Seychelles coast guard gets new patrol ship from China

SEYCHELLES GETS NEW MARINE PATROL BOAT TO KEEP UP VIGILENCE ON THE OCEAN

(Posted 05th May 2014)

The People’s Republic of China last week handed over a brand new marine patrol boat to the Seychelles’ government, aiding efforts to continue a high level of vigilance on the seas around the archipelago, as progressively yachts and larger sailing boats, along with the traditional cruise liners are returning to the Indian Ocean.

It is understood that the offer to provide the Seychelles with such an asset was made when President James Alix Michel visited China in 2011 and his efforts have now born fruits, as have the friendly relations between the two countries. The new patrol boat will be officially commissioned, very likely on Independence Day in June, while the new crew is already being trained on the various systems by a group of Chinese sailors who came with the new ship to the Seychelles naval / coast guard base on Ile Perseverance.

The Seychelles are an integral part of the multinational naval force patrolling the seas around the Horn of Africa which has pushed back the Somali ocean terrorists and cleared the seaways once again, and while caution is still advisable encounters with the pirates are now much less likely, in part because the Seychelles stood firm and several times took offensive action against the ocean terrorists to rescue abducted fishermen.

In fact it was a Chinese group of performers who won the prize for best troupe at the recently concluded Seychelles Carnival in Victoria where they thrilled the crowds with their acrobatics where the Chinese handover crew was also honoured guests in the best tradition of the Seychelles, being friends to all and enemies to none.