News

The Indonesia Directorate General of Sea Transportation (DGST) is hosting this
year’s Regional Marine Pollution Exercise (MARPOLEX) at the port of Benoa in Bali, Indonesia from 15-18 May 2017.

The regional MARPOLEX
exercises are organised every two years in collaboration with the
Philippines as part of their
commitment to implement the ASEAN Oil Spill Response Action Plan (OSRAP) and
the Sulawesi Oil Spill Network Response Plan.  This year’s event is
the region’s 20th MARPOLEX. 
The first MARPOLEX was held in 1986 at Davao (Philippines) and the previous
MARPOLEX was held in May 2015 at Cebu Waters, also in the Philippines.

In addition to the Philippine and Indonesian Coast
Guards, the Japan Coast Guard are participating in the excercises and training
over the three-day period.  The programme
includes a Pre-Sail Conference, Controllers’ Meeting, Task Group Conference,
Communications and Table Top Exercise, Manoeuver Exercise, Final Exercise,
Sailing Pass, and Critique Exercise.  The
Indonesian participation includes 600 personnel, 24 ships, one helicopter and one
ambulance.  230 personnel and 4 ships
from the Philippine Coast Guard are attending, as well as 3 personnel from the Japan
Coast Guard. Observers from neighbouring ASEAN countries such as Malaysia,
Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, and Vietnam are also present.

The Indonesian Directorate General of Sea Transportation
is keen to support participation in MARPOLEX because it provides excellent training
for coast guards on how to handle sea contamination due to oil spills in
accordance with IMO slogan: Safe, Secure and Efficient Shipping on Clean Ocean.

Information provided by Budd Indonesia