From August 12 to 15, 2025, representatives from more than a dozen institutions in Costa Rica gathered in the city of San José to participate in the Seminar Workshop on Preparedness for Response to Oil Spills at Sea, a key event in the implementation of the National Contingency Plan (PNC), established by Executive Decree No. 40963-MOPT-MINAE-SP-MS in this country.
The activity was organized by the Maritime Port Division of the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation (MOPT), through the General Directorate and the Directorate of Navigation and Water Safety, in coordination with the Central American Maritime Transport Commission (COCATRAM) and the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation Limited (ITOPF).
Over four days, international specialists such as Miguel Ciriero and Marta Panero, ITOPF consultants, Klaus Essig, Expert Consultant, together with José Dopeso, Director of Maritime and Port Affairs at COCATRAM, held conferences, presentations, shared experiences, and conducted tabletop exercises.
The meeting was attended by institutions involved in maritime safety and emergency management, including the National Coast Guard Service, the National Emergency Commission, the Fire Department, RECOPE, APM Terminals Moin, INCOP, JAPDEVA, SINAC, the National Customs Service, INCOPESCA, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Health, and the MOPT itself.
It included various topics such as Introduction to Marine Pollution Incidents, Properties and Behavior of Hydrocarbons at Sea, Incident Preparedness Management, Incident Command System, Indemnity Agreements, Modeling for the Behavior and Trajectory of Spills at Sea, Environmental and Economic Impacts of a Spill, Response Strategies, and Waste Management, among others.
These types of activities strengthen inter-institutional coordination for incident prevention, in addition to ensuring an effective response that prioritizes the protection of human life, marine ecosystems, and coastlines in the event of oil spills at sea.