The two-day National Dialogue on the Ocean Economy, which ended yesterday, was a bit of a mixed bag, to say the least. For starters, the limited participation of civil society – the Syndicats des Pêcheurs was not even invited to the event, whereas the number of NGOs present amounted to a grand total of one – made a bit of a mockery of its claim of being a “national” dialogue. As for the treatment meted out by the police to the gaggle of protesters located outside the venue, well that’s become par for the course sadly. Secondly, the concept of an ocean economy remains as vague as ever. Some have described it as the oceanic equivalent of Maurice: Ile Durable (MID), which given the latter’s middling track record hardly constitutes an article of faith. Others yet fretted that it was simply a shop window to facilitate the display and sale of our natural resources. Stranger things have happened. The fact of the matter is that the event chucked up more questions that it provided answers.

But let’s start with the good news. Government announced that it was banning the transshipment of fish at sea as from next year. This is quite a big deal apparently, as it will prevent long-liners from operating nonstop all year round by obliging them to unload their catch on land. But don’t break out the bubbly just yet. This positive development was tempered, not to say dashed by, an announcement by the ministry of Fisheries that it hopes to see a third major cannery set up shop here in the near future. Over and above the ecological implications of adding an additional processing plant to the seafood hub, the maths of such a move just don’t add up. Despite what have been exceptional two years in terms of catches, there is already a shortfall of 234 500 tonnes between the amount of tuna being fished from the Indian Ocean and the “needs” of the region’s factories.

Paradoxically, this last figure emanates from a presentation made in Brussels earlier this year by the Director of Fisheries, Daroomalingum Mauree; the same person who announced the arrival of a third cannery. Which is which, Mr. Mauree? Just because world tuna prices have been unnaturally high doesn’t mean we should buy into every get-fish-quick scheme. One well-informed participant whispered to me that the promoter behind this project and the company that owns the Korean fishing boat that tried to surreptitiously unload its illegal catch earlier this year are one and the same. That fish don’t have feet doesn’t preclude something fishy from being afoot. There were also some quiet rumbles about the persistent pall of suspicion hanging over government’s true intentions for Agalega. From what I gathered, a dignitary from a regional organization said more than he should have during a recent visit to the coveted outer island.

Doubtless, more information will emerge in the coming months from what government wants us to believe is a load of completely fireless smoke. So as you can see, there’s more to the ocean economy than meets the eye. And it’s precisely the stuff hidden under the surface that matters the most.