Boolell: 'By Catch' Job Perks Have Always Gone to Party Activists

Agriculture and Agro-Industry Minister Arvin Boolell has openly acknowledged that the controversial practice known as "By Catch" — the allocation of public positions and perks to political activists — is nothing new in Mauritian politics, and is not unique to any single party. Speaking live on a private radio station on 27 September, Boolell stated plainly that whenever a political party comes to power, it has routinely used "By Catch" to reward its supporters. He specifically named both the Mouvement Militant Mauricien (MMM) and the Parti Travailliste (Labour Party) as parties that have engaged in the practice. The audio recording of his remarks has since been widely shared across social media and digital channels in Mauritius. **What is 'By Catch'?** In Mauritian political slang, "By Catch" refers to the spoils of political victory — typically the nomination or appointment of party loyalists and activists to public bodies, state-owned enterprises, boards, or other positions of influence, often regardless of merit. The term borrows from fishing vocabulary, where "by-catch" describes fish caught incidentally alongside the intended catch. The practice has long been a flashpoint in debates about governance and meritocracy in Mauritius, with opposition parties routinely criticising whichever government is in power for distributing such appointments along partisan lines. **Why Boolell's comments matter** What makes Boolell's remarks notable is that he is himself a sitting minister — a member of the current government led by Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam's Labour Party alliance. His candid admission that the practice spans political generations and parties, including Labour, cuts against the narrative that any one administration holds the moral high ground on public appointments. The MMM, one of Mauritius's oldest political parties founded in 1969, and the Parti Travailliste (Labour), the island's historic independence-era party, have alternated in and out of government for decades. Boolell's framing suggests the problem is systemic rather than the fault of any particular political colour. **What this means** For ordinary Mauritians, the "By Catch" debate goes to the heart of how public institutions are staffed and whether appointments to boards and state bodies reflect expertise or political loyalty. Boolell's comments — whether seen as refreshingly honest or as political cover — are likely to fuel renewed calls for reform of the nomination process for public sector positions. The remarks arrive at a sensitive moment, as the STC (State Trading Corporation) board sacking controversy has already prompted trade unions and civil society to challenge the broader nomination system in Mauritius. Source: ION News