Seychelles participated in the 30th Session of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), held in Malé, Maldives, from 11 to 15 May 2026, where Member States met to discuss the sustainable management of tuna fisheries in the Indian Ocean.

The Seychelles delegation was led by the Chief Executive Officer of SFA, Dr. Jan Robinson, and included representatives from the Department of Fisheries, SFA, and the Ministry of Fisheries, Agriculture and Blue Economy.

During the meeting, seventeen proposals were submitted covering key issues such as tuna catch limits, Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS), conservation of bycatch species, and governance.

Seychelles presented a proposal to amend Resolution 25/02 on the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS), seeking to introduce the mandatory continuous operation of Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) for vessels operating within the national waters of IOTC coastal Member States.

The proposal received strong support from several Contracting Parties and Cooperating Non-Contracting Parties (CPCs). Following constructive discussions, Seychelles agreed to defer the proposal to the next Commission meeting to allow for further consultations and refinement of the text. Eight of the seventeen proposals were adopted by the Commission.

SFA will work to implement the adopted Conservation and Management Measures, reaffirming the country’s commitment to the sustainable management of tuna fisheries in the Indian Ocean.