Seychelles introduces license for spanner crab fishery amid increasing interest

The Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA) introduced a license for the fishing of the spanner crab species, the country’s State-run news agency reports citing a top official.

Several factors, including the fact that more and more fishing units are getting into this sector, have motivated the move, Karyss Auguste, the assistant manager for license at the SFA, indicated.

“Another reason is that the fishermen have been asking us to put in place several measures, as they were becoming concerned, especially with the size of the crabs that are being captured lately,” said Auguste.

The license will be enacted October 2024 and only 10 licenses will be given out to fishermen.

SFA’s research note that there are only about seven fishermen who are actively doing this fishery on a full-time basis. The licensed fishers will be allowed to operate with a maximum of 350 fishing traps per vessel, the agency reports. The SFA will be collecting data about the fisheries during this first year of the license and after that work on other changes.

The Seychelles spanner crab fishery began as a commercial venture in 1986. The species can be found over the Mahe Plateau, with the eastern and southern areas having the largest populations. The average yearly capture of spanner crabs from 2011 to 2020 was 30.5 tons, reaching a maximum of 90.2 tons in 2018.