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Archive - Archive 2004 - July 2013

Roche Caiman to get new market |08 July 2013

Roche Caiman to get new market

Partners signing the agreement

The agreement was signed last Friday on the project site which has been named Eden View, situated at the entrance to Eden Island, opposite the Angel Fish Marina. 

The principal secretary for Land Use and Habitat Joseph Fran็ois, signed on behalf of the Seychelles government while Eden Island was represented by its executive chairman, Craig Heeger.

Also present were the Minister for Natural Resources Peter Sinon, the Minister for Land Use and Habitat Christian Lionnet, the member of the National Assembly for Roche Ca๏man Giovanna Charles, the district administrator Wilbert Omath, the chief executive officer of the Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA) Finley Racombo, the project contractor Vijay Patel, Roche Ca๏man fishermen and Eden Island staff.

The new facilities will consist of a fish and vegetable market equipped with fish cleaning and equipment storage facilities as well as a refrigerated ice and fish store.

A boat harbour will also be built to facilitate mooring of boats and unloading of catch. This will equally include a fuel pump and fishermen will not have, as is the case now, to go all the way to the Victoria South Petrol Station with a jerry can to buy fuel.
There are also plans to add a small restaurant and internet caf้ in the future.

Mr Heeger said that Eden Island has proposed the facilities to the government as part of the ongoing partnership between his company and the Roche Caiman community.

He explained that once the construction work is completed, the new facilities will be managed by the newly created Roche Ca?man Fishermen Organisation, through an agreement with Eden Island.

The symbolic ground breaking ceremony for the project

Minister Sinon described the project as a perfect example of long lasting public private partnership as it has involved the participation of different stakeholders.

“This has been a long standing project and its realisation is only possible after lengthy negotiations between fishermen, Eden Island, the Angel Fish Company, the ministries of Land Use and Habitat and of Natural Resources. As Minister Lionnet insisted during the negotiations, we had to put fishermen first, make sure they are not left out, take time to listen to them and take their concerns and proposals into consideration.”

Minister Sinon also thanked Hachim Leiss, the owner of Angel Fish who has been assisting the fishermen with a temporary market place as well as pontoon, lighting and security facilities and lawyer Bernard George for assisting the Roche Ca๏man fishermen in setting up their organisation.

The minister announced that as fresh funds have been made available for the promotion and development of artisanal fishing, market facilities will in the near future be improved at Anse Aux Pins, Anse Etoile, Anse Boileau, Anse Royale, Anse Etoile and English River.

He said that this will help ease congestion at the Victoria Market.
On his part, the interim chairman of the Roche Ca๏man Fishermen Organisation, Florent Pool, was thankful to the Seychelles government and Eden Island for the initiative which he says will greatly improve conditions for him and his colleagues:

“The market is a very good thing for us fishermen, the Roche Ca๏man community and the public in general. We had become tired of moving every time. From Les Mamelles we had come to Roche Ca๏man where many times we have been forced to change location. It is a good thing to once and for all and at the same place, have the comfort of modern facilities which will cater for twenty boats and about forty fishermen.”

It is planned that the new Roche Ca๏man market will be functional as from November this year.

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