Protect Sharks from Becoming Extinct

Dear Supporters,

The last 3 months have allowed us to focus on training and upskilling rangers from the Seychelles National Park Authority in 1st aid skills and underwater survey techniques to allow a more indepth look around the reefs of the Seychelles

During the last 3 months we have managed to train up 17 rangers in emergency first response where they gained primary and secondary care skills in dealing with casualties. 2 rangers gained their beginners diving qualifications, their PADI Open Water course with another 8 completing their dive refresher training.. 3 rangers have then moved on to complete their reef fish identification and surveys technique course with another 5 on enroute to completing theirs within the next month.

Our highlights have been having rangers feel job satisfaction within their role and being able to complete training and development that some have not managed to receive in the last 2 years due to funding. We are in the process of developing a plan for the next 2 years that will allow us to not only develop the rangers where they can monitor the reef systems across the Seychelles safely, but also gain further skills that are normally out of their reach due to timing and most importantly, funding.

Every time funds are donated we can put these towards the development of old and new rangers. Some great examples are:

• £15 - Funds a single underwater training session for a ranger
• £30 - Funds a ranger to join an emergency first response course
• £45 - Fund a day's skills session for a ranger underwater in identification of different areas such as fish, invertebrates, or coral or methodology of different survey techniques.

We have stepped up our training and have created an increase in job satisfaction and a building block for rangers to begin their development. Not enough is known on the reef systems surrounding the Seychelles and the more we know the more we can protect. 

We believe that the job of a ranger is to study and protect the reef ecosystems here in the Seychelles and we need your help to keep this work carrying on. Each ranger has shown their passion and commitment to protecting the reef and the environment. They are now doing their part to protect it.

We face some major challenges. Equipment is one of them. Some of these rangers have been asked in previous areas to partake in unsafe diving practices. As part of our education, we aim to make sure that every time they step into the water they dive safely. Because of this we are in need of safe and well maintained equipment as well as funds to keep the training going. Our overall aim is to have the rangers trained to the point where they can carry on the development of others and turn them into professional scientific divers to protect the underwater environment and we can only do this with your help.

If you are interested to see if these areas match up with your ideologies and interests this program focuses on a few of the United nations Sustainable Development Goals:

Goal 4: Quality education

Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

Goal 14: Life Below Water

Goal 17: Partnerships

We have started the training and development. We have created the building blocks for rangers to progress. We are now focusing on the continual development of the rangers.

Thank you!

With Gratitude,

Cap Ternay Marine

Dear Supporters,

We have all been affected by COVID-19 in some way shape or form and it has not been easy for the world to adapt to this new way of life. Here in the Seychelles the 1st wave of the virus was not too damaging on the people but unfortunately devastating on the economy as 75% of the country's income is through tourism. Just before this all came to being though, we managed to launch the start of the Marine Scholars Program here in the Seychelles. It has been 1 year in the making with the idea to develop the youth of the Seychelles to step up and help the world through marine conservation and the blue economy.

Let us begin. We have had a scholar’s program in place for a while. It was undeveloped and unrefined. A new partnership emerged between WiseOceans and GVI Seychelles with the aim and objective to develop the younger generation to make that step into the marine conservation world and to create a more sustainable future. This has made it possible to bring in 6 young Seychellois into this newly developed Marine Scholars Program.

The 6 scholars will be placed on a 9 month internship with NGOs and government organisations across the Seychelles to help develop them and give them the skills and experience they need to make a difference and begin a career in conservation.

If the last 3 months has shown us anything, it is that this world is damaged, and that it has needed healing. With this program in place we hope to inspire the new generation to begin that healing process.

Moving forwards is now trickier than ever. We need to look at keeping this process going. We want to make sure that these opportunities do not dry out. There are many ways you can support us. You might feel that your company wants to support a conservation effort somewhere in the world. The Seychelles is a great place for that. They have just protected 30% of the country's oceans 1.34 million square kilometres! You might decide that you want to support us yourself and any donation of any kind can go a long way into helping fund one of these placements for the scholar. If you are thinking during these times that you may not be able to help, not a problem. Share the word. Share what we are trying to do here and share what the Seychelles is capable of.

The current challenges are funds and logistics. As soon as we began this program the world went into lockdown. NGO’s went into hibernation. People left to head back to their native country and spend the time with their families. We are now trying to bring together a small team of 3 here in the Seychelles with the aim of beginning the 6 scholars training within the marine conservation sector. The first obstacle is bringing all the pieces of the puzzle together so that we can then move forwards with the funding. It can be as simple as covering the fuel for the scientific survey dives, or the filters for the air compressor, or the repair kits for the diving equipment, and even the paper and pencils for the report writing.

If we manage to gain the funding needed for all of the above we can look at training them up to the high standards we are known for and from there place them within organisations across the Seychelles.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are what we and every organisation here works towards. If you are aware of them, great. If not, please do look them up, it is a fascinating and difficult challenge that will take the whole world to work towards.

4. Quality Education: Through the development of this program and the education of primary school children at Port Glaud and the Internation School Seychelles.

14. Life Below Water: Through the continuous monitoring of the coral reef ecosystems around the North West of Mahe to better understand the impacts on these fragile systems and how best to protect them.

17. Partners for the Goals: Working with partners through many different means and in this case around 6-8 different partners all sharing their knowledge and experience.

What’s next? We do not know. We want to carry on the great work that was put into this program but we need to be able to gain the funding and deliver the experience and education needed for the scholars. We are hoping to potentially deliver the start of the program by September but it all depends on the generosity of the world.

Thank you for reading.

With gratitude,

Cap Ternay Marine