The German Ambassador to the Seychelles, HE Annette Gunther, conducted a courtesy call on the Designated Minister and Minister for Fisheries and the Blue Economy, Mr. Jean-Francois Ferrari, on Tuesday 22nd February 2022.
Also in attendance was the Principal Secretary for Fisheries, Mr. Roy Clarisse, the Chief Executive Officer of the Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA), Mr. Nichol Elizabeth and the Technical Fisheries Coordinator and Scientific Advisor at SFA, Dr. Ameer Ebrahim.
Ambassador Gunther congratulated Seychelles on the peaceful and smooth transition of power as well as dealing with the COVID19 pandemic in an economically strategic manner.
Discussions also revolved around issues being faced by Seychelles as a small island state with regards to marine pollution and sustainability of marine species, efforts being made by government to manage fish stocks with the implementation of various management plans and projects and the development of a fish processing zone on Ile Du Port for post-harvest and value addition, geared towards economic diversification.
Ambassador Gunther was also briefed about the ‘International Climate Initiative’ (IKI) blue economy project, the fish path component. This project is being funded by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and its consortium partner, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) which is Australia’s national science agency. Germany’s Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety supports the IKI initiative based on a decision adopted by the German Bundestag.
One of the main components of the IKI project is focused on coastal fisheries via the application of the FishPath process and tool – a stakeholder engagement process supported by an online tool that allows for capacity building trainings and supports the development of harvest strategies for target fisheries for sustainable fisheries management, and for the integration into Marine Spatial Plan.
Miss Gabriella Gonthier, Senior Monitoring and Evaluation Officer from the Department of Blue Economy, demonstrated the department’s dedication and proficiency in promoting sustainable development at the 9th Indian Ocean Dialogue held in the United Republic of Tanzania on May 22-23, 2023.
This prestigious event brought together ocean leaders, experts, champions, and key stakeholders to engage in regional, interdisciplinary discussions focused on innovation in the Blue Economy and its role in contributing to GDP. The Department of Blue Economy played an active role in facilitating meaningful conversations and identifying concrete deliverables and partnerships aimed at raising the standard of living for communities across various Blue Economy sectors.
Throughout the dialogue, participants centered their discussions on regional needs and priorities, exploring transformative approaches to development, knowledge sharing, technology integration, partnerships, trade facilitation, financing strategies, and diplomatic collaboration within the Blue Economy.
