Jun
24
MAHE Seychelles —
During her visit to Mahé, Operational
Atalanta flagship, ESPS Galicia, in support of EU sister
mission, EUCAP Nestor, and the Seychellois security agencies,
conducted a training exercise that implemented the Seychelles
national contingency plan for anti-pollution, search and rescue
and fire fighting.
The exercise scenario included the
Maritime Operations Centre run by the Seychelles Coast Guard
deploying speedboats and a patrol vessel in response to a
collision between an oil tanker and a ferry.
The Seychelles Air Force deployed an aircraft to monitor the
situation and provide search and rescue assistance to crew
members who were in the water.
The Seychelles Port Authority sent a tug boat with floating
booms to contain the ‘exercise’ spill and the Fire and Rescue
Service deployed fire fighters to put out the fire.
ESPS Galicia was operating in the vicinity and responded by
deploying its helicopter to conduct search and rescue, whilst
its onboard medical facilities was used to treat the sick and
wounded.
The multi-agency exercise was an opportunity to enhance
communication and coordination amongst all local stakeholders
with international partners, in responding to a contingency.
Commanding Officer of the Seychelles Coast Guard, Lieutenant
Colonel Dine said:
“Being able to deal rapidly with any oil spill is extremely
important for the Seychelles,”
“Our pristine maritime environment and shoreline are the main
attraction for the many tourists that visit our shores.
“Our tourism industry, an integral part of our blue economy,
must be protected from pollution.”
An EUCAP Nestor Coast Guard expert added:
“This exercise is part of a cycle of activities that EUCAP
Nestor and Operation Atalanta have conducted together with the
Seychelles Maritime Authorities for the purpose of enhancing the
maritime capability of the country.
“I’m proud to observe that the exercise has shown improvement
in our counterpart’s capability.”
Force Commander of Operation Atalanta, Rear Admiral Gomez de
Cordoba of the Spanish Navy said:
“This exercise has been an incredible opportunity to
contribute to the development of the Seychelles Coast Guard
capabilities.
“I am proud to observe how the Coast Guard has increased
their capacity to respond to an incident of such magnitude. One
of the main tasks of the Operation Atalanta units is to
collaborate with other European Union agencies, such as EUCAP
Nestor, and we are glad to work once again with them in trying
to improve capabilities of countries in the Indian Ocean”.
Comments
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.