The President of the Republic, Mr Danny Faure, was the guest of honour at the official opening of the Blue Economy Sustainable Tuna (BEST) in Seychelles Symposium, held at Eden Bleu Hotel this morning.
The one-day event was organised by the Société Seychelloise D’Investissement in collaboration with the Thai Union Group. It hosted speakers and esteemed guests from various sectors. Participants had the opportunity to analyse and engage in open discussions on all matters of the Blue Economy, including how collectively they can contribute to the conservation of the ecosystem and the sustainable use of tuna resources by adopting effective conservation and management measures.
During his opening address, President Faure, in the presence of dignitaries, symposium participants, and invited guests, commended and thanked Société Seychelloise D’Investissement and Thai Union Group for hosting such important event. He stressed on the need for everyone to continue on working together and to consolidate what is working. He spoke on the need for more Seychellois to join the workforce at Indian Ocean Tuna Limited (IOT) and he congratulated the first Seychellois General Manager of the company.
“We are here to collectively put our minds together to strengthen this partnership, and make it work for you as investors, for our country, and most importantly, the people of Seychelles. I am happy that you have put Mr Nichol Elizabeth as a Seychellois, to be in charge of this organisation. It shows that you believe in the Seychellois. The work that Nichol is doing will also inspire the Seychellois, to join the technical and professional jobs available at the IOT. You are bringing new ways of doing business and a new work ethic that is needed in our country to boost productivity,” said President Faure.
The President also spoke on the importance of the environment and how the blue economy sector needs to be empowered to continue preserving the exceptional natural environment of the country. He said that Seychelles welcomed investors who respect the international conventions that govern the oceans and the legal framework of the country.
“We are now looking at the next frontier of Seychelles’ development which is the blue economy. The objective of this is to support economic growth, while at the same time ensuring the environmental sustainability of the oceans and coastal areas,” the President said.
“When public and private efforts are combined, we can create more productive and sustainable oceans. I welcome you, IOT to work on developing research and innovation in Seychelles so that, together with this partnership that we have created over many years, we can tap into the next frontier that will benefit the people of Seychelles in creating more jobs, wealth, and shared prosperity,” he added.
During the opening ceremony, guests present also heard statements from the President and CEO of the Thai Union Group, Mr Thiraphong Chansiri, as well as Director of Group Strategy at the Thai Union Group, Dr Sven Massen. Also present was the Minister for Fisheries and Agriculture, Mrs Pamela Charlette, who delivered the keynote address, and the Minister for Environment, Energy, and Climate Change, Mr Didier Dogley, who gave the opening remarks.