Search and Rescue at Sea in Montenegrin waters in accordance with the National Plan for Search and Rescue is conducted through the Maritime Operations Center, whose integral part are the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC) and Search and Rescue at Sea Division which consists of SAR units (maritime, aerial and land).
Search and Rescue Region is in compliance with the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue 1979 and Annex 12 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention) in part pertaining aircraft in distress at sea.
Search and Rescue Region of Montenegro (SRR) is the sea area that encompasses search and rescue service at sea and includes internal sea waters, territorial sea and the open sea area up to 50 nautical miles from the coast and is declared as such to the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
As part of inter-governmental cooperation, the Agreement on Mutual Cooperation was signed between the Ministry of Transport and Maritime Affairs, the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Internal Affairs to establish the Joint Operations Team which includes Maritime Safety and Ports Management Administration, the Navy of Montenegro and Border Police – South. The Joint Operations Team deals with issues concerning safety and security at sea, integrated control system, monitoring and prevention of sea pollution from ships.
The Search and Rescue at Sea, which is under the authority of the Maritime Safety and Ports Management Administration, has under its command 30 vessels of different governmental institutions, as well as aircraft units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Navy of Montenegro. When needed, the rescue and tugboat units as well as privately owned crafts also join the effort.
