Recognition of France’s role in advocating sustainable development of fishing activities worldwide
The Agreement for the fisheries of the southern Indian Ocean (APSOI) is a regional fisheries management that handles non-tuna fisheries in a high seas area of 30 million km2.
The decision to locate the seat of the APSOI in La Reunion was validated during the last meeting in Mauritius, the Contracting Parties namely the European Union, France, Mauritius, Seychelles, Japan and the Cook Islands, Australia and Korea. It allows La Réunion island to host the first seat of a regional organization for fisheries management on the French territory.
The decision is regarded as a recognition of the role of France, alongside the EU, in advocating of sustainable development of fishing activities worldwide.
The granting of this seat also offers the Reunion Island strategic positioning and an excellent visibility for the defense of the interests of France, including the management of fishing for Patagonian toothfish. The fishery for toothfish in value, the first French fishery in the world. It generates an annual turnover of 65 million euros. This is the second largest export revenue Reunion with 300 direct jobs and 1,000 indirect jobs.
The next meeting of the parties will be held in 2017 in Mauritius and will be preceded by the second meeting of the Scientific Committee at the meeting in March, 2017.
