News

30.09.16

Job fair wind and maritime industry

Looking for a job and interested in wind and water? Sunday October 2nd there is a job fair in Ostend which focuses on vacancies of firms active in the on - and offshore wind industry and maritime industry.

From 10am to 3pm- Greenbridge, Wetenschapspark 1, Oostende

All information on www.portofoostende.be
16.09.16

Polex exercise 31 Aug 16

August 31st, the Zeetijger of our coast guard partner Fleet received an urgent distress call to assist with an oil-combating operation in a windmill park. The exercise was coordinated by our coast guard partner Federal Public Service (FPS) Public Health. This was a perfect opportunity to test their new anti-oilpollution equipment on board the Zeetijger. Our coast guard partner Defence also participated to the exercise with the patrol vessel Pollux and the coast guard partners Civil Protection and Public Planning Service (PPS) Science Policy Office - Management Unit of the North Sea Mathmematical Models (MUMM) also offered their support.

Pictures: www.welkombijvloot.be
16.09.16

VLIZ North Sea Award

Annually, the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) awards the North Sea Award to a researcher or a research group to encourage their innovative fundamental or applied research dedicated to the studying the structure or functioning of our world's oceans. Applications are welcome until 30 November 2016.

More information: www.vliz.be
13.09.16

Safe Shipping Days

The past edition of the Safe Shipping Days showed that 35 of 197 inspected pleasure craft were not in order. The Safe Shipping Days, an initiative of West-Flanders governor Carl Decaluwé, are a well-established tradition by now: this was already the fourth time that our coast guard partners Waterway and River Police and Federal Public Service (FPS) Mobility worked together to carry out intensified inspections in Zeebrugge, Nieuwpoort, Oostende and Blankenberge during a ten-day period. The infractions concerned mainly the lack of the necessary registration documents. None of the infractions had an impact on the seaworthiness and no alcohol infraction was establised.
13.09.16

Plan to reduce plastic waste in the North Sea

Secretary of state for the North Sea Philippe De Backer is working on a plan to reduce plastic waste in the North Sea. No less than 20.000 tonnes of waste is dumped in the North Sea annually.

The secretary of state wants to work together with all North Sea users to develop 'blue deals' so as to reduce the mountain of plastic waste. He also plans sensitization actions and the restart of the project Fishing for Litter. Fishermen receive big bags to fill with plastic waste that they dredge up out of sea and bring to shore.

www.philippedebacker.be
13.09.16

1703 lost children at the beach this summer

This summer 1703 lost children at the beach were safely returned to their parents or supervisors, thanks to the lifeguards and a number of our coast guard partners that offer assistance therein (MRCC, ministry of Defence,..). In July, 714 children were lost and in August 989 children.

The free wristbands distributed by IKWV ((Intercommunal for Coastal Lifeguard Services in West-Flanders) ensured that most children were quickly reunited with their parents/supervisors. You can get the free wristbands at tourism offices, first aid posts or newspaper shops along the coast.
29.08.16

Meeting with secretary of state De Backer

Friday August 26th ,the coast guard secretariat, the governor of West-Flanders and a number of his advisors had a meeting with secretary for the North Sea Philippe De Backer. A broad range of topics was discussed during the briefing: Coast Guard Centre, Royal Decree Watersports, dat aan bod kwam: Kustwachtcentrale, Koninklijk Besluit Brandingssporten, contingency plan for the North Sea, underwater heritage, Marine Spatial Planning,...A
29.08.16

Steering group Coast Guard Centre August 24th 2016

Wednesday August 24th, the governor of West-Flanders presided a meeting of the steering group Coast Guard Centre. Also present were representatives of our coast guard partners the ministry of Defence, Customs, Waterway and River police, Federal Public Service (FPS) Mobility and Transport, the crisis centre of FPS Interior, the agency for Maritime Services and Coast and the coast guard secretariat. The firm Antea presented an interim report about the different options for integration. Another topic of discussion was the possibility to participate to a future call for proposals in the fall. This project was made possible with the support of the Internal Security Fund (ISF)-Police fund, managed by FPS Interior.
25.08.16

Site walk Zwin

The cross-border nature park het Zwin (in Knokke-Heist and Sluis) is in the process of a huge transformation. The extensive works took off on March 15th. The surface of het Zwin will increase with no less than 120 hectares . The Zwin trench will be made deeper and bigger to limit the silting up. A new embankment will also be constructed to procect the park against storm sturges out of sea. Our coast guard partner Coastal Division is in charge of the coordination. The works will be finished in 2019.

Curious as to what has already been done? You can discover it on Sunday August 28th (10am) on a guided tour. Click here for more information on the tour.

www.zwininverandering.eu
23.08.16

I would like to work as a lifeguard at sea. What do I do?

From the age of 16, you can take a course at WOBRA (West-Vlaams Opleidingscentrum voor Brandweer-, Reddings-, en Ambulancediensten) in Oostende, Brugge, Kortrijk or Koksijde. The lessons take place from September to March, cost about 175 euros and include 25 hours practice and 18 hours theory (43 hours in total). The exam consists of three parts: theory, swimming practice, reanimation and first aid and finally a sea swimming test. If you pass all three parts, you get the certificate 'lifeguard at sea' which is valid for three years.

www.redderaanzee.be - www.redderaanzee.wobra.be