Maldives’ coast guard officers have taken part in in the Oil Spill Emergency Response Training Program funded by Ocean Country Partnership Program (OCPP).
According to the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF), 17 sailors of its coast guard representing all area commands of MNDF, 10 Sri Lankan Coast Guard officers, three staff from Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and two staff from the Ministry of Environment took in the training program held from 5th to 16th January.
Speaking during the closing ceremony of the training, the Commander of the MNDF Coast Guard, Brigadier General Mohamed Saleem said that oil spills have occurred in Maldives and neighboring countries, highlighting the importance to prepare for such incidents in advance.
Highlighting the need to raise awareness among relevant officials to respond to such emergencies, Saleem stressed on the importance of conducting such training programs to protect the sensitive environments of the country.
"Such incidents have happened a lot. So, such training is very useful to protect the environment of Maldives," he said.
The Training program was held with the support from UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, as well as the British High Commission in the Maldives, to help strengthen MNDF Coast Guard’s capacity for maritime pollution response.
Content of the training program includes International Maritime Organisation level 1,2,3 training, Incident Command System 100, 200, 300, Aerial Surveillance, and Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Technique training.