ICS welcomes Malacca, Singapore Straits safety progress
The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has welcomed the outcome of discussions between Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia to advance navigational safety in the Malacca and Singapore Straits, Ship & Bunker reports.
At the "Co-operative Mechanism on Safety of Navigation and Environmental Protection in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore" meeting held in Singapore last week, ICS said it had expressed concern about the continuing lack of new large scale navigational charts.
"We all want to deliver safety and environmental benefits in the Straits which is a primary objective of the Marine Electronic Highway project. But these benefits simply cannot be realised unless navigational charts are based on modern and appropriate hydrographic surveys," explained ICS Marine Director, John Murray.
ICS said its stance was acknowledged at the meeting, and India, which was present as an observer nation, offered the use of a survey vessel to conduct appropriate hydrographic surveys in the area, which "may lead to real progress being made," according to the statement.
Training of personnel from Malaysia and Indonesia in hydrography has also been offered.
About 70,000 vessels transit the waters each year, and while only a very small proportion of transits through the Straits lead to accidents or near misses, an ICS survey identified heavy shipping traffic, inappropriate speed, and the loss of situational awareness as significant factors that needed to be addressed.
ICS also highlighted concerns about the understanding and use of navigation systems such as ECDIS, AIS, and radar.
Last week oceanographic data company Tidetech said a new tidal model it's developed for the Malacca and Singapore Straits could save ships thousands of dollars in bunker fuel costs.
