Fishermen Recognized for Oil Spill Preparedness

Brianna Gibbs/KMXT
Last night commercial vessel owners gathered to celebrate another year of successful Ship Escort and Response Vessel System, or SERVS, training. The vessel of opportunity program trains hundreds of fishermen and boat owners each year on how to safely and effectively clean up after an oil spill. Andres Morales is the director for SERVS, which is operated through the Alyeska Pipline Service Company. He said more than 60 vessels from Kodiak participated in the April training.

— (SERVS Recognition 1 :27 “We have an administrator here in town…practice tactics on the water.”)

Morales said all the trainings around the state were done without any safety problems and the entire SERVS program has received the President’s Safety Award through Alyeska Pipeline Service.

— (SERVS Recognition 2 :45 “So our president has a … months, and didn’t have a single injury.”)

Morales said the program came about after the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill when the state recognized a need for emergency response vessels.

— (SERVS Recognition 3 :26 “And one of the things that…pretty well as far as a response system.”)

The trainings must be completed each year by every vessel participating. The vessels are compensated for their time, resources and energy, but more often than not Morales said participants are happy to take the steps needed to protect natural resources. Carol Austerman is the Kodiak contact for SERVS and Morales said any interested parties can contact her to be placed on a waiting list for the training in April. The program is operating at full capacity with regards to resources, which is why a waiting list must be put in place for now.

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