Preparing technicians from various departments for the BBNJ treaty

A senior official announced on Monday that the Seychelles’ Department of the Blue Economy has launched a skills development program to prepare technicians and specialists for adopting the United Nations Treaty on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ).

According to Chrissant Barbe, the department’s Director General, this initiative follows Seychelles’ milestone as the first African country to ratify the BBNJ Treaty in March. The workshop aimed to familiarize technicians and specialists from various departments with the BBNJ Treaty and its implications for Seychelles and the wider global community. This international agreement, the United Nations Treaty on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction, seeks to preserve and sustainably manage marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction. The high seas, located outside countries’ exclusive economic zones, cover nearly half of the Earth’s surface.

This is a significant step forward for Seychelles. Joining the treaty is particularly beneficial as 50 % of the nation’s borders are adjacent to the high seas. Barbe hoped the treaty would positively impact the country’s fishing and tourism industries. He noted that many of Seychelles’ critical resources, especially fish, are migratory species, meaning they do not remain solely in Seychelles’ waters. This is why better regulation of the high seas is essential to ensure the survival of these species.

Barbe further emphasized that Seychelles is the fourth country worldwide and the first in Africa to ratify the treaty. Given that the island nation is surrounded by the ocean, Seychelles also aims to advocate for more countries to become signatories to the treaty.