(Seychelles News Agency) - Seychelles and Ghana are set to exchange technology and expertise in the fisheries industry after the two countries signed a three-year agreement on Tuesday.

Signed by the fisheries’ ministers of both countries, the memorandum of understanding (MOU) is aimed at strengthening and promoting cooperation in the field of fisheries between Seychelles and Ghana.

“Any information gathered by Ghana about better fishing practices and technology can be shared with Seychelles through the MOU, information that can be then passed to the relevant local authorities and fishermen of Seychelles,” said Michel Benstrong, the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries of Seychelles.

The agreement, which takes effect immediately, will boost the mariculture projects that the 115-island archipelago in the western Indian Ocean is planning to launch by the end of the year. Mariculture involves cultivating sea life for food.

“Ghana has a well developed aquaculture industry, which is something that Seychelles is venturing into, and thus we can learn from the experience that Ghana already has,” said Benstrong.

Benstrong added that “one menace threatening the sustainability of our fishing is that of illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing activity, and we are convinced that we can contribute towards eliminating the IUU fishing activities through the exchange of information.”

The agreement, which takes effect immediately, will boost the mariculture projects that will be launched by the end of the year (Salifa Magnan, Seychelles News Agency) Photo License: CC-BY

Elizabeth Afoley Quaye -- the Ghanaian Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture -- said the MOU will promote fish processing activities, distribution and trading of fish and fishery products between the two countries.

“The signing of this MOU is rooted in the values that the two nations share and nurtured by the deep and multifaceted ties forged over the years. It is being signed in recognition of the fisheries sector of both countries and the benefit to be derived from its implementation,” said Quaye.

The tuna fishing industry is one that is important for both countries, and the Ghanaian minister added that the two countries were able to booster their tuna export towards the European Union market through an administrative agreement signed in 2014.

Benstrong affirmed that it is important to have such established exchanges as the tuna industry is an international one.

“As two countries located in different oceans, we are able to share common goals and work together to help developing countries especially those in Africa,” said Benstrong, adding that trade between the two African nations already exists.

The Ghanaian minister took this opportunity to ask her local counterpart to help them in their fight to avoid collaborative fishing from being outlawed by the European Union.

“The collaborative method of fishing by the tuna fishers is something that we have always boasted about and we have boasted about producing the best tuna through pull and line fishing,” explained Quaye.

Seychelles and Ghana shares rich historical ties dating back to the late 1800s and late 1900s when Asantehene Agyeman Prempeh I known as King Prempeh and other Ashanti leaders were exiled to Seychelles.

Both Seychelles and Ghana are related on several fronts on the international scene as members of the United Nations, the African Union and Commonwealth.