French navy in island pollution training exercise

The French navy is helping deliver an anti-pollution training exercise to help the bolster the island's readiness for potential marine pollution incidents.

A specialist salvage and anti-pollution vessel, the Bourbon Argonaute will undertake an oil pollution response drill with the Guernsey Ports Sarnia workboat on Thursday morning.

The vessel is equipped with specialist pollution response equipment such as floating containment booms and systems capable of recovering and treating oil at sea.

Assistant harbour master Simon Granger said the exercise was an "important part in maintaining Guernsey's preparedness for maritime emergencies".

Guernsey Ports said the Sarnia would assist in the deployment of the containment boom, to help ensure local crews and vessels could support any future anti-pollution operations in local waters.

A containment boom is a floating barrier deployed around an oil spill to prevent its spread and minimise environmental impact.

Granger said while incidents involving marine pollution were "rare", it was "essential that local agencies and crews can work effectively with specialist response assets should they ever be required".

"The exercise allows us to test practical arrangements for deploying pollution containment equipment and gives crews the opportunity to work together in a realistic operational environment."

The ports said the French crew would also conduct a further exercise with the St Peter Port lifeboat which included casualty transfer and towing operations.

The crew would also meet with the harbour master and officers from Guernsey Coastguard.

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