Conclusion of an agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Seychelles on access by Seychelles fishing vessels to Mayotte waters

I voted against this recommendation on the draft Council decision on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Seychelles on access by Seychelles fishing vessels to the waters of Mayotte. This agreement allows vessels flying the Seychelles flag to access Mayotte waters (which belong to the EU) to fish for tuna. We oppose this agreement, as the vessels granted access are in fact owned by Spanish companies that take advantage of the less strict rules of their flag country, but (re-)enter EU waters to fish.


In 2020, the Greens were rapporteurs on the fisheries agreement between the EU and the Seychelles, and initially we had already included more critical wording about the fact that Seychelles-flagged vessels are owned by EU citizens and companies, and we urged the Commission to look into this practice, as it aims to circumvent the rules on taxation, fishing quotas and transparency. At the time, the respective paragraphs were deleted and/or weakened by Spanish liberal and conservative MPs.

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