National Planning for Yemen

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Kevin travelled to Sana'a with Patricia Charlebois of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to facilitate at a workshop designed to start the process of the development of a National Oil Spill Contingency Plan. The Maritime Affairs Authority (MAA) of the Republic of Yemen is the national authority with the responsibility for the co-ordination of the response to marine emergencies. Although plans exist for individual oil exporting terminals and a major port in Yemen, there is no National Contingency Plan (NCP) in existence. The MAA are now working to produce a NCP and asked the IMO for assistance. The five day workshop included major elements from the IMO Level 3 Model Training Course supplemented by group discussions on the important aspects of contingency planning. A nine point Action Plan was developed and agreed. The Action Plan was presented to the media on the final day of the event by Khaled Alwazir, Executive Chairman, MAA.

Clown Fish and Sea Anemone

Yemen has a coastline on the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, it is an area of global importance with outstanding biological diversity and a significant number of unique animals and plants. Parts have been referred to as the 'the Galapagos of the Indian Ocean'. The coral reefs, mangroves and seagrass beds are important productive areas for local fisheries and have been providing food for the region for thousands of years. Today, the area is on a major route for shipping transporting oil, chemicals and other products from the East to the markets of Europe. To protect this sensitive environment from the risks posed by the high density of traffic an effective Oil Spill Contingency Plan is essential.