Port Tanger Med: Commissioning of the new sea rescue boat “Al Boughaz”
HIBAPRESS-RABAT-(MAP)
The Minister of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests, Mohamed Sadiki, chaired, Wednesday at the Tanger Med port, the commissioning ceremony of a new high seas rescue boat called “Al Boughaz.”
The commissioning ceremony took place in the presence of the president of the Supervisory Board of Tanger Med Special Agency (TMSA), Fouad Brini, the governor of the province of Fahs-Anjra, Abdelkhalek Marzouki, and representatives of the national partners of rescue and elected bodies.
This unit with a length of 21 meters, built by a Spanish shipyard for a value of 25 million dirhams and endowed with great autonomy and a wide range of action, strengthens the national research and development system. saving human lives at sea and will make it possible to intervene more effectively in the area of the Strait of Gibraltar, characterized by dense maritime traffic.
This unit will be assigned to the port of Tangier Med to respond to the specificities of this region with greater autonomy at sea. It includes within it an intervention system coordinated by the National Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC Rabat) favoring responsiveness, efficiency and rationalization of national resources.
Such a system, led by men experienced in search and rescue coordination techniques and operating within the framework of a national, regional and local organization, allows Morocco, as a coastal State, to fulfill its obligations. in matters of search and rescue of human lives at sea, in accordance with the provisions of the national and international regulations in force.
Speaking on this occasion, Mr. Sadiki indicated that in order to protect human lives and as part of rescue operations on the high seas, this new launch strengthens the Moroccan rescue fleet, which now has 21 vessels, recalling the Kingdom’s commitment to constantly improve national maritime search and rescue capabilities, in accordance with national and international regulations.
The ministry, he continued, spares no effort to constantly improve the rescue service on a national and regional scale, thanks in particular to a very efficient coordination center which acts with adapted and effective means of intervention, emphasizing that the commissioning of this launch, which is part of the second phase of the Halieutis strategy, represents an important step in the process of strengthening the national sea rescue system.
In a statement to MAP, the commander, director of maritime operations at the Tangier Med port captaincy, Adil Ait Oualil, noted that within the framework of the partnership agreement signed between the Tanger Med port authority and the ministry , the Tanger Med port will make its port infrastructure available to accommodate this maritime rescue boat.
In this regard, he stressed that this initiative reflects the social commitment of the port authorities and highlights their contribution to the support and security of the port community and that of fishermen in the region surrounding the port.
This ceremony was also marked by the signing of a partnership agreement between the Ministry of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests and TMSA, aiming to support the maritime rescue mission and guarantee more efficiency and speed in rescue interventions in the Strait of Gibraltar region where a significant number of commercial and passenger ships operate.
It should be noted that Morocco today has 21 speedboats and 10 fast rescue boats, supported by a communication system along the national coastline, using modern means of radio-communication, including by satellite, through the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) and the COSPAS SARSAT system, which facilitate the identification and location of ships in the event of distress.
