Mumbai, Feb 22 (PTI) A senior Coast Guard official on Saturday said synergy among friendly countries was necessary for the "common and global cause" of mariners' safety at sea.

V Anbarasan, Chief of Staff, Coast Guard Region (West), also emphasised the importance of Search and Rescue (SAR) coordination training, speaking after presiding over the valedictory ceremony of the `MRCC OPS & SAR' course here.

MRCC stands for the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre.

"He highlighted the need for enhanced collaborative and continued synergy towards fostering the linkages amongst various friendly foreign countries and for the common and global humanitarian cause for the mariners' safety at sea," an official statement said.

The week-long international course on 'MRCC OPS & SAR' was held for a total of 22 trainees from six foreign countries -- Bangladesh, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Seychelles and Sri Lanka.

The course is conducted annually by the MRCC, Mumbai of the Coast Guard Regional HQs (West) under the aegis of the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC), Ministry of External Affairs.

The course curriculum covered Maritime Search and Rescue (M-SAR) planning and coordination, computation of data, search plan development, satellite-aided operations and case studies.

The foreign participants were given on-site hands-on experience during visits to facilities of the MRCC at Coast Guard Regional HQs (West), Airport Authority of India (AAI) and Director General (Shipping), the statement said.

The course was introduced in 2021 when there were 15 participants from four countries. This year there were 22 participants, the highest so far.

MRCC, Mumbai operates 24x7, all 365 days, to ensure coordination of SAR on the `Western Search & Rescue Region'. In 2024, it received and responded to more than 2,100 alerts.

In the past few months, SAR operations were coordinated beyond the Indian Search and Rescue Region (ISRR) too. In two such operations, a total of 21 Indian fishermen were saved when their boats sank in the Pakistan waters and subsequently Coast Guard ships were diverted for rescue operations. PTI PR KRK

Search and Rescue cooperation essential for mariners' safety, emphasising joint MRCC coordination and cross-border humanitarian response. Enhanced international cooperation is essential for mariners' safety through strengthened Search and Rescue coordination. The MRCC OPS & SAR course under the ITEC framework builds capacity in Maritime Search and Rescue planning, search-plan development, satellite-aided operations, and data computation, and gives practical exposure at MRCC and related civil aviation and shipping facilities to harmonise procedures. MRCC Mumbai operates continuously as the coordinating centre for the Western Search & Rescue Region and has coordinated responses both within and beyond the Indian Search and Rescue Region, including cross-border rescues, highlighting a focus on interoperability and humanitarian assistance.