Tuna experts to meet for key Seychelles conference |03 February 2010
The first Seychelles Tuna Conference, scheduled to start tomorrow and run until Saturday,
The forum – with the theme Taking stock, action today for sustainable tuna tomorrow – is being hosted by the government and sponsored, among others, by MWBrands, makers of Petit Navire, Parmentier, John West and Mareblu products.
MWBrands’ chief executive Adolfo Valsecchi, who will speak at the conference, said: “The Indian Ocean is an important resource and its future depends upon cooperation among all stakeholders.
“This is an opportunity to build on the success already achieved in Seychelles.”
Seychelles is located in one of the largest fishing grounds in the world and is home to the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC).
Susan Jackson, president of the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF) which is also a sponsor, said: “More than 20% of the world’s tuna comes from the Indian Ocean, making it a region that we all have an intense interest in protecting.
“This conference will be a huge success if it simply sparks a renewed passion for working together toward a sustainable future.”
The forum will allow delegates to evaluate what is known about the fisheries, share new scientific data and propose immediate action and long-range strategies to strengthen and protect tuna resources in the Indian Ocean.
Those taking part will also tour a working fishing boat and the tuna processing plant in Victoria.
Conference speakers include chairman Joel Morgan, Minister for Environment, Natural Resources and Transport; scientist Alain Fonteneau from the Institut de recherche pour le développement; Alejandro Anganuzzi, executive secretary, IOTC; Professor Doug Butterworth of the Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics at the University of Cape Town; Laurent Dagorn, senior scientist at the Institut de recherche pour le développement; David Ardill, former executive secretary, IOTC; Henk Brus, founder of Atuna; Rondolph Payet, chairman of the IOTC and former managing director of the Seychelles Fishing Authority; Dr William Fox, vice-president and managing director of the Fisheries World Wildlife Fund – US; Miguel Jorge, marine programme director – WWF International; Dr Michel Goujon, director of Orthongel, the French tuna boat owners’ association; Dr Rolph Payet, special adviser on the environment to President James Michel; Dale Squires, senior scientist and economist at the US National Marine Fisheries Service; Calixte D’Offay, secretary-general, Indian Ocean Commission.
The conference will also honour the work of Dr James Joseph, a well-respected fisheries conservation scientist who died while organising the event. Dr Joseph was, most recently, chairman of the ISSF’s scientific advisory committee.