The Indian Ocean yellowfin tuna stock is teetering on the verge of collapse and some experts say the EU, which has profited the most from the fishery over decades, should do more to save it.
EU-controlled ships, including those flagged to smaller coastal states like Seychelles, haul in the lion’s share of Indian Ocean tuna, supplying a market worth billions of dollars.
Overfishing by these vessels, and the EU’s less-than-ambitious proposal to restore the yellowfin stock, has led to allegations of a “neo-colonial” plunder of resources that many developing nations depend on.
This is the first story in a two-part series about the effect European tuna fishing has on the economy and marine environment of Seychelles, an archipelagic nation in the Indian Ocean.
Nirmal Shah, former chair of Seychelles Fishing Authority, accused the EU of acting like a neocolonial power.
He told The Guardian: The EU is hypocritical, going around the world talking about overfishing. It’s a neocolonial situation. The EU are telling us is they don’t care about our coastal nations.
The Maldives fishing communities use traditional methods compared to EU FADs (Image: PA)
There are concerns fishing stocks may never replenish unless urgent action is taken (Image: PA)
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Jess Rattle, of the Blue Marine Foundation, added the proposals put forward by Brussels were woefully insufficient .
She warned the plans would not lead to the timely recovery of the stock and could in fact allow the EU fleet to increase its own catches, compared to 2019 .
But although the Indian Ocean is bordered by Africa, Asia and Australia, the single biggest harvester of yellowfin in the area is the European Union. EU nations â principally Spain and France â operate a âdistant water fleetâ of 43 vessels that fish the seas thousands of miles from home. In 2019 they caught 70,000 tonnes of yellowfin, more than Indian Ocean coastal states such as Iran (58,000 tonnes), Sri Lanka and the Maldives (44,000 tonnes each).
EU ships are major users of âfish-aggregating devicesâ (FADs). These fishing aids are floating objects that cast a shadow to attract groupings of fish. By casting nets near FADs, catches can be increased with less effort but can lead to more bycatch â including juvenile tuna that have not yet reproduced.
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