Seaweed Harvester Launch
BDF Media Release| 28 May 2020
Photography credit: BDF Media
The Barbados Defence Force (BDF) in its strategic commitment to the “Keep Barbados Clean” initiative, demonstrated the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and the Blue Economy’s (MMABE) Sargassum Seaweed Harvester (SWH). The harvester, sourced in Canada, an asset of MMABE, has been engineered by and currently docked at the Barbados Coast Guard HMBS PELICAN (BCG).
During the tour led by Lieutenant Commander Ryan Alleyne Commanding Officer (acting) of the BCG, Minister of MMABE, the Hon. Kirk Humphrey M.P mentioned that he was excited about the possibilities for the harvester to assist in the cleaning and removal of seaweed from the west and south coasts. The east coast, however, will use traditional methods due to the conditions of its waters.
Project consultant, Mr Mark Hill noted that the harvester is not intended for the removal of garbage, rather to assist in the production of various fertilizers and bi – products using marine biotechnology.
The BCG engineering team for the seaweed harvester is led by Leading Seaman Nicholas Chalery and was navigated by Ordinary Seaman Andre McClean.
Commodore (Cdre) Errington Shurland enlisted in the Barbados Defence Force in February 1984.
Colonel Glyne Grannum joined the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) on 18 October 1985 and underwent career development training at the Canadian Forces Officer Candidate School, Chilliwack and the Combat Training Centre, Gagetown New Brunswick, Canada. He subsequently attended the Infantry Training Centre and the Signal Wing in Warminster, UK (PCBC and RSO Courses respectively), the International Institute of Humanitarian Law in San Remo, Italy; the Lester Pearson Canadian Peacekeeping Centre, the Canadian Land Forces Command and Staff College, Kingston, the Canadian Forces Command and Staff College, Toronto, the National Defence University of the People’s Liberation Army People’s Republic of China and the Centre for Hemispheric Defence Studies, National Defence University, Washington. He also attended a Defence Resources Management programme at National Defence Headquarters, Ottawa, Canada. In addition to being a qualified infantry officer, Col Grannum is a qualified Regimental Signals Officer and a former Operations Officer and Finance Officer of the BDF.
Colonel Banfield joined the Barbados Battalion of the South Caribbean Force in 1941 having just left the Cadet Corps at Combermere School, and was granted a commission as a Second Lieutenant in 1942. He was a Platoon Commander and a Company Commander during the war and served in Barbados, Dominica (as part of the Gale Force), St Lucia and St Vincent.
Warrant Officer Class 1 Colin Marshall is a graduate of the St Michael, and was born on the 5 November 1969 and enlisted in the Barbados Defence Force on 16 August 1994. He was promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal in August 1997, Corporal in 1999, Sergeant in 2007, Color Sergeant in 2014, Warrant Officer Class Two in 2017 and Warrant Officer Class One in 2020. He was Most Outstanding Student on Junior Leadership Course in 1998, the Most Outstanding Student on Junior Non Commissioned Officer Cadre in Jamaica in 2000, best at Leadership on the Search Adviser Course in Jamaica in 2007 and the Most Outstanding Student on the Warrant Officer Course in Jamaica in 2015.
