Mauritius: In the context of the 23rd Meeting of Mauritius-Seychelles Joint Commission of the Extended Continental Shelf and 28th Meeting Technical Committee of the Joint Commission, which is being held from 28 November to 01 December 2022, both parties from Mauritius and Seychelles met with the aim to take stock of the progress made so far as regards the joint management of the continental shelf, yesterday, at the seat of the Department in Port-Louis.
The meeting focused on deliberations and decision-making with regard to the discussions of the Joint Commission’s 22nd meeting.
It is recalled that the Joint Management Area (JMA) of the Extended Continental Shelf (ECS) of the Mascarene Plateau was formally established in 2012 by the signing of a treaty between the two countries.
Yesterday’s meeting was co-chaired by the Secretary to Cabinet and Head of the Civil Service, Mr Nayen Koomar Ballah, and the Principal Secretary of the Blue Economy Department of Seychelles, Mr J. G. Kenneth Racombo.
The Permanent Representative of Mauritius to the United Nations, Mr J. Koonjul, and the Director General of the Department for Continental Shelf, Maritime Zones Administration and Exploration, Mr Rezah Badal, were present.
In his opening remarks, Mr Ballah dwelt on the achievements made by the JMA in past months, adding that this meeting is an opportunity to discuss other issues, including exploratory fisheries, sea cucumber, and maritime surveillance.
He further indicated that the Monaco expedition, which ended last week, was a success and that Mauritius and Seychelles have been able to strengthen their existing collaboration. He is hopeful of more opportunities in the future for the exploration of the marine environment of the JMA.
Speaking on the current challenges, Mr Ballah underlined the need to adapt to new strategies as the global context is changing. “I am aware that you are making progress in redefining our strategic plan for the next five years and putting to good use our innovative capacity to meet the challenges ahead”, he said.
He expressed his thanks to the members of the technical committee while highlighting the longstanding relationship between Mauritius and Seychelles, which has been reinforced through the JMA.
For his part, Mr Racombo extended his appreciation to the Mauritian Government and added that this year marks a decade since the two jurisdictions signed the treaty for the JMA. This initiative, he said, is a testament to the friendly ties that exist between the two neighbouring countries.
He also spoke of the importance of diversifying the economy, building on resilience and exploring means to become more self-sufficient and less vulnerable to external shocks. According to him, the strategic plan is of great importance as it is aligned with the goals and actions of JMA and will provide a clear direction for future actions. Discussions, he said, also focused on the vulnerabilities faced by Small Island Developing States; hydrocarbon exploration; conservation and environmental preservation; and cleaner energy.
Dr Badal, for his part, spoke of the potential resources that can be further exploited as regards the JMA. He thus highlighted the need to carry out surveys and research to explore new opportunities.
