News

12.05.16

Working group windmill parks

Today, May 12th, a meeting of the working group windmill parks took place in Ostend. This working group was erected in 2008 under the coast guard structure's patronage and meets regulary. The working group was founded because it was not always easy for wind mill operators to find their way in the tangle of governmental authorities. It is also a means for the coast guard partners to keep each other informed of new developments and to balance their advice and/or directives.

One of the topics of today's meeting was the research into the creation of a Modular Offshore Grid (MOD). Until now, all North Sea wind farms are connected individually to the onshore grid. With the creation of a modular offshore grid or ‘power socket’, wind farms will be connected to a high-voltage substation located on an offshore platform, which will, in turn, be connected to the onshore grid.
10.05.16

The new wristbands have arrived!

This year 750 000 wristbands with Piet Piraat and Maya the Bee are available. On the beach you can get the wristbands from the lifesavers and there is always a bag with wristbands to be found at the bottom of the lifesavers' chair. You can also get the wristbands at the tourism offices, the first aid posts or the newspaper shops along the coast. Fill in the name of your child, the location and your mobile phone number, so lost children can be reunited quickly with their parents.

www.redderaanzee.be
09.05.16

How do I know if it is safe to go swimming?

Check the colour of the flag on the life guards' post. A green flag means that you can go swimming in all safety. When you see a yellow flag, you are allowed to go swimming, but you should bear in mind that it can be dangerous. Therefore it is forbidden to take rubber boats, rubber rings or other inflatable or floating objects with you in the water. A red flag signifies that it is strictly forbidden to swim.Furthermore, you should follow the life guards' instructions at all times.

Surfers have their own green (surfing is allowed) and red (surfing is forbidden) flag, easy to recognize by the white logo in the shape of a surfboard.

Keep in mind that it is forbidden to swim in unguarded areas! These areas are indicated by a prohibition sign. Going swimming nearby breakwaters and moles can be very dangerus because of the strong currents and whirlpools.

Find the different flags and signs here.
04.05.16

Autopsy of narwhal found in the river Scheldt

On 27 April 2016, a dead narwhal was found in the river Scheldt, near the sluice of Wintam (Bornem). This is the first record of a narwhal in Belgium. Narwhals usually stay north of the 70° North latitude, and their home range includes arctic waters of Russia, Greenland and Canada. An autopsy was carried out on the stranded narwhal in a joint effort by scientists of our coast guard partner the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS), the University of Ghent and the University of Liège. The Institute also keeps a database with sightings and beachings of seals and other sea mammals.

Curious about the results of the autopsy? www.naturalsciences.be
03.05.16

Vacancies Fleet

Our coast guard partner Fleet is hiring a HR manager and a nautical expert (Antwerp area). Applications must be received by May 16th.

More information? www.welkombijvloot.be
02.05.16

Information afternoon Antwerp Maritime Academy

Interested in a maritime career? Come to the Antwerp Maritime Academy on Wednesday 4 May from 2pm till 6pm and learn everything about training courses, internships and conditions to register.

www.hzs.be
29.04.16

Exposition Belgian Navy - 70th anniversary

The Belgian Navy celebrates its 70th anniversary. Our coast guard partner Defence offers you the opportunity to commemorate this occasion by visiting a free exposition about the fascinating history of the navy.

From April 28th to June 12th - Auditorium " de Grote Post" in Ostend.
28.04.16

Coast guard partners join forces for Opera

From April 20th until April 22th 2016 a number of coast guard partners joined forces for operation Opera. Teams of the maritime and river police, customs, sea fisheries service and FPS Public Health boarded the patrol vessel Pollux of the Belgian navy. Together, they carried out inspections off the Belgian coast, aided by the surveillance airplane of the Management Unit of the North Sea Mathematical Models (MUMM) and the Maritime Security Centre Belgium (MIK) in Zeebrugge.

Three days of intensive cooperation resulted in approximately 300 administrative inspections and 9 physical inspections on board of different vessels, so called 'boardings'. In case of infractions or violations, an official warning was issued and /or a report filed. If you know that such boardings can easily take up to two hours and involve quite some paperwork, it is clear that our coast guard partners did a very good job.
27.04.16

North Sea Open Science Conference

From 7 to 10 November 2016, our coast guard partner OD Nature of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences and the Belgian Biodiversity Platform, organise the North Sea Open Science Conference 2016 in Ostend, Belgium. The call for Abstracts for this conference is now open and runs until May 1st 2016. Early bird registration runs until June 30th 2016.

More information on www.naturalsciences.be
13.04.16

Is there a weather forecast specifically for the coast?

The Belgian coast has a so-called microclimate. This means that the weather on the coast differs from the weather in the rest of the country. The sun shines more often and globally speaking, it rains less. On the other hand, in the summer temperatures are less high and there is more wind. The agency for Maritime Services and Coast (MDK) makes a special weather forecast for the coast. It is updated four times a day and split between the westcoast (De Panne to Oostende) and the eastcoast (Oostende to Knokke-Heist).

You can also see webcam images of several coastal municipalities. Curious about the weater at sea? Surf to www.kustweerbericht.be or check the coastal weather forecast on your smartphone.