24 September 2024
World Maritime day is celebrated on Thursday 26 September 2024.
Rooted in a deep maritime history and seafaring traditions, St Helena recognises the pivotal role of those involved in maritime and the shaping of future maritime endeavours. By acknowledging World Maritime Day, St Helena underscores the crucial significance of prioritising safety practices to ensure secure and sustainable maritime activities.
The theme “Navigating the Future with Safety First” calls for a safety-conscious culture among stakeholders such as seafarers, port authorities, and shipping companies. We acknowledge safety standards to safeguard lives, protect the marine environment, and enhance the efficiency of maritime operations.
St Helena aims to enhance maritime safety by raising awareness, developing, and implementing robust safety standards.The Maritime Authority is hosting a vessel surveyor, Derrick Thorrington, to assess the condition of our local fleet. This information will help us create a new policy that licenses vessels based on safety standards. Duringhis two-week visit, Derrick assessed a variety of vessels in our maritime environment and focused on the overall condition of them.
Derrick commented:
“I’m pleased to have the opportunity to support the Maritime Authority in conducting vessel assessments. The voluntary participation of local vessel owners has been invaluable as we work to develop a comprehensive maritime policy for St Helena.”
“I extend my sincere gratitude to all involved, especially the vessel owners and operators, for their patience, good humour and support throughout this process.”
Minister for Safety, Security and Home Affairs, Jeffrey Ellick, emphasised:
“Safety is paramount, therefore it was a pleasure to have Derrick here on island to carry out an assessment of our local vessels which will then help inform us of the things we will need to consider when developing the local vessel registry. Also, I would like to thank the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) who has been very supportive in terms of our maritime challenges and funding Derrick’s visit.”
For more information and updates on World Maritime Day activities, please visit
Photo
Vessel Surveyor, Derrick Thorrington, and Deputy Head of Maritime, Terri Clingham
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