On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the President of the Republic, Mr Danny Faure, welcomed a group of women from the fisheries industry at State House this morning.

The women present included entrepreneurs, boat owners and fisherwomen active in the fisheries industry and registered with the Seychelles Fishing Authority.

President Faure welcomed the group of women to State House and congratulated them for their determination and for contributing to one of the most important pillars of the economy: fisheries. He stressed on the importance of creating greater opportunities in the fisheries sector for Seychellois women, which is being developed hand in hand with the Blue Economy.

“On behalf of Government, I salute the courage and boldness of all our Seychellois women in this field, who are working hard for the advancement of the fisheries and blue economy sectors. Today on the occasion of International Women’s Day, I would like to urge young Seychellois women to take advantage of the opportunities available in this field,” said President Faure.

The women were encouraged to share their experiences, challenges and concerns with the President, as well as discuss and network with other women in the same field. Some of the challenges raised included lack of proper infrastructure in their respective districts, lack of storage, and difficulties in obtaining funding. Amongst the group of over twenty women present were two young women who recently completed their studies at the Seychelles Maritime Academy and shared their aspirations as young entrepreneurs to own their own boats.

Speaking to the press after the meeting, Idrissa Pothin and Fiona Marianne said they are proud of their profession although they are sometimes discouraged by the challenges. However, they said that with the committed support of the government they are looking forward to realising their dream of becoming boat owners. Experienced fisherwoman from Glacis, Brenda Cesar, also discussed the challenges and benefits of her profession and her belief that if you are passionate about what you do, you will succeed.

Present for the event at State House was Minister for Fisheries and Agriculture, Mr Charles Bastienne, Minister for Family Affairs, Mrs Mitcy Larue, and Principal Secretary for Fisheries, Mr Jude Talma.

Read the President's message on the occasion of International Women's Day here.