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International Association Of Marine Aids News

14 Jan 2024

2023 a Record Setting Year for Singapore

Source: Government of Singapore

Chee Hong Tat, Singapore’s Acting Minister for Transport, announced a record year in 2023 at a Singapore Maritime Foundation New Year Conversations event.The annual vessel arrival tonnage in the Port of Singapore crossed three billion gross tonnage (GT) for the first time, increasing by 9.4% over 2022 and setting a high of 3.09 billion GT in 2023. This reflects growth in all segments, including container ships, dry bulk carriers, liquid bulk and chemical tankers, ferries and specialised vessels…

07 Jul 2023

Tidalis Deploys New VTS at Port of Tyne

Image courtesy Tidalis/Port of Tyne

On July 1 the Port of Tyne launched a 'next-generation' Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) system to enhance VTS operator situational awareness and supports decision making.The system adheres to the standards set by the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA), covers the waters of the Port of Tyne in the UK, extending from six nautical miles out at sea to three nautical miles inland. It uses the Automatic Identification System (AIS)…

29 Aug 2019

Singapore Improves Maritime Safety

The number of major incidents in the Port of Singapore has dropped over the last 10 years, with fewer than 0.12 major incidents per 100,000 vessel movements in 2018, down from 0.8 in 2009.Dr Lam Pin Min, Senior Minister of State for Transport and Health, said, “I thank the maritime community for the good work in improving maritime safety. The use of technology and digitization can further enhance maritime safety by providing seafarers better access to critical safety-related information and early warning of potential incidents.”Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) will embark on a “Digital OCEANS” strategy to encourage Open or Common Exchange And Network Standardization. This strategy aims to allow digital platforms of port authorities e.g.

26 Jun 2019

DMA to Celebrate WAtoN Day

The Danish Maritime Authority (DMA) announced that the international Marine Aids to Navigation Day (WAtoN Day) will be held around the world for the first time.DMA marks the WAtoN Day at Nakkehoved Lighthouse in collaboration with Museum Nordsjælland on July 1, 2019.The International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) will together with many national marine administrations including Denmark celebrate the WAtoN Day under the theme "Successful Voyages, Sustainable Planet", and by that draw attention to the work on the development of Aids to Navigation and, not least, to tell about the importance of why we use beacons, buoys etc.

08 Apr 2019

E-Navigation Workshop Held in Singapore

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) is co-organizing a workshop with the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) to support the operationalization of e-navigation solutions, the first since Singapore’s election to the IALA Council in 2018.E-navigation, a concept driven by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and like-minded nations including Singapore, aims to make marine navigation safer and marine communications more reliable, as well as to reduce accidents and damage to the environment.Quah Ley Hoon, Chief Executive of MPA, said, “As one the world’s busiest hub ports with some 1…

06 Jun 2018

Kitack Lim Calls for Safe Ship Navigation

International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Kitack Lim has highlighted the important link between safe ship navigation and sustainability. Speaking at the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) Conference in Incheon, Republic of Korea (27 May),  Lim addressed the theme: 'Successful voyages, Sustainable planet – A New Era for Marine Aids to Navigation in a Connected World'. He emphasized that safe shipping is essential to the world – that by providing improved access to basic materials, goods and products, by facilitating commerce and by helping create prosperity among nations and peoples, shipping is helping lift millions of people out of poverty.

29 May 2018

DMA Re-elected to IALA Council

With the re-election to IALA Council, the Danish Maritime Authority (DMA) remains at the center of international cooperation on issues of safe navigation, autonomous ships and the use of new technology. For the first time ever, the IALA Council election was contested, and Denmark – represented by the DMA - is among the elected countries. Andreas Nordseth, Director General of the Danish Maritime Authority said: “I am pleased that we once again got a place in IALAs’ Council. IALA is in the middle of a really interesting development from NGO to IGO – an international intergovernmental organization. The increasing focus on digitalization has, amongst other things, meant that IALA and the Danish Maritime Authority worked together on the now concluded EU-funded project EfficienSea2.

13 Nov 2017

Protecting Mauritania’s Marine Park

A particularly sensitive sea area (PSSA) is an area of special ecological, socio-economic or scientific importance which may be vulnerable to international shipping. To date, International Maritime Organization (IMO) has designated 17 areas which benefit from the scheme and are protected. IMO Member Governments can submit applications for the designation of PSSAs at any time. Representatives from IMO, the UNESCO World Heritage Centre Marine Program and the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) met with national stakeholders in Nouakchott, Mauritania (6-8 November) to discuss options to possibly designate the area around the Banc d'Arguin National Park as a PSSA.

11 Oct 2017

India Approves Change of Status for Marine Body IALA

The Indian Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its approval for International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) to change its status from Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) to Inter-Governmental Organization (IGO). The move will facilitate “to foster the safe, economic and efficient movement of vessels". It will bring IALA at par with International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO). The IALA, having headquarters at St. Germainen Laye (France) was established in 1957 under French law. It is governed by a General Assembly having 83 National members, with its Council as the executive body.

15 Mar 2017

Green Signal for India-Bangladesh MoU on Aids to Navigation

The Indian Cabinet has approved signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for greater cooperation with regard to marine aids to navigation that includes advice on lighthouses and beacons besides vessel traffic service. "The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Aids to Navigation (AtoNs) between the Directorate General of Lighthouses & Lightships (DGLL), Ministry of Shipping, Government of India and the Department of Shipping, Government of Bangladesh," the Ministry of Shipping said in a statement. The MoU envisages cooperation including extending advice on lighthouses and beacons…

31 Aug 2016

DGLL Pact with IALA

India's Directorate General of Lighthouses & Lightships (DGLL) has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) on 11thAugust, 2016 at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. With the signing of this MoA, the DGLL Training Centre at Kolkata will be in position to deliver a professional training course on the management of marine aids to navigation in line with IALA model course itself. Directorate General of Lighthouses & Lightships (DGLL) is primarily responsible for providing “Aids to Navigation service” for safety of mariners in the Indian waters. Apart from upgrading the skills and capacity of AtoN (Aids to Navigation) personnel in the country…

24 Aug 2016

e-Navigation Underway (North America) 2016

San Jacinto College campus

San Jacinto College and the Seamen’s Church Institute will host e-Navigation Underway (North America) 2016, the third in the annual North American series of conferences focusing upon the development and application of e-navigation. The event will be held at the San Jacinto College Maritime Technology and Training Center, La Porte, Texas, a new facility that opened in Spring of this year. e-Navigation is an initiative of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the goal of which is to provide a decision support environment for the maritime community.

30 Jul 2016

Protecting Sensitive Sea Areas in South-East Asia

Further progress towards identifying and designating Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas (PSSAs) in south-east Asia has been made during a regional meeting in Lombok, Indonesia (27-28 July). Some 30 participants from Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Viet Nam and observers from Singapore met to identify any gaps in knowledge in potential areas to be selected and proposed to be designated as a PSSA by International Maritime Organization (IMO). They also discussed additional assistance which may be required in developing final submissions to IMO. Participants were also introduced to the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) risk management toolbox…

02 Jun 2016

Abu Dhabi Ports Marine Subsidiary Rebranded as SAFEEN

Abu Dhabi Ports, the master developer, operator and manager of ports and Khalifa Industrial Zone (Kizad) in the Emirate, has renamed its subsidiary, Abu Dhabi Marine Services, as ‘SAFEEN’ –meaning ships in Arabic- in a bid to rebrand itself. The announcement was followed closely by the brand winning the prestigious International Safety Management (ISM) certification from the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Further, as part of expanding its fleet and improving services, SAFEEN  has added a new tug boat named ‘MAQTAA’ to its existing fleet of five tugs, five pilot boats, six  speed boats, one buoy maintenance boat and two oil spill response boats. The company plans to acquire three more tug boats by the end of 2016.

31 May 2016

Industry Event to Explore e-Navigation

An event examining the role, development and trends in maritime e-Navigation is scheduled for October 17-19, 2016 at the San Jacinto College Maritime Campus in La Porte, Texas. More information is available online here.

01 Jul 2015

SUNY Maritime to Host e-Navigation Conference

The e-Navigation Underway 2015 – North America conference will be hosted by The State University of New York (SUNY) Maritime College from September 28 to 30 on the college’s Throggs Neck, N.Y. campus. The conference’s theme is: “Reducing Risk through E-Navigation,” which follows the pace of the IMO’s Correspondence Group on e-Navigation. The keynote speaker will be Joseph Trotti, CEO of AIG Global Marine and Aerospace, and Francis Zachariae, the new Secretary General of the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) and formerly the deputy director general of Danish Maritime Authority (DMA), will be the luncheon speaker on the conference’s final day. Other confirmed speakers include Tracy Murrell, Director Office of Marine Safety, U.S.

11 Feb 2015

Abu Dhabi Ports’ Training Centre Reports Successful 2014

Photo courtesy of the Abu Dhabi Ports’ Maritime Training Centre

Abu Dhabi Ports’ Maritime Training Centre looked back on what it called a successful year, noting a number “success stories” throughout 2014 as the number of trainees at the center increased by 15% in 2014 compared to 2013. Highlighting its success, the training center noted that five new courses have been added to the program which covers the Channel Familiarization course, the Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) course, the Port Facility Security Officer (PFSO) course, the High Speed Craft Operators course…

25 Jan 2015

Danish Pleasure Craft Safety Board Gets A New Head

From 1 February 2015 a new chairman will head the Danish Pleasure Craft Safety Board. The new incumbent is Jan Thorn, who is in his everyday work Director of the Danish Maritime Authority’s division “Aids to Navigation” that is striving to enhance safety at sea for both commercial shipping and pleasure cruising. Jan Thorn has his background in the now abolished Danish Maritime Safety Administration and the Danish Defence, and he is an active yachtsman who has his own sailing boat. He takes over the post from Francis Zachariae, who has been appointed Secretary General of IALA in Paris from 1 February. IALA is the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities.

19 Dec 2014

NZ Report: Human Error to Blame for Rena Grounding

Photo: maritime New Zealand

New Zealand's Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) published its final report into the grounding of containership Rena in October 2011. The TAIC’s investigation found that the grounding was a result of improper crew practices, and that equipment/machinery malfunction played no part in the incident. According to the report, the Liberian-registered containership Rena had left the New Zealand port of Napier at 10:20 a.m. on October 4, 2011 bound for the New Zealand port of Tauranga. The master had given an estimated time of arrival at the Tauranga pilot station of 3 a.m.

03 Jan 2014

Global Port Security and BMT Isis

The operational complexities and changing landscape of ports and terminals continue to present ongoing challenges for port authorities and operators globally. In particular, changing legislation, diversification, security concerns, higher traffic density, larger vessel sizes, as well as movements of hazardous cargoes, reflect on a port’s required level of traffic management, vessel scheduling and navigational planning. This can, in some instances become a very complex task. In a bid to help manage these challenges and improve navigational safety and efficiency…

25 Nov 2013

Steamship, Videotel Partner in Safety Initiative

The risk of collision at sea is a hazard to which all shipowners and seafarers are exposed, regardless of ship type or trading area. The International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGS) provide a complete code that, if properly understood and applied, should avoid ships ever coming into collision. However, the club’s claims experience reveals a persistent frequency of collision incidents albeit with year on year variations in severity. The most serious collision incidents have the potential to involve a very broad spectrum of P&I liabilities.

16 Oct 2013

US Coast Guard Propose AIS International Agreement

USCG Logo

The US Coast Guard 2012 Annual Report to the American Bar Association mentions, amongst a wealth of information about the service's activities, that Coast Guard attorneys have facilitated the development of principles for member governments wishing to participate in IALA-NET, an AIS (Automatic Identification System). The information sharing network would use the United States’ Marine Security and Safety Information System (MSSIS), European (HELCOM) and China maintained servers…

02 Oct 2013

Singapore Hosts Inaugural Asia VTS Forum

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) is presently hosting the inaugural Regional Forum on Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) which runs until 4, October 2013. A first in Asia, the Forum provides a platform for officers from maritime administrations from around the world to interact and discuss issues related to VTS, safety of navigation, maritime safety, and to identify capacity building needs in VTS for the region to enhance navigational safety. About 20 overseas and local speakers speak on a wide range of VTS subject matters such as the implementation and operation of VTS, VTS training and legislation. Officiating at the Forum was MPA Assistant Chief Executive (Operations), Capt M Segar.