Improving Pacific search and rescue capacity

AUCKLAND, New Zealand—The Seventh Pacific Regional Search and Rescue workshop in Auckland last week sought to improve coordination efforts.

Jointly organized by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community and the International Maritime Organization, and co-hosted by the government of New Zealand, the objective of the workshop is to improve regional collaboration through formal protocols and communication, ensuring a uniform SAR response throughout the Pacific.

Pacific Island governments continue to be challenged by search and rescue cases, despite ongoing efforts to prevent them.

Between 2015 and early 2017, there were some 680 search and rescue cases reported in Guam, while Papua New Guinea reported 213 cases, Kiribati indicated some 86 cases, Solomon Islands reported 72 cases and Cook Islands and Tuvalu reported 25 cases. (SPC)