Key post for Nature Seychelles chief
Nature Seychelles chief executive Nirmal Jivan Shah has been elected president of the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association (WIOMSA), well known here and in the rest of the region as the most visible and active organisation of its kind.
Among those to welcome the appointment, Bernard Elizabeth, chairman of the Liaison Unit of Non-governmental Organisations of Seychelles, said: “This is recognition and acknowledgement of your most valuable contribution and a confirmation that a small island state like ours does have the capacity to provide leadership to international organisations such as this one.”
Mr Shah, who has been a founder board member of WIOMSA, has been contributing to the organisation since its birth. He was until recently the long-serving chairman of its funding arm, the Marine Science for Management (Masma) programme.
In her recent address to members, outgoing president Nyawira Muthiga said: “I am very grateful to Nirmal for the achievements made by the Masma programme during his tenure; he has brought great acclaim to the programme, nurturing it from a virtual unknown to the reputable and highly effective grant-providing entity that it is today.”
Mr Shah’s most recent efforts for the organisation include being co-editor of the WIOMSA magazine and helping to develop WIOMSA’s Wio-Compas, the world’s first certification of marine protected area staff.
WIOMSA has grown at a rapid pace and its scientific publications, its highly respected journal, its marine science symposia, and other products and services are playing a vital role in growing marine and coastal science and management in the region.
Dr Magnus Ngoile, WIOMSA’s first president, said: “Nirmal’s stewardship is very much needed at this critical time when the association is transforming itself into a new generation of the scientific community it is intended to serve, with even more challenges than before.”
WIOMSA is dedicated to promoting the educational, scientific and technological development of all aspects of marine sciences throughout the Western Indian Ocean region consisting of 10 countries: Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Reunion, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa and Tanzania with a view to sustaining the use and conservation of its marine resources.