Liberian Maritime Stakeholders Trained In National Oil Spill Response

For a week, stakeholders in maritime sector of Liberia participated in a national oil spill response training organized by the Liberia Maritime Authority (LiMA) in collaboration with the National Port Authority. The training was supported by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in partnership with the Global Initiative for West, Central and Southern Africa (GI WACAF) Project and IPIECA, the global oil and gas industry association for environmental and social issues. The training was aimed at enhancing the capacity of partner countries to prepare for and respond to marine oil spills. Fifty-five (55) maritime stakeholders participated in the training.

The intent of the training is to strengthen the national system for preparedness and response in case of an oil spill in 22 West, Central and Southern African countries in accordance with the provisions set out in the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Cooperation, 1990 (OPRC 90). The initiative trained key entities on the fundamentals of oil spill response, following the standard format and content contained in the IMO OPRC Levels 1 and 2 training courses.

In remarks, the Deputy Commissioner for Safety and Domestic Vessels Registration, Hon.. John F. Harvey said the training was pivotal to strengthening the capacity of professionals within the maritime sector of Liberia in order for them to be knowledgeable about how to deal with oil spill incidents.

Deputy Commissioner Harvey encouraged the newly trained professionals to share their knowledge with their colleagues in their respective institutions given the need for collaborative expertise in handling spill situations in Liberian waters.

For his part, Mr. Emmanuel Horton Sr. Deputy Managing Director/Operations of the National Port Authority (NPA), said the NPA is committed to improving Liberia’s ability to comply with international standards and rules relating to maritime safety and prevention and control of marine pollution. “This is why we are proudly collaborating with the Liberia Maritime Authority on this training initiative,” the NPA Deputy Managing Director said.

One of the experts from GI WACAF said “This capacity building effort is a shining example of the collaboration between the Government of Liberia and the GI WACAF project.”

Source : LiMA