Burundi, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea, Guinea, Lesotho and South Africa were amongst the 18 countries that added their signature to the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement yesterday as the United Nations Oceans Conference currently underway in France helped focus attention on the looming deadline to sign the agreement.

SEYCHELLES: In a move that underscores the Republic of Seychelles intentions to develop its ocean economy, the president, Wavel Ramkalawan, officially inaugurated the Eve Island Marine Fuelling Station on Praslin on Friday morning, marking a significant milestone in the enhancement of maritime infrastructure across the inner islands.

KENYA: A Korean delegation is assessing the maritime and shipping curricula as well as training programmes of two notable Kenyan institutions in order to rate them against global standards with the view to strengthening the country’s capacity to further develop their maritime sector.

Just over 70 percent of all African countries border the ocean, creating a 26,000 nm coastline and a 13 million km² of Exclusive Economic Zone (according to a report published by the Institute of Security Studies in 2021). As a continent, this may not be the longest coastline or largest EEZ, but Africa’s desire to capitalise the opportunities presented by the Blue Economy should be seen as a critical strategy to improve the continent’s economic and social outlook.

SOUTH AFRICA: A long-time issue in the Port of Durban is being addressed as Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) begins work on a major road rehabilitation project to reduce congestion on the Bayhead Road which acts as a critical accessway to port terminals, warehouses and industrial facilities.

MAURITIUS: Mauritius has announced that they will establish a maritime coordination centre supported by the launch of the Safe Seas Africa (SSA) programme which will provide capacity-building and equipment to respond to maritime threats.

The Invest in African Energy Forum held in Paris last month highlighted some of the current investments underway across the continent including ExxonMobil’s $10 billion plans in Nigeria, to TotalEnergies’ multibillion-dollar ventures in Mozambique and Namibia, and Eni’s gas monetisation projects in Libya and the Republic of Congo.

SOUTH AFRICA: In an initiative to improve labour standards and promote decent work in the commercial fishing sector, the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) and the Department of Employment and Labour’s (DEL) Inspectorate and Enforcement Services Branch have started joint inspections on fishing vessels operating out of Cape Town.