Following the interest shown in the MPCS project, on October 18 a delegation from Senegal visited the facilities of the Directorate for Combating Pollution at Sea (DCPM), located at the Lisbon Naval Base in Alfeite. The purpose of the visit was to learn about the organization and structure of the Directorate for Combating Pollution at Sea (DCPM) for responding to pollution incidents in the marine environment.

The delegation included the Secretary General of HASSMAR - Aute Autorité Chargée de la Coordination de la Sécurité Maritime, de la Sûrete Maritime et de la Protection de l'Environement Marin, Captain Mamadou Ndjave, as well as a representative from the Republic of Senegal, Mouhamed Mbaye, who was received by the Deputy Director General of the Maritime Authority and the 2nd General Commander of the Maritime Police. Commander of the Maritime Police, Rear Admiral José Vizinha Mirones, and the Director of the Directorate for Combating Pollution at Sea, Captain João Marques da Costa.

Also accompanying the Senegalese delegation were representatives of the Spanish consultancy firm EVM Group, Justo Palomo and Amadou Diallo, and the Portuguese company Qualiseg, Dr. Manuel Carrasqueira and Rui Parreira, who, like the DCPM, are partners in the MPCS - Marine Pollution Control Simulator project.

During the morning, the visitors learned about the Portuguese organizational structure with regard to Marine Pollution Control, and its articulation with the European structure. After the briefing, a guided tour allowed the guests to see the different systems and equipment used by DGAM when necessary.

During the afternoon, adequate time was set aside to present and discuss the MPCS project with the Senegalese delegation, which was a highlight, as Captain Ndjave clearly underlined Senegal's interest in the MPCS project, stating that Senegal would like to be the first country in Africa where MPCS could be tested and implemented.

There was a consensus among those involved in the visit that it had been a success to get the Senegalese delegation fully involved in the MPCS project. At the same time, the way in which DGAM shared existing knowledge and fully opened up the Portuguese Navy's facilities clearly established an interesting platform for future collaboration in the field of Marine Pollution Control.