Seychelles Candidate Elected New Executive Secretary of IOTC

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs

&

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Industry

Joint Press Release

23^rd April 2012 

Seychelles Candidate Elected New Executive Secretary of IOTC

Former CEO of the Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA) has been elected as the Executive Secretary of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission during the 16^th Session of the IOTC held on Saturday 21^st in Freemantle, Australia.

Mr. Rondolph Payet, currently working as the Regional Executive Secretary for the World Bank funded South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Project, was one of three shortlisted candidates out of 30 applicants for the post.

"It was an extremely emotional moment and delighted with results. I'm looking forward to be back in Seychelles, and proud and honoured to be part of ‘Striving for Seychelles’", stated Mr. Payet.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Jean-Paul Adam has said:

"I warmly congratulate Rondolph on his election. His election reflects the leadership of Seychelles on a number of developmental issues- not least the question of equitable and sustainable fisheries and ocean management. We must continue to strive for the development of the blue economy and we wish Rondolph well for when he takes up his new role."

The Seychelles delegation to the 16th IOTC Session is being lead by the CEO of SFA, Mr. Finley Racombo (the IOTC Meeting is still ongoing and ends on Thursday).

As part of the process the candidates were required to make a presentation outlining their strategy and vision for the IOTC Secretariat. Mr. Payet listed his main focus areas as improving scientific advice and artisanal catch systems, assisting developing countries in adhering  to a comfortable level of compliance and data streaming, establishing effective mechanisms assisting the coastal states  to address  their constraints, and influence financing mechanisms in tuna fisheries research, management and capacity building.

Mr. Payet, who is expected to take up his three year tenure in early 2013, also described his main ambition as “able coordinate the efforts of the all the members countries for better management and improve economic returns of the tuna fisheries to all the coastal states in the Indian Ocean”.   

After serving for seven years as the Chief Executive Officer of the Seychelles Fishing Authority, Mr. Payet became the Regional Executive Secretary, South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Project, a World Bank multimillion funded research project for improved management of fish stocks in the region, including tuna.

In 2009, he received the ‘Chevalier de L’Ordre National de Merit Agricole’ (Knighthood of the National Order of Merit) from the French Government for “distinguished achievement in fisheries.” He has a BSc in Fisheries Science and Oceanography,  a Masters degree in Marine and Coastal Resource Management, earned with Distinction, a Postgraduate Diploma in GIS and Fisheries Management and a Masters in Business Administration.

Additionally, Mr. Payet is the former Chairman of Indian Ocean Tuna Commission.

Editors Notes:

·         The Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) is an intergovernmental organization mandated to manage tuna and tuna-like species in the Indian Ocean and adjacent seas. The objective of the Commission is to promote cooperation among its members with a view to ensuring, through appropriate management, the conservation and optima utilization of stocks covered by this Agreement and encouraging sustainable development of fisheries based on such stocks.

·         The main functions of the IOTC are:

Ø  to keep under review the conditions and trends of the stocks and to gather, analyse and disseminate scientific information, catch and effort statistics and other data relevant to the conservation and management of the stocks and to fisheries based on the stocks covered by the Agreement;

Ø  to encourage, recommend and coordinate research and development activities in respect of the stocks and fisheries covered by the Agreement, and such other activities as the Commission may decide appropriate, including activities connected with transfer of technology, training and enhancement, having due regard to the need to ensure the equitable participation of members of the Commission in the fisheries and the special interests and needs of members in the region that are developing countries;

Ø  to adopt on the basis of scientific evidence, conservation and management measures, to ensure the conservation of the stocks covered by the Agreement and to promote the objective of their optima utilization throughout the Area;

Ø  to keep under review the economic and social aspects of the fisheries based on the stocks covered by the Agreement bearing in mind, in particular, the interests of developing coastal states.

Posted in: