Building interoperability amongst civilian administrations and military organisations

The project’s activities are strategically designed to support both civilian administrations and military organisations, including regional and national Maritime Operations Centres, with a key focus in strengthening partner countries’ capacity to share maritime information within and across national borders.

This is primarily achieved through tailor made training programmes that build critical skills in maritime domain awareness, interagency coordination, and collaborative responses to thematic threats. By equipping operators with IORIS, the project enhances early-warning capabilities and proactive risk management.

Maintaining readiness through exercises and interagency collaboration

To ensure skills are retained, CRIMARIO continues to implement a robust maritime exercise programme. These exercises engage national and regional organisations in realistic operational scenarios to test procedures, identify capability gaps, and refine standard operating procedures (SOPs). This fosters familiarity and trust among cross-border stakeholders—an essential element for effective joint maritime operations.

Targeted thematic workshops for cross-sector engagement

Complementing its training and exercise efforts, the project intends organising country-specific thematic workshopsthrough an interagency approach, involving both policymakers and practitioners, addressing:

• Counter-narcotics
• Maritime law enforcement and Legal Finish
• Maritime safety (Search and Rescue – SAR- , and MARPOL compliance)
• Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR)
• Shipping industry practices and standards
• Port Safety and Security
• Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing
• Protection of Critical Maritime Infrastructure

Supporting regional stability through information sharing

At the heart of CRIMARIO’s activities lies IORIS, a neutral and secure digital tool that enables national agencies and regional partners to communicate, coordinate, and respond to maritime incidents in real time.

IORIS’ unique Maritime Cooperation, Coordination, and Communication (MARCO3) capabilities continue to be enhanced, to provide advanced collaborative services, expanding its functionalities to better support a wide range of maritime operations.

During the forthcoming 30-month phase, mission-focused variants of the platform will be developed, allowing tailored functions on IORIS according to their specific operational requirements—such as ports, shipping, fisheries, counter-piracy, and SAR. Each specialised version will feature targeted tools, overlays, and forms designed to increase usability, reduce complexity, and enhance its appeal to both government agencies and the private sector.

“CRIMARIO offers a model of trusted, inclusive cooperation in an increasingly complex maritime environment,” said Martin Cauchi Inglott, Project Director. “IORIS is more than a platform — it is a shared space where countries build trust, respond together, and keep their seas safe.”

Results that speak for themselves

Over the last five years, CRIMARIO has established itself as a key actor in maritime capacity building:

• 237 IORIS courses delivered
• Over 3,000 officials trained
• Over 140 national and regional exercises conducted
• Over 150 agencies form some 57 countries engaged
• 6 HADR workshops delivered
• Over 180 online operational “community areas” created on IORIS to support live collaboration

From an operational perspective, collaboration through IORIS has already yielded significant results even though much remains unreported given the confidential nature of the business. Of those success stories reported since 2024, IORIS appears to have played a pivotal role in at least eight search and rescue operations, contributing to the saving of over 80 lives; efforts to combat IUU fishing and enabled more than ten trafficking-related operations—targeting drugs, cigarettes, and other illicit goods—with an estimated total value exceeding €250 million euro.

Moreover, in the past year, IORIS has been instrumental in supporting EUNAVFOR ASPIDES and ALINDIEN, the French Naval Indian Ocean Command, communicate with over 200 merchant vessels operating in the Red Sea. All this reflects the project’s strong commitment to operational effectiveness, inclusive cooperation, and long-term maritime resilience.

Promoting synergy through collective action

Maritime threats—whether trafficking, piracy, and/or terrorism; and distress situations linked or otherwise to environmental degradation—are inherently transnational and require a unified response.

By working in synergy with other EU-funded initiatives, international organisations, and relevant missions, CRIMARIO intends to continue actively building a cohesive and collaborative framework that maximises impact, reducing duplication, and supporting a comprehensive maritime security architecture.

As CRIMARIO expands its reach beyond the Indo-Pacific, it aims to cultivate partnerships that are not only technical but human—built on trust, cooperation, and a shared responsibility for securing the world’s seas.

L’article EU CRIMARIO launches new phase to strengthen security and safety across the maritime domain est apparu en premier sur Crimario II.

In response, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) swiftly deployed floating barriers and initiated oil spill clean-up efforts to prevent the spill from reaching Manila’s coastline.

To coordinate with various PCG units and other agencies, the PCG utilised, among other means, IORIS, the communication, cooperation, and collaboration platform developed by CRIMARIO, which is now used by over 100 navies, authorities, and agencies across more than 50 countries in the Indo-Pacific.

By September 12, the emergency was declared over, following the PCG’s final inspection at the site of the sunken vessel in Limay, Bataan. The activity was led by Marine Environmental Protection Command (MEPCOM) Commander, Vice Admiral Roy Echeverria. Harbor Star, the contracted salvage company, reported that they recovered 1,415,954 litres of oil along with 17,725 kilograms of solid oily waste, achieving a recovery rate of 97.43%.

Since signing the IORIS Partnership Agreement (IPA) in Sep 2023, the PCG has progressively transitioned to a more integrated approach in coordinating joint operations, using IORIS between its districts and stations and across multiple agencies. This  collaborative approach has been key in tackling maritime challenges.

The use of real-time, encrypted communication through IORIS has enhanced the PCG’s response time and operational efficiency, particularly in managing MARPOL situations  like this one, significantly improving their ability to jointly protect both the environment and the fishing resources.

L’article Rapid Response at Sea: How the Philippine Coast Guard Tackled the MT Terra Nova Crisis with the contribution of IORIS est apparu en premier sur Crimario II.

Over the past two months, the PMPF’s efforts have consistently thwarted attempts to bring illegal weapons into Puntland communities. These weapons, often intended for use by various groups, are now under thorough investigation, which further strengthens maritime security and helps curb illegal activities in the region.

In the words of PMPF ” Our gratitude goes to EUCAP Somalia and CRIMARIO for providing the tools andsupport necessary for monitoring maritime movements through the IORIS platform. This system facilitates information exchange among relevant maritime agencies, both domestic and international, bolstering our ongoing operations. Additionally, the IORIS platform has been instrumental in tracking and intercepting boats and ships engaged in illegal activities in our region”.

CRIMARIO will keep working with PMPF, EUCAP Somalia and the international community to address piracy-related security threats, ensuring safe maritime traffic and trade, committed to protecting Puntland Somalia waters and preventing illegal operations, as we strive to ensure the safety and security of the sea, ports, and the community at large.

NB: Exact timing, locations and details of arrests, items seized are being withheld in order to ensure ongoing operational security of further investigations

L’article Seizure of Weapon Shipment and Arrest of Weapon Smugglers with the help of IORIS est apparu en premier sur Crimario II.

To read more: https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2024/04/22/maritime-security-eu-to-become-an-observer-of-the-djibouti-code-of-conductjeddah-amendment/

L’article Maritime Security: EU to become an observer of the Djibouti Code of Conduct/Jeddah Amendment est apparu en premier sur Crimario II.

Co-organised by CRIMARIO and the Indian Ocean Commission, the exercise was designed to be a dynamic and engaging simulation, to test and improve the regional maritime operational capabilities of the Indian Ocean region. Through detailed preparation, robust communication protocols, and strict adherence to legal frameworks, the exercise aimed to foster a cooperative environment that enhanced the response to maritime security threats.

During the exercise participants shared information on #IORIS, a communications platform for interagency planning and coordination at the national and regional level, which facilitates the gathering, analysis, and exchange of information to timely and efficiently support decision-making and actions at sea.

The exercise scenario focused on locating and identifying ships involved in the transportation of narcotics, Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing, Search and Rescue and how to respond to these challenges (i.e., interdiction, interception, handover, legal finish, etc.) and coordinate operations at sea, in the framework of the IOC regional agreements.

The TTX helped participants to practice the law of the sea, including article 17 of the United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.

Moreover, they trained about interagency coordinated responses at national and regional level, refining tactics, techniques, and procedures in a controlled, simulated environment.

In the words of Martin Cauchi Inglott: “Essential in our line of business is the ability to communicate and coordinate effectively, so that we can conduct effective and efficient missions and operations, and this is precisely what the exercise targeted. A total of 11 scenarios were played in this exercise, over 2.5 days addressing the three main themes: people, drugs and IUU. I would like to congratulate all the agencies participating in the exercises for playing an essential role in it”.

In his closing remarks Raj Mohabeer, Indian Ocean Commission, underlined: “These exercises are extremely important to enhance cooperation among national and regional centres. I would like to thank all participating countries, the RMIFC, the RCOC, and EU CRIMARIO project for the good cooperation and for the success of this exercise which will contribute to strengthen maritime security in the region”.

L’article BALINN24: working together to enhance regional coordination and information sharing for safer and more secure seas est apparu en premier sur Crimario II.

Considering the latest developments in the legal context for EUNAVFOR Atalanta operations inside Somali Territorial Water (TTW), and the suppression of the High-Risk Area in the West Indian Ocean, CRIMARION introduced a pilot project to use to support Atalanta monitor World Food Programme (WFP) Time-Chartered Vessel delivering humanitarian aid to Somalia. The project enabled the creation of a new IORIS Community Area, including WFP ships, EUNAVFOR Atalanta Joint Operation Centre and Force Head Quarters (FHQ). This project was fully endorsed by the WFP Headquarters in Rome and the EUNAVFOR Atalanta Operation Commander. This involved IORIS being used by the merchant vessel aboard MV Dolores during her transit from the port of Mombasa (Kenya) to Bossaso (Somalia). IORIS was the real-time channel of communication, which facilitated warnings/alerts in case of incidents. It also reported incidents to increase the master’s situational awareness at the regional level.

In October, in the context of support to the Shipping Industry at strategic level, CRIMARIO participated in the European Commission Shipowners Association (ECSA) Policy Group in Copenhagen.

In line with CRIMARIO’s full commitment to the safety and security of the seafarers, the project contributed to establishing and consolidate links between the shipping industry and IFC Peru.

L’article CRIMARIO for the Maritime Industry est apparu en premier sur Crimario II.

Nairobi, 8 July 2019 – Kenya’s efforts to position the blue economy sector as a key driver of the country’s transformation today received a major boost with the commissioning of the Bandari Maritime Academy in Mombasa County.

President Kenyatta led hundreds of maritime sector stakeholders at the ceremony during which he announced a raft of reforms the government is undertaking to secure both local and international seafaring jobs for Kenyan youth.

The President said the new institution will be key in equipping young Kenyans with the requisite skills and knowhow to enable them compete favourably for employment opportunities in the vast blue economy sector.

“The Academy is expected to become a top supplier of world class seafarers for shipping lines all over the world,” the President said.

As a pointer to its strategic importance to the country’s economy, Bandari Maritime Academy will partner with the Kenya Utalii College, the Kisumu Maritime Centre and also establish twinning arrangements with the Mediterrranean Shipping Company (MSC) Training Academy based in Naples, Italy.

“I am confident that the enhanced training will bring out the best in our talented young people,” said President Kenyatta.

The transformation of the college into a centre of excellence in maritime training and research is envisaged to facilitate the country’s quest to reap maximum benefits from the  blue economy sector, an agenda that the President has given undivided attention.

It is estimated that blue economy, if properly harnessed, has the potential to inject up to 4.8 billion US dollars to Kenya’s economy and create over 52,000 jobs in the next 10 years.

At the ceremony, the President announced the revival of the Kenya National Shipping Line (KNSL) and witnessed the signing of a new shareholding agreement between KNSL, Kenya Ports Authority and the MSC aimed at restoring the state corporation into a world class shipping company.

L’article Boost for blue economy as President Kenyatta commissions Bandari Maritime Academy est apparu en premier sur Crimario II.

The agreements were signed in Maputo as part of a state visit by Seychelles President Danny Faure, who will remain in the Mozambican capital to attend the Conference on the Blue Economy scheduled for Thursday and Friday.

Shortly after his arrival, Faure held talks with his Mozambican counterpart Filipe Nyusi, in which the two presidents reaffirmed the fraternal relations existing between the two countries since they established diplomatic relations in 1983.

At the press conference following the talks, Mozambican Foreign Minister Jose Pacheco said the visit is part of the strengthening of friendship and bilateral relations between Mozambique and the Seychelles. Potential areas for cooperation and the promotion of business were identified, he added.

In the area of defence, security and public order, Pacheco said, since both countries are Indian Ocean states, there are common interests that should be explored to ensure the sustainable management of the maritime resources they share.

Read the original article published by allAfrica

L’article Mozambique and Seychelles Discuss Cooperation est apparu en premier sur Crimario II.

Bruno Pozzi, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Kenya, firstly reminded the EU comprehensive approach to strengthen maritime security in Africa and its moto “No development without security”. He highlighted the pragmatic approach carried out by the operations and projects and their concrete achievements both in Indian Ocean and Gulf of Guinea.

The first 4 speakers explained why maritime strategies are needed and what are the key elements. Glen Forbes (OceanusLive) reminded the importance of information sharing and gave practical cases to achieve it. Then John Steed (UNODC) emphasized the challenges of capacity building in a post-conflict environment (Somalia case), and the necessity of both national and regional cooperation for cracking maritime crimes.

Cyrille Atonfack (Cameroon Navy) presented the numerous challenges faced by Gulf of Guinea countries for securing their seas and the architecture organizing the cooperation between the States and their regional communities. Because maritime insecurity is an obstacle to develop the blue economy, Marianne Péron-Doise (CRIMARIO) advocated the importance of maritime domain awareness (MDA), which was illustrated by the following 4 speakers.

Bouke Berns (EUNAVFOR) detailed the role of MSCHOA and its tools for the shipping industry, concluding on the need of information sharing and “Information exchange is a two-way street”. David Nattrass (CRIMARIO) gave a full picture of the web-based platform IORIS, its functionalities, maintenance and administration as well as the ongoing discussions on the regional governance. Ronny Matatiken (RCOC), insisted into the linkage between national maritime strategies and the regional cooperation, organized around two regional centres in the western Indian Ocean; the RCOC based in Seychelles started to use IORIS together with the RMIFC in Madagascar.

Finally Thomas Tarrade (GoGIN) presented the specific challenge of MDA in the Gulf of Guinea, highlighting the various levels of information sharing and the new design of GoGIN for supporting the national and transnational structures involved in maritime surveillance.     

The attendees raised several questions and issues: How to establish trust with private sector? how to involve the youth and education? how to avoid conflicts between coastal communities, fishers and industrial uses?

Read the article posted by the EU Delegation to Kenya

Download the presentations

Maritime strategy & the challenges of maritime crime for the Blue Economy by John Steed, UNODC

The challenges of developing a secure Blue Economy in the Gulf of Guinea by Cyrille-Serge Atonfack Guemo, Cameroon Navy

EU initiatives to promote MDA & the Blue Economy by Marianne Péron-Doise, CRIMARIO

The role of MSCHOA for the shipping industry by Bouke Berns, EU Naval Force Atalanta.

IORIS a tool to enhance info sharing in the wider Indian Ocean by David Nattrass, CRIMARIO

GoGIN and the enhancement of MDA in the Gulf of Guinea by Thomas Tarrade, GoGIN

L’article Maritime domain awareness at blue economy conference est apparu en premier sur Crimario II.

“Create MDA (Maritime Domain Awareness) for enhancing the blue economy: EU regional initiatives and tools in Africa”.

Objectives

As a global maritime security provider, the European Union (EU) is a key supporter of the Blue Economy concept as mentioned in the EU Maritime Security Strategy, EUMSS. The EU has notably developed a comprehensive and cooperative approach with partners countries, international and regional organizations in the wider Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Guinea in order to help them to reinforce their maritime capacities and ability to protect and secure their maritime domain against piracy and criminal activities at sea. It enhances the maritime domain awareness of the all-region and the information sharing system of the littoral states.

EU’s approach illustrates that maritime security is an enabler of the Blue Economy for example through capacity building of maritime centers and development of tools for information sharing and surveillance at sea. With these concrete achievements, EU participates to secure sea lanes of communications and protect rights over marine resources and activities. Maritime security helps the development of the Blue Economy and a strong Blue Economy is creating greater demand for maritime security and this, in turn, will led increased in these capabilities.

Programme

Introduction of the session by Mr Bruno Pozzi, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Kenya

Panel 1 (11:40-12:20): A global view of challenges and strategies for more secure seas

• How to strengthen maritime safety and develop the Blue Economy: Glen Forbes, Principal OCEANUSLive, UK.
• Maritime strategy  and the challenges of maritime crime for the Blue Economy: John Steed, Senior Maritime Crime Advisor, UNODC Global Maritime Crime Programme.
• The challenges of developing a secured Blue Economy in the Gulf of Guinea: Cyrille-Serge Atonfack Guemo, Maritime security expert, Cameroonian Navy.
• EU initiatives to promote Maritime Domain Awareness and the Blue Economy: Marianne Péron-Doise, Searcher to the Institute for Strategic Research, Military School, Paris & Strategic advisor for EU CRIMARIO.

Questions and answers period (12:10-12:20)

Panel 2 (12:20-13:00): Tools and collaborative approaches to enhance maritime domain awareness

• The role of MSCHOA for the shipping industry: Bouke Berns, Political advisor, EEU Naval Force Atalanta.
• IORIS a tool to enhance info sharing in the wider Indian Ocean: Dave Nattrass, CRIMARIO Information Sharing component manager.
• The Regional Maritime Information Fusion Center, RMIFC, based in Madagascar, a new development for a better MDA in the IO: Captain Jean-Edmond Randrianantenaina, General director of the RMIFC, Madagascar.
• GoGIN and the enhancement of Maritime Domain Awareness in the Gulf of Guinea: Thomas Tarrade, GoGIN Expert at CRESMAC, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Questions and answers period (12:50-13:00)

Download the programme

L’article Join the side-event: create MDA for enhancing the blue economy est apparu en premier sur Crimario II.

L’article The first Blue Economy Conference est apparu en premier sur Crimario II.

During this conference, the European Union makes 23 new commitments. These commitments represent around EUR 300 million and cover all six themes of the Our Ocean conference (blue economy, climate change impacts, marine pollution, marine protection, sustainable fisheries). In addition, several EU Member States have their own commitments. They add up to the 35 commitments made by the EU in 2017.

Together, these commitments prove that healthy, safe and clean oceans are, and will remain, a priority for the European Union.

Maritime security was one of the areas of action discussed at the Our Ocean Conference in Nusa Dua, Bali. Maritime security was discussed because it can have big impacts on national economic growth, such as export and import activities, cross-border security, illegal fishing, which triggered the smuggling of flora and fauna, illegal drugs and human trafficking.

L’article EU commitments during Our Ocean 2018 est apparu en premier sur Crimario II.

The European Parliament Research Service prepared a selection of resources regarding the maritime strategy for Africa. This dossier gives a comprehensive overview of the issues covering fisheries, maritime security, trade and marine industry, then the EU initiatives for enhancing maritime policy, security at sea, sustainable fisheries, and migration management.

This selection of resources complements our ‘At a Glance’: A maritime strategy for Africa (July 2017)

Access to the original article in European Parliament Research Service Blog

L’article Blue Economy In Africa: Initiatives, Prospects And Issues est apparu en premier sur Crimario II.

• Unit 1: The Blue Economy: An emerging concept
• Unit 2: Ecosystem Services
• Unit 3: Fisheries and Aquaculture
• Unit 4: Emerging High Technology Sectors
• Unit 5: Tourism
• Unit 6: Maritime Transportation and Services

The course will focus on developing new and improved sustainable business models related to the use of coastal and ocean resources. It fits well with Goal 14 of the Sustainable Development Goals which aspires to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources.

The course is flexible, free and will be run by the University of Seychelles, starting on 10 July 2017. Depending on a learner’s weekly commitment, they will be able to complete the course between 8 to 10 weeks.

Please contact John Lesperance at jlesperance@col.org and Eugenie Khani at Eugenie.Khani@unisey.ac.sc for registration. The deadline for registration is 5 July 2017.

Access to the Commonwealth of Learning website

Access to VUSSC resources (Virtual University for Small States of the Commonwealth)

L’article Blue Economy course starts July 2017 est apparu en premier sur Crimario II.