Seychelles helps in re-building Somalia’s maritime sector |11 November 2014

The Seychelles Ports Authority (SPA) has trained six Mogadishu port control officers as part of an on-going programme to re-build Somalia’s maritime sector.
 
The training, held at the Djibouti Naval Base, was sponsored by EUCAP Nestor.

The request by EUCAP Nestor in September 2014 for the SPA to assist in this mission was regarded by the authority as an opportunity not only to share its well developed expertise, but also for Seychelles to contribute towards the re-building of Somalia, considering that Seychelles has been and still is at the forefront against maritime piracy in the North Western Indian Ocean region.  

This intensive training, which was in two phases, was conducted by EUCAP Nestor instructors as well as Allen Chetty, the operations director and pilot from the SPA.

The first phase focused on theoretical aspects of port control equipment such as automatic identification system (AIS), radar system, electronic chart display information system (ECDIS), and global maritime distress satellite system (GMDSS).

It also encompassed roles and functions of port control officers, general organisation and functions of port operations, as well as the international ship and port facility security code (ISPS).

The second phase of the programme was carried out at the Port Autonome Internationale de Djibouti where hands on training on all the equipment were done.

Apart from the practical training during the second week, Mr Chetty also made a presentation of the ISPS to the Somali Coast Guard.

“The SPA, under the guidance of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Transport, prides itself on being able to export its technical expertise to the region. This testifies to the high degree of attention given by the leadership of SPA to the development of its human capacity. Over the past ten years since its existence, SPA has continuously adjusted its human resource development strategies and policies to ensure that skills and knowledge acquired by its staff become more transferrable in advancing regional integration,” says a communique from the SPA.

“The consolidation of a strong induction strategy within SPA ensures the younger generation is empowered to propel Port Victoria forward as its motto prescribed,” adds the communique.

Acknowledging the importance of Port Victoria as the socio-economic gateway to the Seychelles, the SPA says it will continue to strive to keep its people at the centre of its success.
 
In its bid to continuously respond to the ongoing demands of the shipping industry, SPA is gearing up to take its capacity building and development to a new and exciting level. In this light, a number of operations personnel will fly to Europe in the coming months to undergo advanced technical training in a wide scope of port related training, including advanced simulator training for its pilots. These trainings will also include practical exercises on larger vessels in a variety of weather conditions.