The Vanuatu Maritime Safety Authority (VMSA), together with Ports and Harbour, the Environment Department and Pacific Energy, has conducted Vanuatu’s first oil spill containment drill in almost two decades.
The exercise took place yesterday at the Government Wharf in Port Vila, marking the first time in nearly 20 years that such a large-scale simulation has been carried out.
VMSA and Ports and Harbour led the coordination of the drill.
Commissioner of VMSA, Less Napuati, said the exercise was designed to test the country’s ability to control and respond to an oil spill.
He explained that VMSA operates under a National Oil Spill Contingency Plan (NATPlan), which outlines procedures for containing oil spills in Vanuatu waters. However, since 2007, no full-scale exercise had been conducted to test equipment and operational readiness.
He said the drill allowed officers to assess whether teams could properly handle boats, currents and wind conditions during a spill response.
The simulation used the Tanna Ferry as the source vessel, while sawdust was used to represent spilled oil that needed to be contained.
Oil spills at sea are not new incidents globally, but they require strategic planning and coordinated action to manage effectively.
VMSA Manager for Search and Rescue and Oil Spill Response, Hickson Siba, who served as Incident Controller during the exercise, said planning is critical when dealing with oil spills.
“Planning is very important because even a small spill can quickly change due to wind, tides, currents and waves,” he said.
Mr Siba expressed satisfaction with the overall outcome of the exercise, although he acknowledged there were areas that need improvement.
“I’m happy with the exercise, even though there were some loopholes. It gives us areas to improve for the next drill,” he said.
Commissioner Napuati added that as a member of the International Maritime Organization, Vanuatu is required to conduct such exercises and remains subject to audits under IMO conventions.
