World Maritime Day will be celebrated on Thursday, September 26, 2024. St Helena, with its rich maritime history and seafaring traditions, acknowledges the importance of those involved in maritime activities and their role in shaping future endeavors. By recognizing World Maritime Day, St Helena emphasizes the significance of prioritizing safety practices to ensure secure and sustainable maritime operations.
The theme “Navigating the Future with Safety First” calls for a culture focused on safety among stakeholders such as seafarers, port authorities, and shipping companies. The aim is to uphold safety standards to protect lives, safeguard the marine environment, and improve the efficiency of maritime operations.
St Helena seeks to enhance maritime safety by raising awareness and implementing robust safety standards. The Maritime Authority is hosting vessel surveyor Derrick Thorrington to assess the condition of the local fleet. This assessment will inform a new policy that licenses vessels based on safety standards. During his two-week visit, Derrick evaluated various vessels in the maritime environment and focused on their overall condition.
Derrick stated: “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.”
He added: “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 emphasized: “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 https://www.imo.org/en/About/Events/Pages/World-Maritime-theme-2024.aspx#:~:text=The%20World%20Maritime%20Day%202024,future%3A%20safety%20first!%22.Photo
