U.S. Coast Guard Commander Keith M. Donohue, Seconded to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) as a consultant at the Regional Activity Center - Regional Maritime Pollution Emergency Information and Training Center for the Wider Caribbean (RAC/REMPEITC-Caribe), presented RAC/REMPEITC-Caribe's perspective at the 2016 Clean Gulf Conference and Exhibition during the Response and Recovery Session titled: " International Challenges Within the GOM and Caribbean Ocean"

This regional workshop was organized in accordance with RAC/REMPEITC-Caribe’s proposal to IMO’s Technical Co-operation Committee for the Center’s activities of the 2015-2017 biennium. The objective of the four-day workshop was to provide training on oil spill preparedness and contingency planning, as well as developing hands-on working knowledge of the use, and advantages of the ARPEL Manual and Readiness Evaluation Tool for Oil Spills (RETOS™) in analyzing and identifying gaps in national oil spill preparedness and response programs throughout the Wider Caribbean Region (WCR). Significant information was gathered during this workshop regarding the status of the oil spill preparedness and response programs of the following participant countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Costa Rica, Grenada, Guatemala, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, and Panama. During the workshop, senior maritime representatives of each participant country were able to conduct assessments of their respective national oil spill preparedness and response programs, national response systems, and national contingency plans by using simple table top exercises and RETOS™. Each participant also departed the workshop with the outline components of a strategic plan framework that can be directly used for implementing improvement plans for building capacity and making needed changes.

This workshop, the first of its kind, constituted a pilot course to introduce the theory and practices of Risk Assessment (RA) and Port Biological Baseline Surveys (PBBS), as integrated management approaches tied to the BWM Convention and GloBallast Monograph Series publications numbers 21 and 22. The feedback collected during the training supports the further development and finalization of an integrated training package covering RA and PBBS as requested by the Lead Partnering Countries (LPCs) of the GloBallast Project during its 4th Global Project Task Force (GPTF) meeting that was held in Brazil in 2014. This seminar was organized by GloBallast and the Maritime Authority of Jamaica, it was supported by the Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Information and Training Centre for the Wider Caribbean (RAC/REMPEITC-Carib) and the Permanent Commission for the South Pacific (CPPS), and it was funded by the GEF-UNDP-IMO GloBallast Partnerships Project. The workshop discussed the practice and theory of RA and PBBS as inter-related management approaches. It was structured as a pilot training program, which aimed to also provide case studies and examples from GloBallast activities around the world. In addition, the role of the national authorities was highlighted, with an emphasis on cooperation between sectors. The two-day workshop provided an effective platform for participants to exchange views and information on the topics.

The objective of this Training Course was to improve knowledge relating to oil spill preparedness, response and co-operation using a tailored version of the IMO Model course with ample opportunity for participants to take part in practical and theoretical exercises. In addition, the course was a unique opportunity to strengthen regional cooperation and train new on-scene commanders and responders within the region. The four-day course consisted of: OPRC Level II Course Material modified by the expert facilitators/instructors of the USCG, OSRL, ITOPF, CEDRE and CEREMA; a stockpile site visit; equipment demonstrations; media training; homework exercises, table-top exercises; and a three-hour functional exercise. Fourteen senior maritime representatives from the following countries attended the course: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Saint Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Vincent, and Guadeloupe.

Summary: This regional workshop was organized in accordance with RAC/REMPEITC-Caribe’s proposal to IMO’s Technical Co-operation Committee for the Center’s activities of the 2015-2017 biennium, and as recommended in RAC/REMPEITC-Caribe’s 4 Aug 2013 Report of the Regional Workshop on MARPOL and Port Reception Facilities, and 27 May 2015 Report of the Dutch Caribbean Port Reception Facilities Workshop in Aruba. The objective of the three-day workshop was to further discussions and to continue the process of possibly creating a Regional Reception Facility Plan (RRFP) for the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) of the Wider Caribbean Region (WCR). Significant information was gathered during this workshop regarding the current state of port reception facilities in the Region, as depicted in the Findings of Section 6 and as summarized in Figure 6.2.2 on Page 22. Workshop recommendations were generated with the consensus of all participants, and include follow-on steps to be undertaken in order to assist the SIDS of the WCR in developing a detailed proposal for appropriate and effective regional arrangements pertaining to waste management and port reception facilities that may be submitted to the Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC) for consultation, if agreed upon by all participating Member States.