Capitania Maritima, coping year-round with emergencies at sea

Capitania Maritima, coping year-round with emergencies at sea

OPERATIONS CENTRE: Jose Aranda Vasserot, director general of Capitania Maritima in Almeria Photo credit: Capitania Maritima Almeria

ALMERIA province’s maritime authority, Capitania Maritima, handled 243 emergencies last year.
On 124 occasions this involved rescuing boats that were drifting or immobilised by steering or engine failures.
Capitania, which is attached to the Ministry of Transport, also went to the aid of 68 precarious or overloaded vessels, revealed Jose Aranda Vasserot, the naval captain who has headed the maritime authority since 2017.
He is responsible for coordinating Marine Rescue service, on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and is also responsible for maritime safety.
Captain Aranda also had to organise 11 evacuations from ship to shore during medical emergencies. Capitania also went to the aid of four vessels which had run ashore, three that had sprung leaks and eight further emergencies involving leisure craft.
The maritime authority also prevents– and fights – pollution, which led to detaining an oil tanker in Almeria port last June.  The ship, Captain Aranda explained, had illegally discharged oil when 174 nautical miles (approximately 322 kilometres) off La Palma in the Canary Islands.
Almeria’s Capitania Maritima coordinated the entire operation which also involved Salvamento Maritimo, the Spanish navy and Almeria’s Port authority.
The ship was eventually released, but only after paying a €600,000 fine, one of the highest yet imposed by Spain’s Merchant Navy administration.
 

Written by

Linda Hall

Originally from the UK, Linda is based in Valenca and is a reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering local news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.

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