Interview – Marianne Péron-Doise, strategic advisor for the CRIMARIO project

What are the issues related to maritime security in the Indian Ocean?

While the threat of piracy is now deemed to be under control, countries in the region need to be able to prevent its resurgence with their own resources and also to be capable of tackling all forms of organised transnational criminality which threaten their maritime domain. There are also issues related to sustainable development and the blue economy, particularly the fight against illegal, undeclared and unregulated fishing, problems which African countries are giving increasing importance to. In other words, there has never been such strong demand for maritime security from countries bordering the Indian Ocean. In January 2017, this extension of the scope of regional maritime threats beyond piracy was subject to a revision of the Djibouti Code of Conduct, a cooperation mechanism signed by 21 States, known as the Jeddah Amendment.

How does the CRIMARIO project support countries in the region in terms of achieving maritime security?

With CRIMARIO, Expertise France is addressing a key challenge: strengthen the sharing of information of maritime interest at the inter-administration and regional level, by providing the littoral States of the Indian Ocean who so desire with the means to improve maritime governance. This involves developing specific maritime training cycles, providing equipment to build a robust and accessible regional and maritime image, consultations and feasibility studies for partners.

Consequently, CRIMARIO has proposed to regional partners to set up a web platform for sharing non-classified maritime information, IORIS. This network will provide regional users with a secure means for exchanging information, working together and managing national or regional events at sea which threaten the environment or maritime safety and security.

At mid-term for the project, what is your assessment of its implementation?

The project was launched in 2015 and was initially devoted to setting up training programmes dedicated to analysing maritime data and specific workshops to promote inter-administration and regional cooperation, as well as to designing information-sharing guidelines. Back in 2016, the introduction of a monthly newsletter, a dedicated website and a Twitter account gave it strong regional visibility, backed up by its local office based in Mombasa.

The closer ties initiated with the European programme to promote maritime security, MASE, targeting countries in West and Southern Africa and in the Southern Indian Ocean, have made it possible to integrate the training needs of the Regional Centre for Maritime Information Fusion (CRFIM), based in Madagascar, and the Regional Centre for the Coordination of Maritime Operations (CRCOM), based in the Seychelles. This action was stepped up in 2017 by extending it to the Comoros.

At 31 December 2017, CRIMARIO had trained some 371 maritime specialists, some of whom were from East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Djibouti, Mozambique) and the Southern Indian Ocean (Madagascar, Seychelles, Comoros, Mauritius). Furthermore, following a first complete cycle on the analysis of maritime data, six visualisation trainers were certified and some fifteen analysts acquired training skills, which will facilitate the updating of knowledge and practices.

The development and promotion of the IORIS platform should be a priority for the project for 2018, as well as the strengthening of information-sharing infrastructure (AIS regional server and AIS national network in Kenya).

Financed by the EU and managed by Expertise France, CRIMARIO (Critical Maritime Routes in the Indian Ocean) aims to strengthen maritime safety and security throughout the Indian Ocean, by assisting coastal countries in developing maritime situational awareness.

To find out more: www.crimario.eu