EU/Seychelles Agreement: access for fishing vessels flying the flag of the Seychelles to waters and marine biological resources of Mayotte, under the jurisdiction of the EU

The Committee on Fisheries adopted the report by Alain CADEC (EPP, FR) on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of the Seychelles on access for fishing vessels flying the flag of the Seychelles to waters and marine biological resources of Mayotte, under the jurisdiction of the European Union.

The committee recommended that the European Parliament gave its approval to the conclusion of the Agreement.

The current agreement, the first of its kind, was an access agreement signed between the Republic of the Seychelles and the European Union on 3 April 2014. It concerned access by Seychelles-flagged vessels to the waters and biological resources of Mayotte, which acquired the status of an outermost region of the European Union on 1 January 2014. As a result Mayotte’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) now belonged to EU waters.

This access agreement allowed a limited number of Seychelles-flagged vessels that had a tradition of fishing in Mayotte’s waters to continue to fish in Mayotte’s EEZ with due regard for the rules of the common fisheries policy.

Members wished to give a favourable opinion on this agreement as it benefitted both parties, it was beneficial for the economic development of Mayotte and the Seychelles and it complied with the rules of the common fisheries policy and the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) as regards preservation of resources.