President Danny Faure received the Chief Executive Officer of Nekton and Head of Expedition, Mr Oliver Steed, at State House this morning. His courtesy call follows the official launch of the Seychelles-Nekton Deep Ocean Expedition 2018-2022 on Saturday.

President Faure wished Mr Steed and his team the best of luck for what the President described as a historical moment for Seychelles.

“You have the full support of the government of Seychelles. We would like to express our appreciation to the government of the United Kingdom and all partners in making this expedition a reality,” said the President. “I hope that the exploration shows our young people the variety of opportunities available as they choose their careers,” he said.

During the meeting, President Faure and Mr Steed discussed the expedition and associated preparations, and its value for Seychelles, such as the data it will generate. It was agreed that this invaluable data would help support the sustainable development of Blue Economy and the governance of Seychelles’ vast ocean territory. They also spoke of the need for capacity building and raising awareness on the importance of protecting the ocean and its resources.

The Nekton Mission is expected to kick off with the exploration on the Outer Islands of Seychelles alongside local scientists, experts and conservation personnel on board the Ocean Zephyr, a scientific research vessel, later today or tomorrow. They will be exploring 7 different sites across Seychelles including the islands of Farquhar, Aldabra, Des Noeuf, Alphonse and Desroches. The vessel is equipped with subsea technologies capable of descending hundreds of metres into the ocean, which will provide live footage broadcasted and reported through Sky News and Associated Press.

Also present at the meeting this morning was the Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Change, Mr Wallace Cosgrow, the British High Commissioner for Seychelles, HE Ms Caron Roshler and Principal Secretary of the Environment Department, Mr Alain de Commarmond.