[WATCH] Maritime pilots invest in new inflatable boom to combat oil spills

Oil response training exercise by maritime pilots at the Freeport

The Maritime Pilots Cooperative has invested in a new inflatable boom to contain oil spills, which can also be used in rough weather.

The €100,000 boom rises 40cm above the sea surface, making it ideal for use in choppy seas.

Captain Jesmond Mifsud said the cooperative, through its subsidiary Ocean Care, also invested €20,000 in training for its pilots to have the capacity to counter level 1 and level 2 oil spills.

The investment comes on the back of a recently inaugurated €4 million training centre for maritime pilots by the cooperative.

Mifsud said the new boom can be deployed in 14 minutes, giving pilots a quicker response time in case of emergency.

The boom was displayed at Malta Freeport on Wednesday morning in the presence of Transport Minister Ian Borg, and the Freeport’s top officials.

The boom will be stationed at the Freeport in Birżebbuġa.

Borg said the maritime industry makes up 12% of Malta’s GDP, providing 23,000 jobs. He added that Malta’s ports register 12,000 ship movements every year, lauding the pilots cooperative for their continuous investment to improve the service they give.