Lighthouse Authorities News

After more than 10 years of work and four diplomatic conferences, The International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) has officially changed from a non-governmental organization (NGO) to an Intergovernmental Organization (IGO).The transition to an Intergovernmental Organization will place IALA in a much stronger position to develop and harmonize Marine Aids to Navigation, as governments will be directly involved in the work. All major decisions will be made by representatives of their governments…

July 1 is World Marine Aids to Navigation (AtoN) Day.Established by the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) in 2019, this day highlights the vital role that AtoN play in ensuring safe navigation for mariners worldwide. This year, IALA has chosen Faro di Genova 'Lanterna' in Italy as lighthouse of the Year, with a virtual tour available here.The prestigious honor was previously awarded to Australia’s Cape Byron Lighthouse in New South Wales in 2021.

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…

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)…

In November 2021, GTMaritime published a white paper: “Maritime Communications - A look over the horizon.” The report, available here, is built around three broad Sections – 1. “Basics of marine Communications;” 2. “The connected ship;” and 3. “Special services.”Then, each Section presents a closer look at various topics. The “Basics” section, for example, covers regulatory issues established by IMO treaties and national agencies. It presents the terms and concepts that define satellite systems and networks…

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.

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.

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…

The Maritime Connectivity Platform Consortium has been established and a Platform launched last Friday during the conference e-Navigation Underway 2019.The Maritime Connectivity Platform (MCP) is an open source technology a digital maritime domain. It brings common internet standards to maritime navigation and transportation systems.MCP enables infrastructures for efficient, secure, reliable and seamless electronic information exchange among maritime stakeholders using available communication systems. MCP is an open and vendor-neutral technology.The platform has been evolving for a number of years. Around 2015, development escalated significantly, when three large projects collaborated on the common use and further development of the technology. These were the E.U.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The risk of cyber attacks targeting ships' satellite navigation is pushing nations to delve back through history and develop back-up systems with roots in World War Two radio technology. Ships use GPS (Global Positioning System) and other similar devices that rely on sending and receiving satellite signals, which many experts say are vulnerable to jamming by hackers. About 90 percent of world trade is transported by sea and the stakes are high in increasingly crowded shipping lanes.

Ships exposed through GPS systems, have limited back-up; cyber insurance typically doesn't cover jamming, property damage. Shipping companies grappling with the threat of cyber attacks on vessels are finding insurance policies often fall short, officials involved in both industries say, a risk that could feed through into global prices. Digitalisation means electricity networks, emergency services, industry and agriculture are all vulnerable to hacking by criminal gangs for extortion or, for political reasons, by militant groups or foreign states. But ships are also exposed to interference through electronic navigation devices such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) and lack the backup systems airliners have to prevent crashes.

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…

March Coast Guard deadline represents milestone for AIS use in U.S. From increasing situational awareness and enhancing the safety and security of maritime transportation, to its use in accident investigation, search and rescue, Aids to Navigation and asset monitoring, the role of AIS (Automatic Identification System) as a flexible and developing technology continues to grow in significance. The month of March 2016 – has come and gone – and represents an important milestone which will increase the prevalence and general awareness of AIS.

Global shipping is still feeling the effects of a cyber attack that hit A.P. Moller-Maersk two days ago, showing the scale of the damage a computer virus can unleash on the technology dependent and inter-connected industry. About 90 percent of world trade is transported by sea, with ships and ports acting as the arteries of the global economy. Ports increasingly rely on communications systems to keep operations running smoothly, and any IT glitches can create major disruptions for complex logistic supply chains. The cyber attack was among the biggest-ever disruptions to hit global shipping.

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.

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.

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…

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.

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…