Holding of the FAO multi-stakeholder workshop on management of abandoned or end of use fishing gear
2026/7/29
A multi-stakeholder workshop on management of abandoned or end of use fishing gear was held at the meeting room of Laïla Resort, Anse Royale, on July 21th, 2026, in attendance of Mr SAKUTA Makoto, Ambassador of Japan to Seychelles, Mr Alain DE COMARMOND, State Secretary for Fisheries and Blue Economy, Mr Solofoniaina RALAIMIHOATRA, Project Coordinator of FAO as well as more than 20 participants from Fisheries, Ports and Security authorities, Landscapes and Waste Management Agency (LWMA), NPOs such as “Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI)” and “Stop Illegal Fishing (SIF)”, or Company gathering fishing nets “Brikolé” and others working in related sectors. The workshop is implemented as part of Japan-funded FAO project “Strengthening abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear management for cleaner oceans in the West Indian Ocean”.
Mr Alain DE COMARMOND, State Secretary pointed out that the authorities have been implementing regulations and measures to gather abandoned or end of use fishing gear but there are various difficulties in processing and disposal, and expressed, from the standpoint of promoting a circular economy, expectations for opportunities for stakeholders from different sectors to assemble and discuss solutions.
Ambassador SAKUTA reminded that for a small island nation possessing vast ocean expanses like Seychelles, managing waste generated by its key industry, the fisheries, is a significant challenge. Then, the Ambassador, citing two terms used in Japan to refer to waste: ‘rubbish’ and ‘rubbish into resources’ suitable for recycling, pointed out the importance of differentiated waste management. He expressed his hope that through knowledge and information sharing at the workshop, capacity at the local level would be gradually strengthened, collection and processing activities would expand, and these initiatives could be implemented in a sustainable manner in other regions as well.
Mr Alain DE COMARMOND, State Secretary pointed out that the authorities have been implementing regulations and measures to gather abandoned or end of use fishing gear but there are various difficulties in processing and disposal, and expressed, from the standpoint of promoting a circular economy, expectations for opportunities for stakeholders from different sectors to assemble and discuss solutions.
Ambassador SAKUTA reminded that for a small island nation possessing vast ocean expanses like Seychelles, managing waste generated by its key industry, the fisheries, is a significant challenge. Then, the Ambassador, citing two terms used in Japan to refer to waste: ‘rubbish’ and ‘rubbish into resources’ suitable for recycling, pointed out the importance of differentiated waste management. He expressed his hope that through knowledge and information sharing at the workshop, capacity at the local level would be gradually strengthened, collection and processing activities would expand, and these initiatives could be implemented in a sustainable manner in other regions as well.