployed around an entire area where fish is located. The seine has floats along the top line with a lead line threaded through rings along the bottom. Once a fish area is located, a skiff encircles the area with the net. The lead line is then pulled in, when the net is closed on the bottom, preventing fish from escaping.
The sea cucumber, which is highly priced in international markets is the second-most income providing item — US$3.1 million. The majority was exported to Hong Kong. Sea cucumbers are marine animals with a leathery skin and an elongated body containing a single, branched gonad found on the seafloor worldwide. There are restrictions on fishing of this endangered item. It is only carried out during an eight-month-long open season and the fishing of three exotic varieties of fish is licensed such as flower teat fish, white-teat fish, and prickly red – of sea cucumbers. Sea cucumbers are mainly exported to Hong Kong, the United States and Cote D’Ivoire. These three countries contribute the most to Seychelles’ economy through their imports of fish.
