VICTORIA, Seychelles — The Seychelles Maritime Academy (SMA) celebrated a significant milestone yesterday afternoon with the official opening of its new quay at its academy in Providence. The unveiling of the commemorative plaque and ribbon cutting was done by Principal Minister and Minister for Fisheries and the Blue Economy, Jean-Francois Ferrari, and French ambassador to Seychelles, Olivia Berkeley-Christmann, who is also the European Union (EU) delegate.
The new quay, which is approximately 13 metres long, was built by United Concrete Products Seychelles (UCPS) and took about a year to complete. In his opening remarks, the director of the academy, Captain Mahesa Abeynayake, said the quay was more than just a physical structure but a vision, dedication and a collaborative effort. ‘The quay stands as a beacon of progress to provide a symbol of commitment to provide world-class maritime education right at our shores,’ he stated. Through this quay, the vessel that the academy is using to facilitate the studies of students will be much more available as before, as they were previously docked far from the school at Providence.
Addressing the attendees, Luis Molledo, acting head of the Trade Negotiation and Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement Unit at the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, said this is part of a partnership between Seychelles and the EU. ‘This project was funded under the sectoral support of the fisheries partnership agreement between the European Union and Seychelles,’ he noted. Minister Ferrari highlighted that this is an important moment for the study of maritime and the development of the blue economy in Seychelles, and added that this is a safer environment for the students.
