Hi! My name is Talia Dupont, I’m a 15-year-old student at French school. When I first saw this application form concerning the Blue Economy internship, I directly wanted to apply with the desire of learning new things concerning maritime and port sectors. Luckily, for the 2 future weeks, I have the opportunity to be interning at Seychelles Maritime Safety Administration (SMSA). But firstly, what is SMSA? In simple words, this administration works in close relation with IMO (International Maritime Organization), which is a special branch of United Nations. It is divided in three major parts:
On my first day, I arrived at the office with a strange combination of fear, excitement and apprehension. A few minutes later, Mr Richard Ernesta, the director of SMSA, and the other employees introduced themselves. This warm welcome made me feel much more at ease. After the presentations, Mr Ernesta and Mrs Brigitte Ciseau (the legal officer) explained to Sophie Payette (the other intern) and I briefly what are the main roles of this administration, nationally and internationally. Soon after, I had the chance to assist to the oral test of candidates applying for a skipper certification. During these five interviews, I learnt a lot of maritime rules that I was completely not aware of. In general, it was an awesome day! Throughout all the second day, I had the chance to accompany Mr Thierry Lablache (the survey officer) and Marie-Antoinette Micook (a tourism industry employee), while they were doing the hire craft survey of four different boats all around Mahé: from Providence to Anse Etoile, passing by Eden Island Marina. Depending on the boats navigation distance from the shore, the characteristics required by the controls are different. However, in all the situations, every single detail is checked: radio, ropes, anchor, parachute flairs, life jackets, fire extinguishers… The rules are strict and nothing is left to chance! During the afternoon, Mr Ernesta and Mrs Ciseau explained us advanced details concerning special cases happening in international waters. After browsing through conventions and law texts, I learnt many more rules than I never expected to in such a short lapse of time! See you soon for other exciting experiences in my future blogs!
1 Comment
Mamie Hélène
16/12/2017 07:34:15 pm
La grand-mère est très contente et fière de sa petite fille Talia
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AuthorThe interns of the Prosperity & Environment: Promoting sustainable development opportunities for youth in the Blue Economy sector. Archives
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