Nathalia delivers her vote of thanks. She tells us that her highlights were environmental - she saw the hawksbill turtle more than once, or twice or thrice but Nathalia speaks of #SDG8 (decent work) which is another objective of this initiative. She tells us how living on an island for two weeks away from her parents taught her to be less dependent on her parents and give her a real sense of what the working life really is like.
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Hey, how are you doing guys! Camilla here (again) with this final blog. I’m hoping that you guys have enjoyed reading our bogs just as much as the other interns and I had enjoy writing it to share our experiences of our #BEjourney with you. Before I sign off I really felt the need to answer this question. How is SBS (the hosting organization that I interned at for the past two weeks) related to the blue economy? Two weeks ago I barely had any clues as to what the SBS was or its links to the Blue Economy. But I think now I have a pretty good idea on how. The BTS (Biochemical Testing Services) and the FIQCU (Fish Inspection and quality control unit) divisions play a major role in the development of our Blue Economy. The various tests done in the labs on different samples like fish and fish products, fish oil and the different inspections and audits done by the FIQCU in different areas such as Fishing vessels and factories all helps in ensuring that proper standards are maintained. Although several fish processing industries in Seychelles have their own labs which they can do certain tests on, this is mainly for internal quality control. But if they want to export their products overseas to the EU or third world countries it must first be tested and approved by the SBS. SO their services helps to bring in major revenue into our country which is a great necessity to our country’s development. I spent my last day in the ‘Food Chemistry Lab’ learning about three tests that they carried out on Tuna crude oil. That included the analyst for determination of the quantity of moisture in fish oil (done by distillation with an immiscible solvent), the acidity value in animal fats and oil (titration method) and the Peroxide value in lipids. Did you know? The fish oil from Seychelles that are exported after being tested and approved by the SBS, are then use in the extraction of omega-3 fatty acid found in the oil to make various products such as fish oil supplements which have several health benefits? It was through various observations, asking questions and carrying out tasks in the laboratories throughout the two weeks internship that allowed me to broaden my knowledge and I now intend to share my experience with all y’all science geeks and BE freaks. To all the youth out there, if you’re trying to NOT have a desk job but you love science especially experimenting, then lab work is most definitely for you. Many thanks goes to the SBS’s staff especially the supervisor and all the laboratory personnel that I had to uttermost privilege of meeting and working with. Their dedication to their jobs and fellow employees is simply remarkable. I liked how they collaborated and worked together to obtain the most accurate results possible. Also how they were always ready to help me with my smallest strangest questions. An even enormous thanks goes to SYAH, the CYC, the different hosting organisations, The British High Commissioner and any and all the hardworking individuals who worked their butts off to ensure that this really eye-opening internship program becomes a reality and a success. You guys honestly did a really amazing job. Thank you so much for this opportunity. They say that “All good things must come to an end”, but I totally disagree and refuse so as I this is only the beginning. My journey has been a fruitful one and I am more than thankful for the opportunity to be able to discover different aspects of the Blue Economy. My two weeks at the Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA) has been challenging, however alongside my supervisor Miss Karine Rassool and co-workers, I was able to take part in various activities aimed at demonstrating the different sectors and jobs available in the Blue Economy.
The highlight of my first week was seeing and learning about the different species of lobster and sea cucumber which has been recently caught as part of the 2016 fishing season. Thorough and detailed Inspections are conducted by the SFA officers to make sure the regulations are being followed. I then attended a seminar on sustainable fishing where various projects were presented and scrutinised. One of main point raised was the lack of efficient financial resources to successfully move forward with the projects. At the SFA office, I gained knowledge on how commercial licenses are made along with the different conditions attached to it. Primary legislation which is often referred to by the SFA officers is the Fisheries Act which I had the opportunity to read. The officers were happy to assist and answer any question that I had. I invited to the SFA testing lab where they test freshly caught sea creatures for toxins such as mercury and lead. I was present during an octopus dissection by a professor doing studies in Seychelles where I learned about the anatomy of octopi. It has been an eye-opening experience and I had the chance to meet some amazing people who do some amazing things. Written by Nathalie Young On my final day at the Seychelles Air force I was once again called by Lieutenant Colonel Pouponneau to have a final chat with him up in his office- the heart of the Air force.
Once in his office he asked me about my week at the SAF, which of course you will be aware by now has been one of intense learning, discoveries and adventures whereby I met a team of dynamic young people. As I told Lieutenant Colonel about my experience he generously seized the opportunity to share with me some of his own knowledge acquired through his very long career serving in the Seychelles People Defence Forces and also as a civilian pilot. Lt Col. Pouponneau joined the army way back in 1982 (way before I was even born). Throughout her career Lt. Col Pouponneau has worked at the Seychelles Coast Guard, SPDF Bel Eau Headquarters, and now he is the Commanding Officer (the person in charge) at the Seychelles Air force. His career in aviation, started out as an aviation engineer (at one point he was the first aircraft engineer at the air force), later he received an opportunity to also deepen his knowledge on engineering practice for helicopters. Apart from engineering, he is also a well-qualified pilot having flown for Air Seychelles for 11 years and he also have immense experience flying for the Air force (also when it was the then AirWing). Recalling his journey, he says that he is thankful for the opportunity acquired through his career and training. His trainings has also brought him to several places around the world including in the United States of America, Addis Ababa and even in Europe. With a smile , he express his gratitude as he feels that he is indeed quiet lucky to have discovered several fascinating sites around the globe. For instance the valley of kings in Ethiopia -whereby for nearly 500 years a large number of tombs were constructed for pharaohs and the important noble men in ancient civilization. One could not miss his excitement as he talked about seeing the tombs and the mommies buried in the valley. As the conversation continued, I even got the chance to learn even more of the intriguing world of aviation. He mentioned that here at the SAF they take safety measures very seriously including all checks done before, during and after a flight. The list of checks on an airplane includes cruise check, approach and descent check (when the airplane is about to land –how to approach the run way, from where to approach the runway etc.), before landing check, after landing check and shutdown check. (yup... so much goes on in the cockpit, while we passengers relax with our headphones and movies). He highlighted how being a pilot is never an easy job –as pilots and the engineers do carry a huge responsibility on their shoulders. While on the flight the pilot must make sure to be alert at all time- “Ou ki bezwen anvol avyon, pa avyon ki anvol ou” he said. As a young person, I could not help to notice that the air force work force comprises mainly of young people even younger than myself. Through the Airforce this dynamic group of young soldiers and civilians have acquired so many training and capacity building opportunities so much so that nowadays their knowledge in their particular field are well advanced. The high quality of work they do speak for itself. As we concluded our conversation Lt Col Pouponneau spoke with so much respect for his young and capable work force. I could immediately note that as Commanding officer of SAF, he intends to keep pushing the young soldiers towards more success so that the SAF will keep growing and expanding for many years to come. Growing up near the coast enabled me to become somewhat familiar with the sea from a very early age. I would wake up every weekend with an eager determination to convince my mother to go to the beach –which was only minutes away from my home. Having reach the beach I would rush into the shallow water, refusing to come out until it was very late, by then my mother would be well passed angry with me, due to my refusal to exit the water. Eventually when I gave to go home it was because I was tricked when I was often told that sharks come out at night to eat little children who stayed out late near the shore. (How gullible I was!). Back then the ocean used to represent only a playground -it meant nothing more. Though as I grew slightly older I started taking notice of other ocean- based activities taking place a little away from the shore. I saw fishermen coming from out at sea proud of their catch, I saw yacht passing by full of tourist, I saw visitors eager and anxious to feel the crashing wave on their feet for their first time, I saw big, medium and small sized fish (cause back then I did not know their names-except for sharks of course) swimming all around searching for food. And it was around those time that it hit me: the ocean has a life of its own and even more fascinating- it even sustain life. It is often wrongly perceived that the sea can be used only for swimming and fishing. Too bad, some use it as a dumping site or worse many do not even stop to consider beyond it being a large blue carpet covering 70% of our planet. And what about the vast potential that the ocean do possess? In my view, the ocean represents resources, a sport, and leisure and transportation facility given to us by Mother Nature, a habitat, a source for food security, a provider of employment amongst other thousands of uses. Due to these vast potential being acknowledge more and more as time goes by , this caused the emergence of a rather intriguing and what somewhat confusing term /concept known as the Blue Economy. So what do I think the Blue Economy is: For me the Blue economy is just a formal term for referring to all the thousandth of modern and traditional economic activities that relates to the ocean such as fishing for sport, food and swimming? It is also used to cover other newly innovating economic ideas/plans that will be link to the ocean and its resources in the near and further future. The term does not simply mean using the ocean for the sake of using it- it involves using it in a sustainable manner so that we as current generation can benefit from it and at the same time we have a duty to protect it for all future generation to benefit from the ocean as well. To be able to develop the Blue Economy at its fullest also requires security. Through this two week internship I was placed at the two biggest wing of SPDF (Seychelles Coastguard and Seychelles Air Force) two major bodies entrusted to keep our EEZ safe. They do patrols, keep a guard on illegal practices such as trafficking amongst many other activities. They also partner with several other bodies such as EU Cap Nestor to combat threat such as piracy. (Which I am sure many of us remember). Moreover, as accident can never be predicted…the need for a reliable and efficient rescue system at sea cannot be question- currently this is also a task that the SAF and SCG are responsible for. There is also a need to change people’s mindset. We need to start thinking beyond the mountains and land, and even beyond having access to only the inner islands/ocean and to consider also the outer islands/outer EEZ- after all the whole of Seychelles is made of 115 island and the water surrounding it and not only 10 or so islands! We must think beyond the norm -be innovative, think beyond traditional practice- and think modern! We must also never forget that the ocean is our heritage thus the need for all range of persons from young to old, rich and poor to become more involve/inclusive in its development and preservation. Written by Shantana Barbe Having been flying, working and attending classes with intelligent officers and pilot since the beginning of this week. On my third day I decided that I was going to challenge myself to take up and to discover the world of aviation and safety and some of the procedure that has to take place before a plane starts moving on the runway.
To do so, I met with Lance Corporal Franky Derjaques -a soldier in the SPDF for six years. Corporal Derjaques showed me the Airforce Twin otter and he gave me a brief knowledge on pre-flight measures. The steps include:
After the twin otter, I learn about the procedure on a Dornier plane and a Y12 aircraft. Later on when I was put to the test, I was able to identify a bad tyre unfit for flying for purposes. “No challenge poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change” – Barack Obama
Climate change leads to so many problems such as:
All of the above cause of a loss of habitat, which could threaten the biodiversity in Seychelles. The question is: what can we do about it? Simple… Reduce our carbon footprint! By attending the Climate Change Workshop held by Sustainability for Seychelles, I learnt about effortless ways to be more environmentally friendly. Turn it offThe lights… the television… the fan… the air conditioner… Whatever you’re not using, switch it off… What about when taking a shower, brushing your teeth & washing the dishes? Does the water really need to be running the whole time? Walk the TalkFeeling like you’re ready to help reduce the rate of climate change? Then why not walk to nearby shops rather than taking the car? Not only will it reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emission, but it will also benefit your health. Be LocalWhen products are imported, they travel long distances to reach us. Whatever the method of transport is, it is almost guaranteed to cause air pollution. If it were possible, I’d buy only local products! Support our local farmers. Why not even plant some vegetables and fruits at home? Use RainwaterRainwater can be used for so many things. With a rainwater tank, you can wash you car, water your plants & wash your clothes at basically no cost! In fact, rainwater can be used for anything that doesn’t require treated water. How great is that? I truly hope that my blog will convince you to be Greener. Have you any other ideas you would like to share? Please drop a comment. Written by Laura Montano Conceal don’t feel. Conceal don’t feel. The only thought that went through my head. I walked down the flight of stairs and out of the building. My hands quivered. I glanced back at the SEYPEC building. After a couple of steps it finally dawned. I’m never going back. On Monday when I wake up I won’t be going to Petro Seychelles. Without realising it, one of the best chapters of my life had just ended. The two weeks seemed to have flew by extremely fast.
Monday started with more learning about the oil company, and its importance and I finally completed the paper about the origin of the Seychelles archipelago. You’d be astounded to learn about the value of Seychelles and its potential. Petro Seychelles handles research about oil exploration in Seychelles. Research is carried out to find sources of oil from the stretches of the Seychelles micro continent but they also ensure that any operation going on in the Seychelles waters are sustainable and at the same time beneficial for the economy of Seychelles. I always thought that the possibility of oil exploration in Seychelles was either impossible or simply unsafe and threatening to the amazing species diversity in the Seychelles Ocean. However after two weeks at PetroSeychelles I learned that I should not draw my own conclusion about any situation, but rather look at it from more than one perspective. During the week I went on a field trip in the north looking at the different impressive structures such as dykes and xenoliths in the Seychelles granite that support the theory of the Seychelles movement. I learned about Climate change and its relation to Geology. The trip also provided knowledge about the other projects that Petro Seychelles works on such as the mass movement observations and finding solution. The staff at Petro Seychelles resembled that of a small family. Everyone knows each other. Everyone is approachable and they all tried to make me feel like I belonged. On Friday I was queried to prepare a presentation to show what I learned during the weeks at Petro Seychelles. Extremely helpful tips were shared in light of my presentation and my time at Petro Seychelles. One beautiful sight was the staffs decorating their own small Christmas tree for the office. This portrayed the lack of tension in the office and the amicable connection, even though they work really hard they can still hold on to their holiday spirit. The experience was enlightening. It was my first experience getting hands on experience within an organisation. I loved every minute of it, it was challenging but at the same time it was eye opening. I learned some valuable life lessons together with a wide amount about Geology. I want to again, thank everyone for making this possible; SYAH, The British High Commission, the organisations and everyone else that made the internship possible. If anyone is wondering if it was a success, I will vouch that it was successful. I urge more youth to take an interest in the Blue Economy and its importance to Seychelles. “…The Aquatic Economy is a dormant part of our Heritage…” –Joshua Sofola sHey all, its Emmaline... I want to share with you my experience of my internship at WiseOceans. To start of WiseOcean is a conservation group, founded by Abbie Hine, that works globally, they were set up in Seychelles 5 years ago and they are situated at the Four Seasons resort at Petite Anse. There main goal is to strive for a better healthier ocean for future generations. They specialise in marine conservation and education, here at the Resort they mostly raise awareness with guests doing guided snorkels, marine life talks, kids’ activities and they also reach out to public community such as schools. The other part of what they do is conservation work, this means doing coral surveys, that is a way of checking the health of the corals. They have a project known as the reef restoration project which they grow new corals in a nursery to try to restore the diversity of corals. Now let me tell you about my time spend at WiseOceans. It was really interesting and fun! I've spend my time in the coral cabana (you can find the picture below) where I had the chance to learn more on marine conservation, on fishes and corals. Every morning I went for turtle walk which is searching for any turtle nest on the beach. The beach at Four Seasons is so wow! This was my first impression on my first day and it still amazes me every day. I also did some fish identification training when we go out for snorkeling (I point at a fish and say its name). The snorkel is the best part of the day because the reef is occupied by many different fish that are really nice to see. I did a coral survey and found it interesting. There is also a picnic table that holds different types of books about marine life, such as fish identification books also books on sharks that guest can come read or search for info on a certain fish. Helping out the corals My supervisor's name is Georgie. She is the reef restoration officer. From her I learned about the reef restoration project. They decided to do this project due the coral bleaching and the crown-of-thorns starfish outbreak. They do it by building a nursery with bent steel arcs fixed to the sea floor, then they collect fragments of corals which are still alive to bring them to the coral cabana to be attached with a clean small piece of steel, then they are placed in the coral nursey to grow. When the coral fragments becomes strong enough they will transplant them out of the nursery to be attached with the reef for them to continue on growing. Coral takes a very long time to grow. During a year it could only grow up to 10cm, we can say that this projects gives a boost for helping the growth of corals. To conclude I would like to thank Georgie and Hannah at WiseOceans for this amazing experience and keep on doing the good work. I had a great time learning about marine life there was a lot to learn that I didn’t know about, especially the corals. Did you know that they are animals? There are animal known as the polyps that lives in the coral and without them, the coral will die! Anyhow thanks for reading my blog hope it was interesting, please check out the pictures below. Greetings! It's Carol again. I hope you enjoy my second blog post. Gosh I’m enjoying my experience as a #BEIntern. Sadly it’s coming to an end. I have enjoyed every learning day of being an intern at the Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA) under the wings of my qualified supervisor, Ms. Dora Lesperance and her lovely helper Ms. Natifa Pillay. My second week was packed with interesting activities both on site and indoors, From collecting live data on site from fisherman, to using equipment in the lab and performing practical work on organisms. Thursday before the sun had even risen, I was up and ready to accompany two lab technicians on their lobster duty. SFA provides licenses on a first come first serve basis to fishermen for the fishing of lobster during the annual three month long season. We travelled to three different landing sites on the north side of Mahe, to meet the fishermen as they unloaded their valuable catch. The exhausted fishermen. I observed as one technician took the measurements such as the length, weight and sex of the lobsters, while the other recorded the data into a table. Only three species were recorded on that day, of which the green lobsters were the rarest. I was really amazed at the size of some of the lobsters we saw. On the other hand, some were too small and had to be released immediately. The information collected is then transferred into SFA’s database, and is vital to the authorities for research and regular assessment of the stock’s health. This is very important in order to manage this precious resource responsibly and sustainably, which is in the very essence of the blue economy concept; to use the sea and whatever it provides us with conscientiously. |
AuthorThe interns of the Prosperity & Environment: Promoting sustainable development opportunities for youth in the Blue Economy sector. Archives
January 2018
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