Indian Ocean countries meet to strengthen search and rescue ties

Representatives from Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Mauritius are in Australia working with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority to strengthen search and rescue capabilities in the Indian Ocean region.

The Search and Rescue Capability Partnership Program commenced in January and is delivered by AMSA as part of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Government Partnerships for Development (GPFD) program. GPFD provides funding to Australian public sector organisations to support economic growth and poverty alleviation in developing countries in the Indian Ocean, Asia and Pacific regions.

AMSA Chief Executive Officer Mick Kinley said search and rescue in the Indian Ocean region is often challenging, “the aim of the program is to strengthen cooperation and capability with these three countries which border Australia’s search and rescue region, in a vast and remote part of the world,” Kinley said. -- My Sailing