Seychelles likely to catch yellowfin quota by September – Undercurrent News

The board of directors of the Seychelles fishing authority has set the 2017 yellowfin quota for purse seiners licensed under its flag at 29,890 metric tons last week, 10% down from its 2015 catches, informed sources told Undercurrent News.

"10% (3,321t) shall be deducted from the 2015 quota (33,211t) and be kept as a buffer. The remaining amount of 29,890t shall become the [Seychelles' yellowfin] tuna quota for 2017," it said.

The total purse seiners catch in yellowfin tuna reported so far, which totaled 16,965t on May 20, should be deducted from the Seychelles' quota, the country's authority decided.

The remaining amount of tuna catch for 2017, totaling about12,925t, has been equally divided among the 13 vessels licensed under the Seychelles flag. Each vessel has been allocated a quota of 994t for the rest of the year.

The quota is not transferable to other vessels.

With these quotas, it is estimated that the Seychelles' fleet will have to stop fishing at the end of September, industry sources told Undercurrent News.

A human observer will be placed on board each vessel to ensure proper monitoring.

Vessels that reach the quota shall immediately cease their fishing operations.

The decision last week followed the implementation of resolution 17/01 in May by the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission, which implements some new conservation and management measures on a interim plan for rebuilding the Indian Ocean yellowfin stock. During the meeting, small island developing states were allowed to choose 2015 as a reference year for their yellowfin tuna catches instead of 2014.

The Seychelleshas been allowed to use 2015 levels instead of2014 as a reference for the reduction.

It was also agreed that Mauritius, which fishes less than 5,000t per year, doesn't have to comply with the reduction.

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Seychelles likely to catch yellowfin quota by September - Undercurrent News