Africa-Press – Mozambique. Mozambique’s National Maritime Institute (INAMAR), the state body charged with guaranteeing maritime security, needs at least 30 boats to ensure complete inspection of the country’s 2,700 kilometre long coastline.
Of the 30 vessels required, two would be large boats, 55 metres long, and equipped with small speedboats for rapid interventions and a helicopter to operate in Mozambique’s exclusive economic zone. INAMAR also wants nine 14 metre long boats and 22 nine metre boats intended for coastal operations.
The INAMAR boats will also have the mission to inspect and monitor the natural gas platforms in the Rovuma Basin, off the coast of the northern province of Cabo Delgado, supported by 20 drones to map the Mozambican coast and inspect small boats that escape the radars of the maritime operations coordination centre.
The INAMAR chairperson, Isaias Mondlane, gave this information on Monday to a delegation from the parliamentary defence and security commission that was visiting the institution.
“We have several challenges in the area of material resources, We are talking about boats and drones to deal with maritime security and inspection. There are also challenges linked to the human resources needed to implement tasks throughout the country”, said Mondlane.
Despite INAMAR’s shortage of resources, there has been a reduction in the number of maritime accidents and incidents over the past two years. Mondlane said the number of shipwrecks fell from 52 in 2021 to 41 in 2022. The number of drownings recorded fell from 80 in 2021 to 71 in 2022.
After the visit, parliamentarian Raimundo Diomba said he was pleased at INAMAR’s commitment to maritime, river and lake security and protection. He promised that the Mozambican parliament, the Assembly of the Republic will do all it can to ensure approval of the budget needed for INAMAR to carry out its duties to the full.
He also promised to work for urgent reform of the legislation governing the sector. “If INAMAR is made properly operational, this would help solve various problems of maritime security”, said Diomba.
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