Azores Maritime School to promote training on Global Maritime Distress and Safety System
The Regional Secretary for the Sea, Science and Technology reiterated in Horta that “training and capability building of fishing professionals have been a strategic goal in this legislative term,” adding that these initiative have covered “600 trainees” so far.
Gui Menezes spoke to journalists at the beginning of the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) at the Azores Maritime School, which covers 18 fishers from the islands of Pico and Faial.
This training course is promoted by the Regional Secretariat for the Sea, Science and Technology, through the Regional Directorate for Fisheries, in partnership with the Azores Fisheries Federation and in collaboration with the Azores Maritime School. The initiative is held under a protocol signed this year with the Vocational Training Centre for Fisheries and Sea, FOR-MAR.
“These training activities are carried out in partnership with the fishing associations of each island, which identify training needs and select trainees,” said the Regional Secretary.
They will cover all the islands of the archipelago with the aim of providing, especially to the coastal fleet segment, training in very specific areas, such as safety on board, communications and fish handling.
The GMDSS training corresponds to a Government's investment amounting to 60 thousand Euros. It is based on a Maritime Distress, Emergency and Safety Communications, namely vessel-to-land communications operated by terrestrial and satellite radio services, always taking as starting point the locations where vessels operate.
As of now, under the protocol signed with FOR-MAR, 40 fishers from the islands of Terceira and São Miguel have already received the GMDSS certificate.
Asked by journalists, the Regional Secretary stated that “there are plans to begin the first courses at the Azores Maritime School in the course of the next school year," recalling that public procurement procedures for the purchase of equipment necessary for its operation are still ongoing.