25 participants from Customs, Immigration, Quarantine, Maritime Office and Bureau of Fisheries will undergo seven days of “In Country Dockside Boarding and Prosecution Workshop” which was held at the Maritime Office.
The purpose of the training is to enhance the capacity and expertise of the officers in enforcing the maritime laws.
Lamiller Pawut, PIFFA Surveilance Operations Officer, one of the instructors, said that the workshop is part of the on going programs of the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency to its 17 members including Palau.
He said the purpose of the training is to enforce national laws and international laws and to make these officers aware of the laws.
“We would be discussing international laws, regional arrangements, national laws, getting and understanding the law like how to conduct a good investigation and how to be able to distinguish what is an offense and what is not,”he said.
The agency also conducted training before where participants were taught to draft charges and statements.
The agency has covered 13 countries so far since 2004 but it had been funding training for all 17 members since in early 80’s as part of its programs to improve the maritime enforcements in the pacific regions.
The next country that the group will visit to conduct a regional training is Papua New Guinea and it will be next month.
Besides Lamiller Pawut, other instructors and individuals who contributed time and efforts to make the training possible were Kevin Painter of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Theofanes Isamu, Director Bureau of Maritime Resources, Ellender Ngerameketii, Chief, Division of Marine Law Enforcement, Nanette Malsol, Fisheries Compliance Officer, Kathy Sisior, Fisheries Licensing Officer, Ronald K. Ledgerwood, Assistant Attorney General, Lt. Thomas Tutii, Officer-In-charge of the Surveilance, Daniel Koroi, FFA Liaison Officer, Jean Gordon, Prosecution Legal Officer.
There were also two Observers from NOAA and they were John Barylski and Chuck Raterman.
Ngerameketii in a separate interview thanked the FAA for the training.
“We appreciate the FAA, what they’re doing for us like going around the region to conduct training to the 17 members. This training will also prepare our men in high seas operations.” he said.
