Famed for its idyllic beaches and pleasant tropical climate, and with a population of less than 100,000 permanent residents, Seychelles is perhaps the archetypal small island state. It is also an increasingly important actor in the maritime security of the Western Indian Ocean region. This is in large part due to two factors. First, its strategic location off the coast of East Africa, in proximity both to the troubled state of Somalia and to some of the world’s busiest and most important maritime trade routes. Second, the significance of the maritime sector to the Seychellois economy, through fishing, tourism and so on, and the willingness of the government to take on a regional leadership role in countering maritime insecurity. Seychelles for example has one of the most capable ocean-going coastguards in the region and has been one of the most active states in the region in the fight against Somali pirates, including as the leading centre for the prosecution of suspects.
Impact
Visiting maritime security practitioners in Seychelles
During its field visit to the Seychelles in July, the core team of SAFESEAS met with the core maritime security agencies of the country. The objective was to gain first-hand experience of how Seychelles manages its maritime security sector, what challenges exist in the coordination as well as the implementation of the countries ambitious plans … Read more
Seychelles workshop receives national press coverage
The recent joint-international workshop on maritime security and sustainable development held at the University of Seychelles in collaboration with SAFE SEAS, Cardiff University’s Sustainable Places Research Institute, the University of Seychelles James Michel Blue Economy Research Institute and the Sir James Mancham Centre for Peace Studies and Diplomacy has received national press coverage. Read the full … Read more
SAFESEAS workshop on Maritime Security and Sustainable Development in the Seychelles
Maritime Security and the Blue Economy are vital policy concepts for sustainable development in the western Indian Ocean. Yet, how do both of these agendas link to each other? Exploring this relationship, using the Seychelles as an exemplar, was the core task set out by a workshop at the University of Seychelles on Tuesday, the 18th of July 2017. The workshop was the outcome of a joint international initiative by SAFESEAS in collaboration with Cardiff University’s Sustainable Places Research Institute, the University of Seychelles James Michel Blue Economy Research Institute and the Sir James Mancham International Centre for Peace Studies and Diplomacy
The event held at Anse Royale, the main campus of the University of Seychelles, brought together core policy makers and users of the sea to discuss the organisation of marine policy in the Seychelles, as well as the challenges and success stories of the country.
SAFESEAS meets EU CRIMARIO
At the recent CGPCS 20th plenary in Mauritius, the SAFE SEAS team held a meeting with representatives of EU Critical Maritime Route Wider Indian Ocean (CRIMARIO) project to learn more about the projects plans and activities with regard to enhancing Maritime Situational Awareness (MSA) and capacity building in the western Indian Ocean.
SAFESEAS attends 20th plenary meeting of the Contact Group on Piracy
From the 5th to 7th of July the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia held its 20th plenary meeting in Mauritius. Christian Bueger and Robert McCabe from the SAFESEAS team participated in the working group meetings and plenary discussions. Dr. Bueger was part of the Seychelles delegation and advised the Chairmen’s team … Read more
New publication investigates maritime domain awareness
In a new publication titled “Effective Maritime Domain Awareness in the Western Indian Ocean”, SAFESEAS principal investigator Prof. Bueger discusses the importance of maritime domain awareness for the region and asks how the structures can be better supported. He argues for the importance of paying more attention to low-tech solutions and working with human sources. The … Read more
Talk at University of Cape Town
On the 27th of June, SAFESEAS principal investigator Prof. Bueger gave a lecture at the University of Cape Town’s Faculty of Law. Drawing in large parts on an article forthcoming with the European Journal of International Relations, the talk discussed some of the core insights on global security governance that can be developed from the fight against piracy. The … Read more
SafeSeas attends plenary of contact group on piracy (CGPCS)
In the first week of July the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS) is holding its 20th plenary meeting in Mauritius. One of the long-standing core agenda items of the CGPCS – the main global governance body for the coordination of counter-piracy work of the international community – is coordination of … Read more
Development, Security and the Oceans: Summary of World Oceans Day event
In celebration of World Oceans Day, the SAFESEAS team in collaboration with the Sustainable Places Research Institute and the Crime and Security Research Institute at Cardiff University held a seminar on the 8th of June with the aim of exploring linkages between some of the key challenges facing the ocean space. This blog summarises the key insights gained at the event.