EUCAP organized a Standards of Training and Certification of Watch-Keeping training course that kicked off on September 2nd at the Berbera Maritime and Fishery Academy in Somaliland.
The course, focusing on safety issues, is part of a wider “Maritime Operational Capability Project’’ already underway in the coastal area and includes fifty Coast Guard trainees from Berbera and Hargeisa.
The Berbera Maritime Fishing Academy is providing trainers and professors to facilitate a myriad of topics including: Personal Safety, Accident and Fire Prevention, Firefighting precautions, causes and related techniques.
Practical sessions on equipment usage, breathing apparatus and First Aid are included in the program. “Your safety as you conduct the duties of the (Somaliland) Coast Guard is one of our main priorities”
EUCAP Strategic Advisor Kenneth Neijnes, speaking on behalf of the Acting Head of Mission Keith Murray, said during the opening ceremony.
As the port of Berbera is of crucial importance to the Somaliland maritime economy, the Somaliland Coast Guard, mentored by EUCAP, is vital to the development of the maritime rule of law.
“It is only the rule of law that will attract investments and shipping to Somaliland – and the Coast Guard must play its part in this to provide services to the user of the maritime domain,” said Neijnes.
