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Staff celebrate Mahé Shipping Company Limited’s 50th anniversary |18 November 2019

Staff celebrate Mahé Shipping Company Limited’s 50th anniversary

A souvenir photograph of the occasion (Photo: Jude Morel)

Employees, former employees and partners of Mahé Shipping Company Limited joined together to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary and its achievements in the shipping industry, in a brief ceremony at Harbour Café, Espace Building, on Friday evening.

The ceremony commenced with a brief look into the company’s history and the transitions over the years before Director and Editorial Director Adrian Skerrett unveiled the newly launched book Seychelles, Ships and the Sea, a major historical work sponsored by Mahé Shipping Company in commemoration of the milestone anniversary.

The hardback historical work, on sale for R400, is a unique collaborative effort between some of the leading experts on the history of Seychelles and maritime affairs in the region and is lavishly illustrated with photographs and maps.

Mr Skerrett himself has contributed twelve chapters and his wife Judith Skerrett, the Assistant Editor, contributed a further four chapters to the book. There is a chapter each contributed by William McAteer (whaling ships), Julien Durup (schooners), Tony Mathiot (lighthouses), Malinda Skerrett (pirates) and

Gerry Adam (the modern port and the future). There are also personal stories from Lorna Drake and Gitanne Gendron, two Seychelloise whose lives have been hugely influenced by the shipping links of Seychelles.

The book is Mr Skerrett’s twenty-first book about Seychelles, 11 of which have been published by Camerapix International, based in Nairobi.

Mr Skerrett thanked all who contributed towards the book, emphasising the importance of the sea for Seychelles, the smallest of the 54 African countries.

“Seychelles is a small country in terms of land mass but Seychelles has always punched above its weight for one reason, and that is the sea. Seychelles has an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of 1.4 million square metres. It is the smallest largest EEZ of 54 African countries,” Mr Skerrett noted, highlighting the benefits that the country reaps from economic activities in the EEZ.

Invitees were all given a copy of the book and a small token of appreciation.

Managing director of Mahé Shipping, Joe Morin, has been with the company for 25 years where he started as a junior staff and gradually worked his way up. He was appointed managing director in September 2017. Outlining his experience working for the company, Mr Morin referred to it as being in a university.

“Shipping is a vast industry and it evolves and changes quite quickly. The job is challenging but also one which is fulfilling and through which one can learn so much,” he said.

Mr Morin further emphasised that the company remains committed towards evolving to meet the needs and demands of the market stating “I see a bright light at the end of the tunnel for Mahé Shipping in the years to come”.

 

Laura Pillay

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