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Archive -Fishing and Agriculture

Week-long training to promote safety of passenger ferries, fishing vessels |15 May 2018

 

 

 

Stakeholders working in different areas of maritime security to uphold the safety of domestic passenger ferries and fishing vessels are following a week-long training.

The main aim of the training is to boost the knowledge of those taking part with the concepts and principles of safety regulations and at the same time promote greater awareness of safety of domestic passenger ferries, small ships and non-conventional crafts including fishing vessels.

Organised by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) as part of its Integrated Technical Cooperate Programme (ITCP) in collaboration with the Seychelles Maritime Safety Administration (SMSA) and the Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA), the training is taking place at the Seypec training room at Seypec House on Bois de Rose Avenue.

Captain Joachim Valmont, director general of SMSA, launched the working session in the presence of Conrad Benoiton, chief executive of Seypec, and representatives of other key stakeholders.

IMO consultants Miguel Nunez, Luis Guarin and Seychellois Idney Basset are leading the training.

Captain Valmont said in his opening remarks that Seychelles as a small island developing state in the Indian Ocean has given extreme importance to maritime safety and security within its jurisdiction.

He added that with tourism and fisheries as the main pillars of our economy, it is imperative to equip our small island nation with the necessary knowledge to further promote and enhance safety within the maritime industry.

Captain Valmont remarked that the training is testimony of SMSA’s continued effort to build up capacity across the country’s maritime industry.

He noted that the SMSA with the support of the Ministry of Tourism, Civil Aviation, Ports and Marine is currently reviewing all existing maritime legislations and is coming up with an SMSA Authority Bill that will be tabled in the National Assembly which will turn the SMSA into an autonomous body.

“The aim of the training is to improve the monitoring, reporting and control of those above-mentioned categories of vessels in an attempt to enhance their management and operational safety. This will allow the Seychelles government to enhance its capacity to strengthen its implementation of regulatory measures which are in place as a means to reduce the number of accidents relating to non-conventional vessels (Solas) ships,” Captain Valmont said.

Consultant Nunez, for his part, said he was aware that Seychelles is working towards complying with the IMO recommendations to enhance its maritime operations systems and this training is part of the work in progress.

“As Seychelles depends almost entirely on maritime resources and associated tourism, any measure that will ensure and guarantee each free maritime activity in the country namely fishing vessels, safety of domestic passenger ships with a sustainable maritime environment, should be encouraged and sustained,” Mr Nunez said.

 

 

 

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