ALLEGATION OF CORRUPTION SURFACES
The arrival of a peculiar looking boat in Seychelles waters last week gave rise to serious allegations of corrupt practices. The boat which is manned by Chinese crew has hundreds of blue plastic barrels onboard which has given rise to speculation that it would be engaging in the sea cucumber trade. It appears that the vessel, or at least its owner, has found the lure of the highly prized sea cucumber irresistible. It is alleged that the boat’s papers are highly irregular. Apparently, it has no port clearance from its last port of call, no health certificate nor again, does it have an International Safety Certificate onboard. It has allegedly set sail from China, without the required authorisation, packed to the brim with diving equipment. Its supposed owner is of Chinese origin, with recently acquired Seychellois nationality. A mystery surrounds how this person got a sea cucumber license ahead of Seychellois fishermen who have already applied for a license. These fishermen are still waiting in a 5 year old quota system introduced by the SFA.
GLENNY SAVY’S FIASCO
The licensing process, amongst other things, has led many to accuse the SFA of corruption and unfair practices. Since its inception the SFA has been marrred in controversy. It’s erstwhile Chairman, Glenny Savy, spent USD 35 million to buy the “Spirit of Koxe”. The purchase of the fibre glass boat was “sois disant” to engage Seychelles in the tuna fishing industry. This money was wasted as the boat was totally inappropriate to be used for the purpose of tuna fishing. Mr. Savy is yet to account for this fiasco. Next came the “live fish project”, when some Hong Kong investors were allowed to fish “vielle babonne” during the spawning season and export these “live” directly to Hong Kong from the outer islands without Customs checks. The project turned out to be yet another fiasco directly linked to Mr. Savy. It is alleged that a brand new jeep was given as a gift to induce the granting of the licence although the allegation was neither investigated nor proven. Untold damage was subsequently caused to the marine environment when the Chinese employed the hideous and controversial fishing method of using explosives to stun the fish. It is also alleged that this particular operation was not monitored at all and the chinese fishermen indulged in widespead poaching of turtles, sea cucumbers, lobsters, muscles and shells.
THE POST OF SFA CHAIRMAN
Environmentalists blew the whistle on the project and the government scrambled to pass legislation banning the exploitation of live fishery in the Seychelles. Recently in contempt of the law, a Mauritian vessel was caught with large quantities of “vielle maciata” without a license to fish in Seychelles waters. Upon investigation, they explained that they were not fishing but had been contracted by IDC to transport the fish only. Although the explanation was found to be suspicious and unfounded nobody was arrested or charged for illegal fishing. A decision was later taken to remove Mr. Savy as Chairman of SFA. Sylvestre Radegonde was chosen as his successor. He vacated the post shortly after to be succeeded by Mr. Finley Racombo, to the chagrin of Mr. Randolph Payet who believes that he is more qualified than the former to occupy the post.
LOCAL FISHERMEN ARE UP IN ARMS
The arrival of the strange craft in Seychelles to allegedly undertake sea cucumber exploitation has brought complaints from many Seychellois fishermen. They hold the view that the trade is not transparent and is shrouded in mystery and secrecy
They have made it clear that this time around they will not be taking this issue lightly. They have threatened to protest by way of petition to President Michel to carry out an in-depth investigation surrounding the circumstances in which the person obtained a sea cucumber license from SFA. Furthermore, they state, unless one is well connected to powerful people in Government, it is impossible to obtain such a license.
A number, it is understood, have resorted to desperate measures and are currently fishing without the necessary license. Although on the one hand licenses are not transferable, SFA has turned a blind eye to “well-connected” operators possessing a single license whilst they operate up to seven boats at a time in the business. SFA has however been quick to drag other “not-so-well-connected” operators before the Supreme Court. This has been for minor offences such as failing to declare catch, and has led many to question the true motive of SFA management.
SEA CUCUMBER LICENSES
The procedure to obtain a sea cucumber license is unlike any other. Although one has to apply to the Seychelles Licensing Authority to obtain a license – this is only approved upon recommendation of the Seychelles Fishing authority. The Seychelles Fishing authority for its part has imposed a quota system. This means that the only way to obtain this much coveted license one needs to be “well-connected” or have some serious hard cash to induce license approval. The sea cucumber is reputed to contain healing properties. It is cholesterol free and many Chinese believe that it can cure several ailments such as rheumatism, high blood pressure and impotency. Others suggest, rightly or wrongly, that it may even contain a cure for HIV.
MARKET PRICES
As demand outstrips supply with one billion Chinese clamouring to quench their insatiable appetite for this “magic” product, the price of sea cucumber has skyrocketed. A few months ago sea cucumber was selling at Rs.40 a piece. This price has now increased by an unprecedented 50%., an all time high. It is now clear that sea cucumber is a lucrative industry with fortunes waiting to be made albeit by divers rather than boat owners. Only a privileged few has been given a “Carte Blanche” by SFA to build their little empires. The management of the sea cucumber industry, if entrusted in the right hands, can potentially be a major source of foreign exchange revenue for the country.
BOAT OWNERS ASSOCIATION
The Boat Owners Association which is headed by Mr. Beatty Houreau has kept a suspicious silence on the issue. He has not held any election and not formulated a constitution which would have allowed other interested Boat Owners to stand up for election as chairman. Many has accused Mr. Hoareau of not standing up for the boat owners at all. He is rather preoccupied with running his own business and has not given any time to the concerns of the boat owners in general. There has been no consultation with other boat owners and he has not held any meetings to discuss issues raised by people in the industry for a very long time, although he has not missed any opportunity to use the media for his own personal gain. The boat owners have also complained that the sea cucumber industry is being held to ransom by the divers who now benefits the most from the high prices. The boat owners have to provide diesel, diving gears, salt, food, water and other safety equipment only to get a minimal 20% margin of profit compared to other fisheries which command 35% to 50%. They have stated that the cost of maintenance of their boats are astronomical and the industry is at risk of being compromised if the Boat Owners Association does not address these issues immediately.
