04 October 2012
UKHO Alexander Dalrymple Award presented to Dr Hideo Nishida

UKHO Chief Executive, Ian Moncrieff CBE with Dr Hideo Nishidaat the award ceremony in London.

Dr Hideo Nishida, of the Japan Hydrographic Association, has been presented
with the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office’s (UKHO) Alexander Dalrymple
Award at a ceremony in London.

Dr Nishida was honoured for his outstanding contribution to Hydrography overa long and illustrious career with the Japan Coastguard, the Japan International
Cooperation Agency and the Japan Hydrographic & Oceanographic
Department (JHOD).

The award also acknowledges the many areas of Dr Nishida’s work throughout
an illustrious career. These include the actions taken following the earthquake
and tsunami that hit Japan on 11 March 2011. The speedy and professional
response of JHOD to this disaster under his leadership was undoubtedly amajor contributor to Japan’s remarkable recovery from this terrible event. His
work clearly demonstrated the indispensable role that hydrographic surveys
and charting can play in recovering from natural disasters.

Dr Nishida also conceived the idea of the Japan Capacity Building Project, aphenomenally successful collaboration between the JHOD, the International
Hydrographic Bureau (IHB) and the UKHO, with the generous financial supportof the Nippon Foundation. This initiative, to annually train six cartographers tothe highest international standard is now in its fourth year and Dr Nishida will bevisiting the students at UKHO’s offices in Taunton during his visit to the UK.

The award was presented by UKHO Chief Executive, Ian Moncrieff CBE andUK National Hydrographer, Rear Admiral Nick Lambert. Making the award, Ian
commented: “Dr Nishida is a modest, selfless and consummately professionalhydrographer with a world vision. He holds immense respect amongst theinternational hydrographic community well beyond his own region in which he isequally a legendary figure. It is for his very significant and long-standing
contribution in capacity building and his high-order leadership in response tonatural disaster that he is presented with the 2012 Alexander DalrympleAward.”

Dr Nishida, who attended the ceremony with his colleague Chief Hydrographer
Dr Shigeru Kato, told the audience that he was honoured to receive the award.

The ceremony took place at the UKHO’s celebration of World Hydrography Day
at a joint event with The Nautical Institute held at Trinity House. The Nautical
Institute’s London branch presented a seminar entitled ‘Generation Y –professional navigators’ which focussed on the challenge of acquiring andcombining traditional and technological skills.

The prestigious award is dedicated to Alexander Dalrymple who formed theHydrographic Office in 1795 and is a symbol of recognition for outstanding
dedication and contribution to world hydrography.
- ENDS For more information contact:
Sarah Dobson, Communications Manager01823 337900 ext 5043
sarah.dobson@ukho.gov.uk

Notes for Editors
1. Hydrography is the branch of applied sciences which deals with the measurement anddescription of the physical features of oceans, seas, coastal areas, lakes and rivers, as wellas with the prediction of their evolution, for the primary purpose of safety of navigation andall other marine purposes and activities, including economic development, security anddefence, scientific research, and environmental protection.

2. The UKHO, which is part of the UK Ministry of Defence, has been charting the world’s
oceans for more than 200 years with the primary aim of providing navigational services for
the Royal Navy and merchant mariners to save and protect lives at sea. In addition itserves small craft and leisure mariners and provides a range of consultancy services.

3. The UKHO is a Trading Fund which means it is a government agency owned by the MoD
with the freedom to trade commercially to generate revenue and cover running costs.

4. The UKHO produces a worldwide series of some 3,300 paper nautical charts and 160
publications under the Admiralty brand and has a growing portfolio of Electronic
Navigational Charts (ENCs). These charts are sold globally and used by nearly 70 per centof international shipping.

5. World Hydrography Day was established in 2006 under a UN Resolution by theInternational Hydrographic Organisation (IHO), with the intent of providing a focal point for
publicity of its work and to increase the ‘coverage and quality of hydrographic information
on a global basis’. The aim is to raise awareness and to encourage states to work with theIHO to promote safe navigation worldwide and to protect environmentally sensitive seaareas.