Fisheries and Aquaculture (Designation of Restricted Fishing Zones) Regulation, Statutory Instrument no. 14 of 2026

SI 14 2026 - Fisheries and Aquaculture (Designation of Restricted Fishing Zones) Regulations 2026 Fisheries and Aquaculture Actth[16 March 2026] 45 SUPPLEMENT TO OFFICIAL GAZETTEREPUBLIC OF SEYCHELLES SI S.I. 14 of 2026 FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE ACT, 2025 (Act 3 of 2025) Fisheries and Aquaculture (Designation of Restricted Fishing Zones) Regulations, 2026 Arrangement of Regulations 1. Citation 2. Interpretation 3. Designation of restricted fishing zones 4. Prohibition of fishing activities 5. Offences and penalties Schedule S.I. 14 of 2026 FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE ACT, 2025 (Act 3 of 2025) Fisheries and Aquaculture (Designation of Restricted Fishing Zones) Regulation 2026 In exercise of powers conferred by section 145 of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2025 read with section 11 of the said Act, the Minister responsible for Fisheries, Agriculture and Blue Economy makes the following regulations — Citation 1. These regulations may be cited as the Fisheries and Aquaculture (Designation of Restricted Fishing Zones) Regulations, 2026. Interpretation 2. In these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires — “Act” means the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2025; “Authority” shall have the same meaning assigned to it under the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2025; “Fish Aggregating Device” shall have the same meaning assigned to it under the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2025 “foreign vessel” shall have the same meaning assigned to it under the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2025; “joint venture vessel” shall have the same meaning assigned to it under the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2025; “local vessel” shall have the same meaning assigned to it under the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2025; “operator” shall have the same meaning assigned to it in the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2025; “Restricted fishing zone” shall be construed in accordance with regulation 3 and the Schedule to these regulations; “Seychelles industrial vessel” shall have the same meaning assigned to it under the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2025; “Seychelles registered vessel” shall have the same meaning assigned to it under the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2025; and “support vessel” shall have the same meaning assigned to it under the Fisheries and Aquaculture Act, 2025. Fisheries and Aquaculture Actth[16 March 2026] 46 SUPPLEMENT TO OFFICIAL GAZETTEREPUBLIC OF SEYCHELLES SI Designation of restricted fishing zones 3. For the purposes of section 11 of the Act, the areas of Seychelles waters as described in the Schedule shall be designated to be the restricted fishing zones. Prohibition of fishing and related activities 4.(1) An operator shall not, in any restricted fishing zone — (a) engage in fishing or any related activity from a — (i) local vessel licensed for tuna or tuna-like species; (ii) Seychelles registered vessel; (iii) Seychelles industrial vessel; (iv) foreign vessel; or (v) joint venture vessel; (b) assist in, support or otherwise participate in fishing or such related activity. (2) The provisions of sub-regulation (1) shall not apply to — (a) a support vessel engaged solely in collection, retrieval or recovery of drifting Fish Aggregating Devices unless prior written approval has been granted by the Authority; (b) a vessel engaged in scientific research unless prior written approval is granted by the Authority. Offences and penalties 5.(1) Any person who contravenes the provisions of these regulations commits an offence and shall on conviction be liable to the penalty as specified in section 11 of the Act. (2) In addition to the penalty specified in sub-regulation (1), any fish caught or possessed in committing the offence under sub-regulation (1) shall be forfeited to the State and disposed of as may be directed by the Authority. Fisheries and Aquaculture Actth[16 March 2026] 47 SUPPLEMENT TO OFFICIAL GAZETTEREPUBLIC OF SEYCHELLES SI SCHEDULE RESTRICTED FISHING ZONES Zone 1 – Mahé Plateau Comprising an area around Mahé Island and the Seychelles Bank, bounded as follows— 1. From Point 1 (Latitude 5° 22.0′ S, Longitude 57° 23.0′ E) 2. To Point 2 (Latitude 3° 40.0′ S, Longitude 56° 06.9′ E) 3. To Point 3 (Latitude 3° 30.0′ S, Longitude 55° 11.0′ E) 4. To Point 4 (Latitude 3° 55.0′ S, Longitude 54° 23.0′ E) 5. To Point 5 (Latitude 4° 44.0′ S, Longitude 56° 08.0′ E) 6. To Point 6 (Latitude 5° 38.0′ S, Longitude 56° 08.0′ E) 7. To Point 7 (Latitude 6° 34.0′ S, Longitude 56° 02.0′ E) 8. To Point 8 (Latitude 6° 34.0′ S, Longitude 56° 23.0′ E) 9. And back to Point 1, the point of commencement. Zone 2 – Platte Comprising an area around Platte Island, bounded as follows— 1. From Point 1 (Latitude 6° 06.3′ S, Longitude 55° 35.6′ E) 2. To Point 2 (Latitude 5° 39.0′ S, Longitude 55° 35.6′ E) 3. To Point 3 (Latitude 5° 39.0′ S, Longitude 55° 10.0′ E) 4. To Point 4 (Latitude 6° 06.3′ S, Longitude 55° 10.0′ E) 5. And back to Point 1, the point of commencement. Zone 3 – Coetiv Comprising an area around Coetivy Island, bounded as follows— 1. From Point 1 (Latitude 7° 23.0′ S, Longitude 56° 25.0′ E) 2. To Point 2 (Latitude 6° 53.0′ S, Longitude 56° 35.0′ E) 3. To Point 3 (Latitude 6° 53.0′ S, Longitude 56° 06.0′ E) 4. To Point 4 (Latitude 7° 23.0′ S, Longitude 55° 56.0′ E) 5. And back to Point 1, the point of commencement. Zone 4 – Fortune Bank Comprising an area around Fortune Bank, bounded as follows— 1. From Point 1 (Latitude 7° 35.0′ S, Longitude 57° 13.0′ E) 2. To Point 2 (Latitude 7° 01.0′ S, Longitude 56° 56.0′ E) 3. To Point 3 (Latitude 7° 01.0′ S, Longitude 56° 45.0′ E) 4. To Point 4 (Latitude 7° 16.0′ S, Longitude 56° 40.0′ E) 5. To Point 5 (Latitude 7° 35.0′ S, Longitude 56° 49.0′ E) 6. And back to Point 1, the point of commencement. Fisheries and Aquaculture Actth[16 March 2026] 48 SUPPLEMENT TO OFFICIAL GAZETTEREPUBLIC OF SEYCHELLES SI Zone 5 – Amirantes Comprising an area around the Amirantes Islands, bounded as follows— 1. From Point 1 (Latitude 5° 45.0′ S, Longitude 53° 55.0′ E) 2. To Point 2 (Latitude 4° 41.0′ S, Longitude 53° 35.6′ E) 3. To Point 3 (Latitude 4° 41.0′ S, Longitude 53° 13.0′ E) 4. To Point 4 (Latitude 6° 09.0′ S, Longitude 52° 36.0′ E) 5. To Point 5 (Latitude 6° 33.0′ S, Longitude 53° 06.0′ E) 6. And back to Point 1, the point of commencement. Zone 6 – Alphonse Comprising an area around Alphonse Island, bounded as follows— 1. From Point 1 (Latitude 7° 21.5′ S, Longitude 52° 56.5′ E) 2. To Point 2 (Latitude 6° 48.0′ S, Longitude 52° 56.5′ E) 3. To Point 3 (Latitude 6° 48.0′ S, Longitude 52° 32.0′ E) 4. To Point 4 (Latitude 7° 21.5′ S, Longitude 52° 32.0′ E) 5. And back to Point 1, the point of commencement. Zone 7 – Farquhar / Providence Comprising an area around the islands of Providence, Farquhar, St Pierre, and Wizard Reef, bounded as follows — 1. From Point 1 (Latitude 10° 20.0′ S, Longitude 51° 29.0′ E) 2. To Point 2 (Latitude 8° 39.0′ S, Longitude 51° 12.0′ E) 3. To Point 3 (Latitude 9° 04.0′ S, Longitude 50° 28.0′ E) 4. To Point 4 (Latitude 10° 30.0′ S, Longitude 50° 46.0′ E) 5. And back to Point 1, the point of commencement. Zone 8 – Cosmoledo Comprising an area around Cosmoledo and Astove Islands, bounded as follows— 1. From Point 1 (Latitude 10° 18.0′ S, Longitude 48° 02.0′ E) 2. To Point 2 (Latitude 9° 34.0′ S, Longitude 47° 49.0′ E) 3. To Point 3 (Latitude 9° 23.0′ S, Longitude 47° 34.0′ E) 4. To Point 4 (Latitude 9° 39.0′ S, Longitude 47° 14.0′ E) 5. To Point 5 (Latitude 10° 18.0′ S, Longitude 47° 36.0′ E) 6. And back to Point 1, the point of commencement. Fisheries and Aquaculture Actth[16 March 2026] 49 SUPPLEMENT TO OFFICIAL GAZETTEREPUBLIC OF SEYCHELLES SI Zone 9 – Aldabra Comprising an area around Aldabra and Assomption Islands, bounded as follows— 1. From Point 1 (Latitude 9° 54.0′ S, Longitude 46° 44.0′ E) 2. To Point 2 (Latitude 9° 10.0′ S, Longitude 46° 44.0′ E) 3. To Point 3 (Latitude 9° 10.0′ S, Longitude 46° 01.0′ E) 4. To Point 4 (Latitude 9° 59.0′ S, Longitude 46° 01.0′ E) 5. And back to Point 1, the point of commencement. th MADE this 09 day of March, 2026. WALLACE COSGROW MINISTER OF FISHERIES, AGRICULTURE AND BLUE ECONOMY ——————— Fisheries and Aquaculture Actth[16 March 2026] 50 SUPPLEMENT TO OFFICIAL GAZETTEREPUBLIC OF SEYCHELLES SI Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6