Salvamento Marítimo has concentrated for the first time in the Canary Islands all the high-capacity rescue ships it has in its fleet, its five "guardamares", given the unprecedented numbers of migrants arriving on the islands, including its latest acquisition.
The General Director of the Merchant Marine, Gustavo Santana, and the Director of Maritime Safety, José Luis García, traveled this Tuesday to the port of Arrecife on the occasion of the entry into service of the Guardamar Urania, a 40-meter long ship, with 2,700 kilometers of autonomy, capable of sailing at 30 knots (55 km/h) and equipped with the latest in rescue technology.
Its arrival in the Canary Islands reinforces the service already provided by its sisters Calíope, in Arrecife; Talía, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria; Concepción Arenal, in Arguineguín; and Polimnia, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife; in addition to the ten Salvamares (smaller, fast rescue boats) that have their permanent base on the seven islands of the archipelago.
The guardamares are rescue ships without a fixed port, which Salvamento usually distributes along the different Spanish coasts according to needs. Never before have all five been concentrated in the Canary Islands.
The Government Delegate in the islands, Anselmo Pestana, has recalled that the Canary Route is considered one of the most dangerous migratory routes to Europe, with crossings in the open ocean that can exceed 1,500 kilometers in distance.
And also that, with two weeks to go before the end of the year, the arrival figures have already broken the historical record of the 2006 cayuco crisis and are around 37,000 people.
Anselmo Pestana has remarked that the arrival in the Canary Islands of the most modern ship in the Salvamento fleet "strengthens" the rescue capacity in that area of the Atlantic and helps to alleviate the situation of the crews of the other vessels, who have experienced a "stressful" situation in recent months.
"A fifth of the (rescue) vessels that our country has are positioned in the Canary Islands. There are approximately 250 people working here for Salvamento," said the delegate, who congratulated the staff of the state-owned company in the islands for the work they are doing "in this important year of rebound in immigration," without neglecting other emergencies.
The General Director of the Merchant Marine, Gustavo Santana, has highlighted, for his part, that the Guardamar Urania incorporates in its design "all the lessons learned" in recent years with the operation of the other four ships of its class, with greater capacities and levels of safety and autonomy.
The Director of Salvamento, José Luis García, explained that the Urania is not only larger than the previous guardamares (eight meters longer), but also incorporates improvements in the rescue area and a more effective stabilization system.
"The Guardamar Urania was delivered to us a few months ago and has been undergoing tests on the peninsula. It has done some minor service in the south of Spain, but its first operations will be carried out in the Canary Islands," he detailed.