Employees of the Seychelles Centre for Marine Research and Technology - Marine Parks Authority (SCMRT-MPA) attended the first in-house training workshop held for them on Friday August 29.

The workshop, the first of its kind for the recently formed joint organisation, covered a broad range of topics concerning both the services that SCMRT-MPA provides, and the internal day-to-day operations of the company itself.

Speaking to staff members and guest speakers during the official opening, SCMRT-MPA’s managing director, Mary Stravens, said that the workshop came at a convenient time as the SCMRT-MPA had recently hired nine new staff members.

She said that in addition to inducting the new staff to the organisation, existing employees would benefit from clarifications or even new concepts on the workshop’s agenda.

“This workshop will help us understand better what are, and how to, achieve our goals,” Mrs Stravens said.

Mrs Stravens made specific mention of the procedural cases in which the SCMRT-MPA is often involved, such as the enforcement of anti-poaching laws in protected areas. 

When marine park officials caught a poacher, Mrs Stravens said, often there had been problems with the prosecution due to incorrect or missing pieces of information in the reports filed to the police.  When such a case would reach the courts, there would not always be sufficient evidence to prosecute, preventing enforcement from being a real deterrent to poachers.

For that reason, she said, a representative from the Police Academy was brought in to conduct a session informing MPA officials on how best to collaborate with police so that procedural snags would be kept to a minimum.

A number of other guest speakers were tapped to help facilitate the workshop, with the aim of clearly defining the roles and responsibilities of SCMRT-MPA and its staff.

Creole Holidays representatives were on-hand to discuss MPA’s tourism service delivery, and officials from several ministries also took part to consult with staff on issues like environmental laws and employee rights.

The SCMRT and the MPA officially merged as an entity in April earlier this year.

The MPA currently employs 39 staff members, while the SCMRT division is host to only one full-time employee. 

Although the SCMRT-MPA wants to expand the research aspect of its operations, Mrs Stravens said, the possible opportunities for the organisation to do so would be carefully considered before any action is taken. 

According to Mrs Stravens, such a strategy, along with the workshop, would work towards the SMCRT-MPA’s goal of becoming an efficient, self-sustainable company.

Principal secretary for environment, Maurice Loustau-Lalanne, echoed the sentiment, hinting that with the ministry actively looking to delegate some of its responsibilities, the SCMRT-MPA could have an important role to play.

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