Sea Guards 2026 drills begin as Pakistan Navy focuses on maritime security challenges

KARACHI (Dunya News) – The Pakistan Navy has launched the Sea Guards exercises, which will continue until February 9, bringing together key stakeholders to address challenges facing the country’s maritime sector.

Vice Admiral Faisal Amin attended the opening ceremony as the chief guest. The exercises feature structured dialogue sessions alongside practical sea-based drills. Under the Pakistan Navy’s supervision, Sea Guards 2026 is aimed at examining issues confronting the marine sector and strengthening coordination among relevant institutions.

Speaking at the ceremony, Vice Admiral Faisal Amin said confidence in the Joint Maritime Information and Coordination Centre (JMICC) had increased among various public and private sector organisations. He noted that the theme of the Sea Guards exercises is “Safe Seas, Prosperous Pakistan”.

Message from Commander Coast on the Occasion of Exercise Sea Guard 2026 #TogetherForSaferSeas #ExerciseSeaGuard2026 #CommanderCoast #MaritimeSecurity#3rdSeaGuard #PakistanNavy pic.twitter.com/o3mkqfAkZe

— DGPR (Navy) (@dgprPaknavy) February 2, 2026

He highlighted the economic potential of the fishing industry, stating that it could generate billions of dollars annually if developed effectively. Over the past year, he said, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs had taken significant steps towards improvement. However, he expressed concern that Pakistan’s seas were becoming increasingly polluted.

The Vice Admiral pointed out that marine conditions were far cleaner 25 years ago compared to today. He revealed that two projects aimed at controlling marine pollution were currently underway in collaboration with the Sindh government. He added that the Sea Guards exercises were being conducted in the context of emerging non-traditional threats.

He further stated that a Vessel Monitoring System for fishing boats was nearing completion. Emphasising capacity building, he stressed the need to improve fishermen’s awareness and skills. Environmental pollution control drills will also be conducted as part of the Sea Guards exercises.

Vice Admiral Faisal Amin said the Sea Guards initiative had helped establish stronger coordination among various maritime sector institutions. Expressing optimism over the successful conduct of the exercises, he added that the Pakistan Navy continues to advocate, at every forum, for expanding the fishing sector as part of efforts to address marine pollution and strengthen the maritime economy.