MPA Regional Training Hosted in Seychelles

The Marine Protected Area(MPA) Professionals Training kick-started on Tuesday 12th December 2023 at the Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay Resort. The Training which spans over 4 days, arises from the collaboration between the Seychelles Parks and Gardens Authority(SPGA), Réserves Naturelles de France(RNF), the Western Indian Ocean Marine Protected Area Professional Network(WIOMPAN) and local conservation agency Nature Seychelles.

The training aims to provide existing MPA professionals with necessary added baggage and capacity to efficiently manage and conserve protected areas within the Western Indian Ocean Region. The training saw the participation of MPA professionals from other island states from the region including Mauritius, Rodrigues, Mayotte, La Reunion, Comoros and Madagascar.

Subjects to be covered throughout the training ranged from the functions and importance of marine protected areas, sustainable financing, enforcement, best practices, use and effectiveness of Management Plans as well as the various conventions, legislations and strategies which govern MPA management. On the final day, participants participated in a field activity in the Ste. Anne Marine Park. There, they undertook beach profiling, turtle monitoring, as well as learning how to operate drones for surveillance purposes.