From August 26 to 29, 2025, representatives from more than a dozen institutions in Honduras gathered in the city of Tegucigalpa 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).
The activity was organized by the General Directorate of the Honduran Merchant Marine 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, gave lectures, presentations, shared experiences, and conducted tabletop exercises.
The meeting was attended by institutions involved in maritime safety and emergency management, including the Secretariat of Natural Resources and Environment (SERNA), the National Police, the Secretariat of Energy, the Secretariat of Infrastructure and Transportation (SIT), the National Port Authority (ENP), SEFIN -Specialized Technical Projects Unit, the Honduran Institute of Tourism (IHT), the Attorney General’s Office, the Permanent Contingency Committee (COPECO), the General Directorate of Fisheries and Aquaculture (DIGEPESCA), the Navy, Air Force, and Fire Department of Honduras.
The seminar workshop covered 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.