The Hellenic Marine Environment Protection Agency (HELMEPA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a visiting delegation from the Dubai Council for Marine and Maritime Industries (DcmmiEmirates) on cooperation towards founding a non-profit marine conversation body equivalent to HELMEPA in the United Arab Emirates.

Signing the document were chairmen George Gratsos of HELMEPA and Khamis Juma Buamim of DcmmiEmirates, within the framework of the 3rd Joint Cooperation Committee of Greece and the UAE taking place in Athens.

HELMEPA was set up as a joint initiative of Greek shipowners and seafarers in 1982, and has since specialised in outreach campaigns to local communities, especially schoolchildren, on the importance of marine conservation, as well as volunteer beach clean-up efforts. It also carries out voluntary STCW refresher training for Greek seafarers in areas which can minimise risk to the marine environment..

The Greek body will now work with DcmmiEmirates with a view to establishing an Emirates Marine Environment Protection Association (EMEPA) dedicated to the preservation of the marine environment and enhancement of safety. Other MEPAs already exist in Cyprus, Turkey, Ukraine, Australia and North America.

Source:seatrade-maritime.com