PMO Adviser Karl Elysée Quits — and His Fishing Firm Raises Questions

A senior adviser to Mauritius's Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has resigned, and details emerging about his parallel business interests are drawing scrutiny at a sensitive moment for the island's new government. **Who is Jean Karl Berty Elysée?** Until his resignation, Jean Karl Berty Elysée held the title of Senior Adviser at the Prime Minister's Office — one of the most powerful addresses in Mauritian public life. The PMO coordinates government policy across all ministries and reports directly to the head of government. Elysée operated largely under the radar. His exact portfolio and areas of responsibility were not publicly disclosed. What is known, based on figures communicated to Parliament and reported by ION News, is that he received a monthly salary of Rs 70,000 plus an allowance of Rs 15,000, along with additional perks attached to his role — bringing his total monthly package to roughly Rs 85,000. **The business he kept quiet** Less publicised was Elysée's role as a shareholder and director of Eco-Tropic Company Ltd, a company incorporated on 26 November 2024 — shortly after the change of government that brought the current administration to power. According to sources familiar with the matter, Eco-Tropic Company Ltd secured a permit from an agro-industry public body to trade in **by-catch fish** — the incidental catch brought up alongside the target species during commercial fishing operations. By-catch is a significant and often underutilised stream in the Mauritian fishing industry, making it a commercially attractive niche. The timing and nature of the permit are what have raised eyebrows: a senior adviser sitting at the apex of state power, simultaneously obtaining regulatory approval from a public authority for a private commercial venture. **What this means** In Mauritius, senior public servants and advisers are generally expected to avoid conflicts of interest — situations where their official position could, directly or indirectly, benefit their private business dealings. Whether any formal rules were breached in this case has not yet been established, and no official investigation has been announced. However, the story lands at a moment when public trust in institutions is under particular scrutiny. The new government came to power partly on an anti-corruption platform, making the optics of a well-paid PMO insider quietly building a licensed fishing business all the more politically charged. Elysée's resignation removes him from his official post, but questions about how Eco-Tropic Company Ltd obtained its agro-industry permit — and whether his position at the PMO played any role — are unlikely to go away quickly. Source: ION News