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# [SEYCHELLES] Tuna fisheries: EU renews 4-year deal for €23 million after 5 months of suspension
- URL: https://businessoi.media/en/seychelles-peche-thoniere-lue-renouvelle-son-accord-pour-4-ans-et-eu23-millions-apres-5-mois-de-suspension-en/
- Published: 2026-08-28T08:46:19.000Z
- Updated: 2026-08-28T08:46:19.000Z
- Description: After 5 months of suspension, Seychellois waters reopen to European fishing fleets. The new EU–Seychelles protocol covers €23 million, 55,000 tonnes of annual quotas, and 38 vessels over 4 years. Signed July 27, 2026.
- Author: Emmanuel TAOCHY
- Tags: Seychelles, Économie, Flash de mi-journée, #en

On July 27, 2026, the European Union and the Republic of Seychelles signed a new fisheries access protocol, ending five months of suspension. Since February 23, 2026, European vessels had been operating without a formal agreement in Seychellois waters. The renewed protocol runs for four years and governs access to one of the Indian Ocean's most productive tuna fishing zones.

## 55,000-tonne quota and 38 vessels authorised

The new protocol authorises up to 38 European vessels — 30 purse seine vessels and 8 longliners — to operate in Seychelles' exclusive economic zone. The annual quota is set at 55,000 tonnes of tuna and migratory species. European shipowners pay a fee of €90 per tonne caught.

The EU's total financial contribution amounts to €23 million over four years. Of this, €3 million is earmarked for support to Seychelles' sustainable fisheries sector, notably through its participation in the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC).

## A strategic deal for both sides

For the EU, the agreement is critical: tuna accounted for 11% of total EU fish and aquaculture imports in 2024\. "Today's renewal demonstrates the values on which the EU is founded: reliable cooperation, sustainable fishing, and a stronger economy," said EU Commissioner Costas Kadis.

For Seychelles, the deal provides a stable revenue stream for an archipelago whose economy rests on two complementary pillars: tourism — with the highest GDP per capita in Africa — and industrial fisheries.

## Why it matters

In the Indian Ocean, fishery resources are a strategic asset under growing pressure. The renewal of this agreement, after five months of legal uncertainty, is a reminder that bilateral accords are fragile and that any delay weighs on local processing and export industries. For Mauritius, Madagascar, and the Comoros — which also manage their exclusive economic zones and negotiate similar agreements — the Seychelles model remains an essential reference point.

*Sources: EUNews, July 27, 2026; Direction générale du Trésor, Indian Ocean Economic Briefs, August 2026*