India & Seychelles Convene High-Level Bilateral Meeting to Strengthen Strategic Cooperation

India and Seychelles held a high-level bilateral meeting on August 25, 2026, to strengthen cooperation in fisheries and the blue economy. The Indian side was led by Dr. Abhilaksh Likhi, Secretary, Department of Fisheries, while the Seychelles delegation was headed by Minister Wallace Cosgrow. The meeting was hosted by India's Department of Fisheries under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

Key Points to Discuss Under India and Seychelles Convene High-Level Bilateral Meeting

1. Both nations reviewed their existing partnership and looked at new ways to work together on sustainable use of marine resources.
2. India highlighted its progress in the sector, sharing that national fish production has touched 19.7 million tonnes, with seafood exports worth USD 8.46 billion.
3. Discussions covered several technical areas, including marine aquaculture, hatchery development, tuna fisheries, stock assessment, post-harvest technology, and marine conservation. 
4. Both sides also discussed using digital tools and Artificial Intelligence for fisheries monitoring and harvest management, along with improving tuna processing and reducing fish waste.
5. To take things forward, both countries agreed on building an annual work plan, aligning regulations, enabling joint scientific research, and running pilot projects together.

Seychelles and India Sign MoU in the Field of Fisheries and Aquaculture

A key outcome of the meeting was Seychelles' interest in speeding up cooperation through a dedicated Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) focused on fisheries and aquaculture. The delegation also pushed for setting up structured channels of communication between government bodies, researchers, and technical experts from both countries to keep collaboration ongoing.

The meeting wrapped up on a positive note, with both sides agreeing to build institutional capacity through technical exchanges, exposure visits, and cooperation between their respective Centres of Excellence.