(Seychelles News Agency) - The Department of the Blue Economy in Seychelles has started a capacity-building programme to prepare technicians and specialists for the domestication of the United Nations Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction Treaty (BBNJ), said a top official on Monday.

The director general of the Department, Chrissant Barbe, told reporters that this is the next step after Seychelles became the first African country to ratify the BBNJ Treaty in March.

The workshop focused mainly on familiarising the technicians and specialists from different departments and entities with the BBNJ treaty and what this means for Seychelles and the rest of the world.

The UN Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction Treaty, also known as the High Seas Treaty or the BBNJ treaty, is an international agreement that aims to preserve and sustainably use the marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction. This includes the high seas, which are outside of countries' exclusive economic zones, and make up nearly half of the earth's surface

“This is a big step forward for Seychelles. Fifty percent of our boundary is adjacent to the high seas, therefore, it is highly beneficial for Seychelles to join this treaty. We expect that it will have a positive influence on the fishing industry as well as the tourism industry,” said Barbe.

He stated that the resources needed in the country notably fish, are usually migratory species, meaning they do not remain in Seychelles' waters. This is why it is necessary to regulate the high seas better to ensure the survival of these species.

Seychelles is the fourth country in the world and the first in Africa to ratify this treaty and Barbe added that given the island nation is surrounded by the ocean, the country is also planning on advocating for other signatories to join this treaty.

“This is especially important with neighbouring countries in the region. We hope that there will be at least 60 signatories by next year,” he added.

Barbe said Seychelles will also be advocating for and establishing additional Marine Protected Areas in the region and will be working with other countries to discuss processes and modalities to ensure that all countries in the region benefit from this.