MARSURV-1
Piracy attacks have been increasing in recent years, and are a serious threat to the safety of seafarers, to global commerce, and to the environment. The increasing risk of attacks off the coast of Somalia led to the establishment of EUNAVFOR in 2008. EUNAVFOR’s objectives are to:
- protect vessels of the World Food Programme, humanitarian aid and African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) shipping
- help deter, prevent and repress acts of piracy and armed robbery
- protect vulnerable shipping
- monitor fishing activities off the coast of Somalia
Based on successful pilot projects, in 2011 EUNAVFOR requested EMSA’s cooperation to develop a permanent integrated maritime monitoring service to track vessels in the high risk area off the coast of Somalia. The resulting service, MARSURV, integrates and fuses multiple sources of data in a real time environment. Data includes ship-specific risk information and vessel position data supplied by EUNAVFOR, as well as relevant EMSA managed vessel position data.
The added value of MARSURV has been noted by Commander Major General Buster Howes, OBE, of EUNAVFOR, who stated: “Through the commendable efforts of EMSA and the IMO, MARSURV represents a significant step forward in our ability to understand and support the massive volume of merchant traffic that transits the high risk area.”
Source: EMSA