Coastal security reinforced with the hiring of 12 new senior technicians

Twelve new senior technicians joined the technical support and operation staff of the VTS (Vessel Traffic System), at the beginning of […]

VTS Tower

Twelve new senior technicians joined the technical support and operation staff of the VTS (Vessel Traffic System) at the beginning of May. These professionals, hired by the Ministry of the Sea, took up functions in the Directorate-General for Natural Resources, Safety and Maritime Services (DGRM), the entity responsible for the operation and maintenance of the Maritime Traffic Control System on the Mainland.

According to the Ministry of the Sea, "the reinforcement of staff resulted from an external tender carried out for this purpose, in which eight new VTS operators were selected, plus four senior technicians to maintain the system."

The ministry led by Ana Paula Vitorino explains that «the VTS is an essential system for the exercise of the functions of a Coastal State, in the context of navigation safety, which works in real time, 24/7. The system allows the monitoring of all maritime traffic, in order to prevent and avoid problems in a timely manner and reduce the possibility of accidents between ships and pollution at sea».

This mission “is carried out to prevent situations of excessive approach of ships, approach of ships to the coast or other potential dangers. On the other hand, it also allows to help in search and rescue situations, combating pollution and monitoring other illegal activities», adds the tutelage.

The Vessel Traffic System employs radar technology, VHF radiotelephony and the automatic identification system (AIS, Automatic Information System) to monitor ships' movements and guarantee navigation safety in limited areas or with navigation restrictions, namely by organizing traffic in the diagrams separation of traffic, thus reducing the risk of an accident and mitigating any resulting damage, namely to the environment.

The coastal VTS is articulated with the port VTS and integrates the sharing of information with other systems of the authorities and complementary systems, such as SafeSeaNet.

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