SA celebrates World Maritime Day

The official logo for World Maritime Day, 2011.

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) says this year's theme is 'Piracy - orchestrating the response' - a theme chosen as part of efforts to safeguard human life at sea. The body is hoping to rally enough global support to eradicate the phenomenon.

To this end, the following objectives will be pursued during the year:

• Increase pressure at the political level to secure the immediate release of all hostages being held by pirates - seafarers, in the main;
  
• Review and improve guidance to the industry and promote full compliance by ships with all recommended preventive, evasive and defensive measures;
  
• Promote greater levels of support from navies;
  
• Promote anti-piracy coordination and co-operation between and among States, regions and organizations;
  
• Build the capacity of States in piracy-infested regions of the world, and elsewhere, to deter, interdict and bring to justice those who commit acts of piracy and armed robbery against ships; and
  
• Equally importantly, provide care for those attacked or hijacked by pirates and for their families

The South African government, through the Department of Transport with the support of SAMSA, has through the years intensified its efforts to fight piracy.

SAMSA is a custodian of some of the best technologies in the world that monitors the movement of ships bound for South Africa.

The Long Range Identification Tracking System (LRIT) technology, housed at the SAMSA Centre for Sea Watch and response in Cape Town, is a beacon of hope in the fight against Piracy.

The South African Maritime Authority, together with the Department of Transport, marked the day in the port city of Richards Bay, where Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele joined other dignitaries in observing World Maritime Day.