Zambales inks deal with coast watch surveillance firm

MANILA, Philippines - The Zambales provincial government has signed a partnership with a company specializing in coast watch surveillance.

Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. recently signed an agreement with XanatosMarine Ltd. of Canada, the world’s leading firm in national coast watch surveillance, monitoring and marine resources protection.

The project, which will be fully operational in six to eight months, is designed to assist in environmental safety by preventing incidents such as dumping of sea waste and oil spills as well as identifying offending vessels in real time.

The modern system will include an automatic identification system, long-range day and night closed-circuit television cameras and sensitive radars that can produce high-definition photos of vessels even in foggy and hazy conditions. 

The system is touted to quickly identify and locate ships or fishing vessels in distress for faster rescue and recovery. It  is also expected to contribute to the detection of foreign ships that enter the country’s sovereign waters. 

Bill English, president and chief executive officer of XanatosMarine Ltd., said the project – valued at P350 million – is at no cost to the province.                                                                  

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Source: philstar.com - Nation