Draft policy on the management of bycatch landings by industrial fishing vessels in Seychelles

CALL FOR EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSULTANT

Draft Policy on the Management of Bycatch Landed by Industrial Fishing Vessels in Seychelles

• Introduction

The incidental capture of non-targeted species and undersized individuals of target species, termed as bycatch, has always been part of the industrial purse seine tuna fishery. According to a 2011 study[1], it was determined that bycatch in the Western Indian Ocean tuna purse seine fishery varies according to fishing modes, with a higher percentage from sets made on schools associated with fish aggregating devices (FADs) (5.3%) compared to sets made on free swimming schools (1.1%). Combining the two fishing modes, the estimated bycatch level is 3.55%, over half of which is tunas (mainly neritic tunas). Bycatch is a feature of virtually all fisheries and can sometimes be mitigated if not totally avoided. It is to be noted that not all bycatch is landed, with some discarded at sea. Discards are often perceived as a waste of fish resources. In 2016, the annual catch made by the tuna purse seine fleet in the Indian Ocean was 289,704 metric tonnes, which represents a potential bycatch of more than 10,000 metric tonnes that could have been landed in Seychelles. This level of bycatch represents a volume two times greater than the annual landings from Seychelles’ artisanal fishery.

Over the past 30 years that industrial tuna purse seine vessels have been operating in the Seychelles, only a small proportion of bycatch from this fishery has been landed in Port Victoria, mainly to be used as bait for the artisanal fishery or for use in animal feed. With EU legislation and Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) Resolution 17/04 aimed at reducing discards, it is likely that the proportion of bycatch landed in Port Victoria will increase.

The Government of Seychelles has sought to promote the participation of local investors in the industrial tuna fishery, particularly in processing activities. Consequently, an increasing number of local companies have become involved in the handling, processing, marketing and export of bycatch. The current situation is that the demand for, and value of, bycatch in Seychelles is increasing, with consumption on the local market also growing - many food catering activities depend on bycatch as their main supply of fish. However, no proper control measures are in place to ensure food safety and traceability, which is of particular concern in cases where bycatch is used for human consumption. With the demand for bycatch growing, the process of managing access to landings has also increased in importance, including issues such as maintaining a supply of lower value bycatch for bait, ensuring adequate monitoring and reporting, logistics of handling and storage, and controlling port access for buyers.

The Seychelles National Agricultural Investment Plan (SNAIP) makes provision for the development of policy related to bycatch: specifically the objective ‘Support policy development, laws and regulations’ and its output (‘by end 2017, a bycatch policy has been developed’) and outcome (‘more local fishers and consumers benefit from the management and access to bycatch’). The bycatch policy will provide the basis for the necessary legal and administrative framework and guidelines in order to better regulate, organize and administer all activities emanating from the landing of bycatch by tuna purse seiners and its commercialization, while respecting and strengthening existing rules and regulations regarding food safety and trade of fish and fish products. This assignment will therefore contribute to the Ministry’s vision to promote and strengthen a resilient and sustainable fisheries and agriculture sector that enhances food and nutrition security, contributes to economic growth and respects the natural environment.

• Objectives of the Assignment

The consultancy will draft a bycatch policy for the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture, which will support a coordinated response to the management of bycatch landings and use in Seychelles, as well as supporting the framework for the reduction of discards in conformity with international obligations (i.e. IOTC). The policy focus will be centered on the management of bycatch landings from industrial purse seine tuna vessels in Port Victoria and on allocation and use mechanisms for bycatch. In considering allocation and use mechanisms, the policy will incorporate the goal and socioeconomic objectives of the SNAIP, which address food security, value chain development and diversification, and sustainable increase of revenue from the sector. The specific objectives of the assignment are to:

• Identify the challenges and opportunities with regards to accessing, managing and utilising bycatch landings to Seychelles

• In collaboration with stakeholders, develop policy and strategic recommendations for managing bycatch landings and their utilisation[2]

• Draft and validate the policy

• Scope of Work

The consultant will be required to undertake the assignment using a combination of desk-top research, stakeholder consultations and workshops, including key government stakeholders and representatives from the fishing industry and civil society. Specifically, the main tasks of this assignment are to:

• Review and analyse the present circumstances of national and regional bycatch policies, regulations, data collection and research programs;

• Summarize estimates of bycatch for the tuna purse seine fishery and the amounts landed or transshipped in Seychelles as background for decision making and the policy document;

• Incorporate the findings of a parallel consultancy on value chain mappingfor bycatch in Seychelles (see footnote #2);

• Analyse the legal status of bycatch in terms of import and export, focusing on traceability, rules of origin and other trade issues;

• Identify phyto-sanitary standards that should be applied for local consumption, processing, marketing and export of bycatch, as well as any standards for non-food uses (e.g. fertilizers);

• Explore options for accessing and handling of bycatch landings in terms of logistics, sanitary conditions, and sales platforms (including auctions);

• Assess any labour and gender issues that require policy support in the context of assessing and utilising bycatch;

• Develop reporting requirements for sales (or purchases), processing and export of bycatch, including the provision of information that can be used to derive performance indicators or measures;

• Present options for limits to the number of companies that can acquire and process bycatch for local or export markets, including allocation criteria, and propose conditions that should be attached to the permit or authorisations for companies accessing bycatch;

• Consult with key stakeholders to agree an outline and components of the bycatch policy;

• Draft the policy document, ensuring is in compliance with the requirements of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Policy Development Framework;

• Conduct a policy validation workshop and prepare and present report of the workshop to the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture;

• Develop a sensitisation program on bycatch management and the new policy.

• Deliverables

The consultant is required to furnish the following deliverables:

• An inception report with agreed timeline of consultations, workshops, and stakeholder analysis;

• First draft of the bycatch policy and supporting background documents;

• Final draft policy taking into account the deliberations of the validation workshop, and workshop report;

• Final policy document taking into account the final comments from the Ministry;

• A consultancy completion report and information note or memorandum for adoption of the policy.

• Duration and Timing of the Assignment

The contract shall be for 30 days over a period of three (3) months and proceed according to the following timing or deadlines for activities or deliverables.