Members of the maritime community met with the United Kingdom (UK) Coastguard team reviewing local search and rescue capability late last week (Wednesday 14 and Friday 16 December 2016).

The focus groups at the District Administration Building on Cayman Brac on Wednesday, and the Government Administration Building on Grand Cayman on Friday, sought the views of the seafaring sector on the subject of search and rescue.

More than 30 participants included fishermen, boat captains, dive operators and others, alongside representatives from the Port, Police, Customs, the Department of the Environment and the Fire Service.

Strategic Advisor to the Deputy Governor Peter Gough and Nancy Lacasse, also from the Deputy Governor’s Office, facilitated both the Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac focus groups.

The review team, consisting of National Maritime Operations Commander Phil Bostock and International Projects Coordinator Naomi Davies, returned to the United Kingdom on Tuesday, 20 December. They are expected to submit their report to Her Excellency the Governor Helen Kilpatrick early in the New Year.

The Governor’s Office had proposed the project which is being funded by the United Kingdom Government, and will include reviews of all UK Overseas Territories in the Caribbean. The Cayman Islands review is the first to be undertaken.

Photo captions: (Photos by GIS)

1.Strategic Advisor to the Deputy Governor Peter Gough introduces representatives from the United Kingdom Maritime and Coastguard Agency to members of the Grand 1.Cayman sea-going community during a focus group on local search and rescue capability.

2.The review team, consisted of National Maritime Operations Commander Phil Bostock and International Projects Coordinator Naomi Davies.

3.Some of the local participants in the Grand Cayman session. An earlier session was also held on Cayman Brac.