The Deputy Director General of the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA), Mr. Daniel Appianin, has noted that Ghana had witnessed a significant decline in maritime crimes, partly due to the introduction of the Yaounde Architecture Regional Information System (YARIS).
Mr. Appianin has, therefore, charged officers in charge of protecting the country’s marine territories to complete the YARIS programme to ensure that all illegal activities were countered.
“… Statistics from the last two years indicate a decline in the activities of these criminals; it is important that we complete the processes initiated to counter these illegal activities,” he said.
He made the comments at the closing ceremony of the 2022 YARIS Operational Training programme, which took place in Accra last Friday. The training, which was sponsored by the European Union, saw the passing out of 28 security personnel from different agencies after a rigorous two weeks training on the operations of YARIS.
YARIS is an information sharing platform for Maritime Law Enforcement Agencies (MLEA) in the Gulf of Guinea. Developed in 2013 with the support of the Gulf of Guinea Inter-Regional Network, the programme is designed to enable the MLEA get first-hand information on activities on the sea to enable them coordinate crisis situations better.
It is also intended to improve collaboration between the coastal states to combat piracy and respond to the current maritime insecurity challenges that coastal Gulf of Guinea state members are facing. Indicating why he was excited about the decline in marine crimes, Mr. Appianin said that insecurities in the Gulf of Guinea had impacted negatively on the lives of marine workers.
He cited some of these negative impacts to be the loss of lives, poverty and destruction, and indicated how important it was for the participants to have been taken through such a programme.
“We have experienced unprecedented levels of maritime insecurity activity in the Gulf of Guinea, including Ghanaian waters, which has led to needless loss of lives, property and destruction to marine environment.”
Mr. Appianin said he believed that the YARIS network would be the game changer for sharing, coordinating, and exchanging maritime information, hence, charged the participants to take the training serious.
“I am sure that knowledge acquired over this two week period will enable participants utilize the YARIS platform to ensure the improvement of maritime surveillance. YARIS is a step in the right direction and we hope the developers would provide the needed support for its efficient management.”
He extended appreciations to sponsors, as well as the participants, for the commitment they put in the training, saying it was an indication of their desire to see that the Gulf of Guinea was well secured through information sharing.
Mr. Pieter Smidt Van Gelder, Deputy Head Delegation, Political, Press and Information Section of the European Union (EU) to Ghana, said that the coordination of maritime safety and security was essential to monitor and combat any illegal activity at sea hence their support for the program.
He said the EU would, in collaboration with other countries, continue to support the country because by so doing it would be contributing to a peaceful and safe maritime domain to develop the blue economy that the world is looking for.
Squadron Leader Francis Quanor Tetteh, who spoke on behalf of the participants, noted that the knowledge they received had broadened their awareness of the maritime domain and improved the networking between the participants, who are coming from different security agencies.
“We wish to assure you that all we have learnt will be applied to the best of our abilities to ensure a much user friendly and safe marine space.”
