A team from the United State navy divers are in the country training members of the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) and the Solomon Islands Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team (SIEODT).
The week-long training started on May 19 and will end on the 26th.
The training which focuses on the underwater clearance of unexploded ordnance (UXO) is part of an ongoing training program that began three years ago according to a statement from the Embassy of the United States of America (U.S.A).
A statement from the US embassy said the training is part of working closely with the Solomon Islands Government to clear thousands of pieces of unexploded ordinance that remain from World War II.
“Over the past three years, the RSIPF EOD team has gained an incredible capacity to recognize, remove, and reduce the impact of explosive remnants of war.
“For example, in 2013, they destroyed over 10,000 explosive remnants. By doing so, the team limits the public safety threat and prevents so-called “fishbombers” from acquiring explosives for the dangerous and environmentally harmful practice of explosive fishing,” the statement revealed.
BY STEPHEN DISANGO