Three vessels in our fleet – the Ocean Guardian, Ocean Protector and Ocean Sentinel, which operate from our Sentinel Marine Netherlands office – have been chartered by the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) to operate in EU and international waters as additional platforms for fisheries inspections.

The initial contract is for 24 months with a potential renewal to a total of six years.

The vessels operate under the Portuguese flag and will strengthen the operational capacity of the EFCA in the monitoring, control and surveillance of fisheries according to the Common Fisheries Policy. They will be patrolling in the Mediterranean, the Black Sea to the Western Waters, the North Sea and the Baltic Sea.

Rory Deans, chief executive of Sentinel Marine says; “Our fleet of ERRVs is one of the newest. They are all fitted out with the latest dynamic positioning technology and all come with a green passport which lists all of their construction materials. They are the cleanest, greenest and therefore most efficient vessels and flexible ERRVs making them idea for diversifying into new markets.

“Ten years ago at the inception of Sentinel Marine, 100% of our fleet was operating in the oil and gas sector within the North Sea. We’ve always commissioned vessels which have a multi-role function which are flexible across many operations.

As we celebrate our first decade, our expansion into new sectors and geographies sees 40% of our fleet chartered as fisheries support vessels, with Sentinel Marine working in waters as far as Libya.

While maintaining a strong presence in the oil and gas sector, our diversification now includes assisting with fisheries inspections, fisheries protection, and compliance, all of which contribute to a safe, secure, and sustainable sea.