Seychelles
represented by Mr. Alain de Comarmond, Principal Secretary in the Environment
Department attended the 2nd International Conference on Marine
Spatial Planning (MSP) in Paris, France from 15-17th March. The
Conference was jointly organized by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic
Commission of UNESCO (IOC/UNESCO) with the European Commission (Directorate
General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries). It saw the participation of about 250
invited participants from at least 50 countries.
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| PS Alain Decomarmond- Department of Environment |
Seychelles had been invited to the Conference to share its
experience and knowledge so far in its exercise to formulate a Marine Spatial Plan
(MSP) since 2014 for the whole of its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Under the
plan, Seychelles is seeking to protect 30% of its EEZ. It is important to note
that Seychelles is the first country in the Western Indian Ocean and one of the
first in the African region to formulate a Marine Spatial Plan.
At the event, Mr.de Comarmond participated on a panel of
discussion looking at MSP initiatives at country level along with
representatives from the Netherlands, Canada, Namibia, Korea and China where
Seychelles was highly commended for its effort in carrying out such a
challenging exercise.
In general the Conference’s main objectives were to explore
how MSP can be used to address global challenges such as climate change, Areas
Beyond National Jurisdiction (ABNJ), poverty, safety and sufficiency of food
for a growing population but also very relevant also to Seychelles to explore
its potential for ocean based industry, its potential for boosting jobs, growth
and innovation, along the same objective Seychelles is seeking towards a
stronger Blue Economy development.
Countries, international organizations and experts also
reflected on how to accelerate the process of MSP implementation worldwide.
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