Aim of Ramogepol 2013 exercise that has recently taken place in the Strait of Bonifacio, was to fight sea pollution and the protection of biodiversity. The exercise engaged Navy and merchant ships, plus six aircraft, and crew members from the three Countries who signed the Ramoge Agreement in 1976 (Italy, France and the Principality of Monaco) and, for the first time this year, Spain. Italy was present with the Offshore Patrol Boat Sirio, Commanding Officer Commander Emanuele Di Franco.

The international exercise was planned and led in the Strait of Bonifacio by PREMAR MED (Maritime Prefecture of the Mediterranean Sea) and is the brainchild of the cooperation between these countries in the shared management of the Mediterranean coasts to fight accidental pollution and the improvement of rescue and search techniques.

Last October 8, onboard ITS Sirio moored at Ajaccio port, the Commander in Chief of the Italian Navy Fleet, Vice Admiral Filippo Maria Foffi, ITS Sirio’s Commanding Officer, Commander Emanuele di Franco, and Prince Albert II of Monaco participated in the inauguration ceremony of the activities and the equipment, as well as the presentation of the anti-pollution drill at different stages.

Other guests were the Mayor of Ajaccio, Mr. Simon Renucci, and the Prefect of Corsica and South Corsica, Mr. Christophe Mirmand. The operations at sea took place on October 9 and 10, where they had to tackle an oil spill caused by a clash between two merchant vessels, to prevent an environmental disaster, and also the rescue of seamen and the two wreckeges, thus proving the efficiency of the intervention techniques tested.

ITS Sirio and 6 other anti-pollution patrol boats of the 1st and 2nd series Costellazione Class, are used by the Italian Navy to fight oil spills; they are equipped with dedicated storage rooms for the pollutants, floating oil spill containment booms, a mechanic recovery unit (Discoil), liquid shafts and a laboratory to test chemical and physical properties of the pollutants.

Thanks to these patrol boats, the Italian Navy plays a major role to fight oil spills pollution, protection of the coasts; last but not least, recently Patrol Boat Cassiopea took part in the straightening operations of the shipwrecked Costa Concordia with anti-pollution activities.