30 September 2021
Today, Thursday 30 September, is World Maritime Day – used to focus attention on the importance of shipping and other maritime activities.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has themed this year’s day ‘Seafarers: at the core of shipping’s future’ to highlight and acknowledge the invaluable role of the Seafarer in a world affected by the pandemic and other aspects of seafaring including, safety and security of life on board ships, wellbeing, training and qualifications.
In St Helena Government (SHG) the Maritime Working Group – a single overarching body – has been established to develop and implement the maritime administration and compliance requirements for maritime safety and environmental protection. Recently, the Working Group and Project Board have been busy preparing for an international audit, which is an IMO audit testing for compliance against various conventions extended to the Island via the UK. These conventions include:
- Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) 1974, which has the objective of specifying minimum standards for the construction, equipment and operation of ships, compatible with their safety
- Collision Regulations (COLREG) 1972, which sets out the navigational rules to be followed by ships on the high seas and all waters connected to the high seas which are navigable by sea going vessels and
- LOAD LINE regulations 1966, which establishes uniform principles and rules with respect to the limits to which ships on international voyages may be loaded.
To meet convention requirements, St Helena has to comply with the IMO Instruments Implementation Code (IIIC), which has the objective of ‘enhancing global maritime safety and protection of the marine environment and assist states in the implementation of instruments of the organisation’.
St Helena’s audit participation ensures that we are continuously developing and improving to meet international regulations, as part of the UK state, and therefore contributing to overall maritime safety and environmental protection, and for the benefit of Seafarers.
#StHelena #WorldMaritimeDay #IMO
SHG
30 September 2021