The 22nd WIO-COMPAS Certification Event kicked off in Seychelles on 3rd of May with an official launch by H.E. Flavien Joubert, Minister of Agriculture, Climate Change and the Environment, Seychelles.
The WIOMSA President Marie May Jeremie was also in attendance and she underscored the important role that MPA practitioners can play in the achievement of the Global Biodiversity Goals. “WIOMSA goal is to ensure that WIO MPAs are managed by people with a diverse set of skills, knowledge and abilities. As countries in the region commit to establishing more MPAs by 20230, the need for competent MPA practitioners has never been greater”
Speaking at the event, Dr. Nirmal Shah, a pioneer of WIO-COMPAS and past WIOMSA President, highlighted the role of WIOMSA in strengthening capacities of ocean practitioners and scientists across the #WIO region.
Funded by the Blue Nature Alliance, the WIO-COMPAS assessment will assess the competences of 15 candidates from Kenya Wildlife Service, South African National Parks, Marine Parks and Reserves Unit Tanzania, CapeNature South Africa, Reserve Naturelle Marine de La Reunion and WCS Madagascar.
Others in attendance at the opening event included members of the the Board of Trustees and the CEO of Seychelles Parks and Garden, Blue Nature Alliance representatives – Jessie McGrath and Keith Roberts, representatives from University of Seychelles, Seychelles Island Foundation and participants from marine protected areas in the WIO – Kenya, Tanzania, Seychelles, Madagascar, South Africa and Reunion.
To date the WIO-COMPAS programme has certified over 116 MPA professionals in the WIO and is endorsed by IUCN, the International Ranger Federation and WIO regional governments
