Seychelles Moves Toward Stronger Maritime Security with National Risk Register

VICTORIA, Seychelles — Stakeholders from Seychelles’ maritime and aviation sectors gathered on Monday at the Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay Resort and Casino for a four-day workshop aimed at developing the country’s first National Maritime Security Risk Register. The workshop is considered an important step in strengthening national safety and security at sea and will help the country identify its top maritime risks, prioritise action, and coordinate agencies more effectively.

Kiruja Micheni, the project manager for the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Djibouti Code of Conduct projects, opened the event by recognising Seychelles’ growing leadership in the Western Indian Ocean. He noted that Seychelles has shown strong commitment to maritime governance and regional cooperation. ‘In July this year, IMO supported Seychelles in establishing its multi-agency, National Maritime Security Committee, making an important step in meeting national obligations under the Jeddah Amendment,’ he said.

Captain Daniel Adam, chief executive of the Seychelles Maritime Safety Administration (SMSA), spoke in detail about the importance of the workshop, noting that both maritime and aviation sectors face similar security threats and require a unified approach. ‘It aims to strengthen national security by developing a national maritime security register framework, which will then strengthen the Western Indian Ocean region through collaboration with regional partners,’ he noted. The risk register is essentially a national database of risks, both traditional and emerging, known and unknown, designed to gather all agencies around the same table so that gaps can be identified and addressed collectively.