On 1st July, Seychelles opened two information sharing centres to enhance maritime security.
The NISCC (National Information Sharing and Coordination Centre), being a national entity, will have its mission to co-coordinate and manage the ever increasing level of activities within the maritime sector, such as to provide sufficient maritime security necessary for sustainable development of the Blue economy sector, while operating the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC), coordinating oil spills and responses to coastal maritime crime, as well as operating the coastal radio station. The NISCC will act as a first point of contact and as the centre of maritime security operations for key national stakeholders.
The RCOC (Regional Centre for Operations Coordination) follows an urgent call made in Djibouti on May 15, 2016 by the Community of the Eastern Southern Africa and Indian Ocean (ESA-IO) for Seychelles to host a regional centre for operational coordination alongside the Regional Maritime Information Infusion Centre (RMIFC) in Madagascar.
The NISCC and the RCOC were officially opened last weekend at Bois de Rose by Vice-President Vincent Meriton, the Minister for Home Affairs Mitcy Larue, the French Ambassador Lionel Majesté-Larrouy and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade of Mauritius Vishnu Luchmeenairadoo.