The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Colombo at Navy Headquarters, in collaboration with MRCC Chennai, coordinated the successful rescue of four (4) fishermen from a distressed local fishing trawler.
The fishermen, stranded approximately 447 nautical miles (827 km) off Point Pedro on Sri Lanka’s east coast, were rescued by an Indian fishing trawler directed by MRCC Chennai. The rescue operation was reported to MRCC Colombo on 21st August 2024.
India and Sri Lanka launched a Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in January this year reflecting the deepening maritime security cooperation between the two sides, as external affairs minister S Jaishankar met the top leadership in Colombo to bolster ties in a range of areas.
The local fishing trawler (Reg No. 1DAY-A-0184 KMN) was reported to have left the Point Pedro Fisheries Harbour with 4 fishermen on 7th July 2024 for a fishing voyage.
Meanwhile, the Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DFAR) alerted MRCC Colombo established at the Navy Headquarters to assist the crew members onboard as their fishing trawler was in distress.
In response, MRCC Colombo sought assistance from MRCC Chennai to rescue the stranded fishing trawler.
MRCC Chennai then directed the Indian fishing trawler Thomas Mery (Reg No. TN 02 MM 1976) to rescue the Sri Lankan fishermen.
After the successful rescue, the fishermen were handed over to an Indian Coast Guard ship. On 21st August, MRCC Chennai informed its Colombo counterpart that the rescued fishermen were being transported to Chennai by the Indian Coast Guard.
The Sri Lanka Navy in coordination with MRCC Colombo continues to exemplify its dedication and unwavering commitment to safeguarding lives within Sri Lanka’s search and rescue jurisdiction and beyond, serving as a beacon of hope and security for seafarers and the fishing community.
The commissioning of the MRCC, which comprises a main centre at the Sri Lanka Navy headquarters in Colombo and a sub-centre in Hambantota, was described in a readout from the Sri Lankan president’s office as the highlight of the meeting between Jaishankar and Wickremesinghe.
“This initiative underscores the deepening maritime security cooperation between India and Sri Lanka,”
Built with a grant of $6 million from India, the MRCC includes seven unmanned installations at strategic locations across Sri Lanka’s coastline – Galle, Arugambay, Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Kallarawa, Point Pedro and Mollikulam.
The MRCC, established by state-run Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), will serve as the nerve centre for search and rescue operations at the sea.
A memorandum of understanding for the centre was signed in March 2022, and Sri Lankan Navy teams have been trained by BEL in Bengaluru and Colombo to operate the MRCC.
