On February 22, 2019 an Iranian dhow caught fire in the waters of Seychelles, while it was being towed to the main island by the national Coast Guard. The vessel was apprehended during a joint operation of the Seychelles Coast Guard, Seychelles Defence Forces’ Air Force and the National Information Sharing and Coordination Centre. Thirteen…
On the occasion of the 32nd Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU), which took place on 10-11 February 2019 in Addis Ababa, the AU applauded the efforts of the Seychelles in advancing the Blue Economy agenda. During his speech, the Vice President of the Seychelles, Vincent Meriton, presented a stock taking…
The 2018 Global Maritime Crime Programme (GMCP) Report highlights the UNODC’s recent efforts in tackling the activities of transnational organised crime at sea in the Atlantic Ocean and in the Indo-Pacific Ocean regions. These crimes are not limited to piracy and armed robbery at sea, but they also include human smuggling, drug-trafficking and terrorist activities.…
The Information Sharing Centre (ISC) of the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) reported a 25% decrease in incidents of piracy and armed robbery at sea in Asia between 2017 and 2018. According to the data collected in the 2018 ReCAAP ISC Annual Report, the total number of incidents reached…
At the closing ceremony for the first GoGIN In-Crisis Communication Course for English speaking countries at the Regional Maritime University (RMU), in Accra, the European Union Ambassador to Ghana, Ms. Diana Acconcia stressed how much maritime governance is needed to improve the blue economy as well as coordination of efforts to fight maritime insecurity and…
During the Our Ocean Conference in October 2018, the Seychelles became the first state launching the sovereign blue bond, a financial instrument designed to support sustainable marine and fisheries projects. Within this framework, the Seychellois authorities are now announcing the launching of a campaign of information on the bond. The campaign will start in April and it…
On 15 December, a merchant vessel was attacked off the city of Brass, located in the southern Nigerian state of Bayelsa. In 2018, Nigeria experienced an increase in piracy attacks, particularly off the Niger Delta, source to offshore oil production. The latest report of the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) recorded that of the 57 attacks…
During the last years, the stability of the Somali territory and waters has been a priority of the EU Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). In December 2018, the EU naval Operation Atalanta (EU NAVFOR) celebrated 10 years of deployment. While EU NAVFOR contributes in fighting piracy at sea, civilian and military missions on the…
On 26 November, Kenya signed a security pact with France, Madagascar, Seychelles and Djibouti to share intelligence and strengthen maritime security in the Indian Ocean. On the sidelines of the Blue Economy Conference in Nairobi, Kenyan Defence secretary seized the opportunity to announce that Tanzania and Somalia were about to sign the deal as well.…
Interpol and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released the results of the month-long operation “30 Days at Sea” launched between 1 and 31 October, where 122 national coordinators supported the international law enforcement operation against maritime pollution. As a result of this global effort, 276 law enforcement and environmental agencies detected over 500 offences…
