51
June

2015

WMU Alumni Conference
May Soe Aung

Department of Marine
Administration, Myanmar(WMU, 2009)

At the beginning of 2015, there was a great
ceremony in our beautiful golden land,
Myanmar. The first WMU Regional Alumni
Conference was held and jointly organized by
the Department of Marine Administration(DMA) and the World Maritime University(WMU) at Sule Shangri-La Hotel in Yangon
on January 27-28. The conference focused on
Maritime Education and Training: Catalyst ofIndustry Growth, reflecting the 2015 World
Maritime Day theme, “Maritime Education
and Training.”
There were 12 key speakers, and the opening
remarks were given by the Minister ofTransport, the International Maritime
Organization, The Nippon Foundation andthe World Maritime University. There were

five sessions during the first day of theConference. The first three were presentations
from IMO, The Nippon Foundation, WMU
faculty and alumni, and focused on thefollowing topics:• Administrative oversight for quality in
MET• Education as a tool for industry growth• New priorities for MET
The fourth session encompassed alumni
presentations, and the last one was a panel
discussion which focused on "The evolution andrelevance of Maritime Education for the global
Maritime Community."
Moreover, a Memorandum of Understanding
was signed to facilitate maritime education,
environmental management, and expand
educational opportunities at WMU for students
from Myanmar between DMA and WMU,
with the aim of promoting the role of
Myanmar in the world maritime sector. To
create a network, the MoU also targets thedesign of e-learning and learning management
systems (LMS), educational exchange, andimplementing IMO regulations in Myanmar’s

shipping industry by sharing experience andtechnologies within the maritime cluster. Oneof the main objectives of this MoU is toadvance the delivery of WMU’s e-education,
to encourage outreach programs for alumni
and MET institutions in a global context,
especially for the Myanmar shipping industry.
On the evening of the first day, a galadinner was held at the Vintage Luxury Yacht
Hotel in Yangon. It was really great to meet allof you after such a long time. We had great
fun happily singing the "WMU School" song
together with the alumni as well as professors
from WMU. It was so nice to finally catch up
and spend some quality time together. It wasan absolutely wonderful evening.
The last day of the Conference, there was
one session of alumni presentations, and twoworkshops focused on “Knowledge Sharing inMaritime Clusters and Tools for the
Implementation of the STCW Convention as
Amended.”
The event brought together over 160
attendees, including WMU alumni from theAsia and Oceania region (Bangladesh, Brunei,

Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos,
Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar,
Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand andVietnam), as well as local and regional industry
representatives.
Since WMU was founded, the University has
attained an outstanding reputation as a global
centre of excellence for postgraduate maritime
education, research and capacity building. By
the end of 2015, the University will have wellover 4,000 graduates, working in 165 countries
around the world to achieve the highest
standards in safety, security, the protection of
the marine environment, and efficient andeffective management. At present there are 46
WMU graduates in Myanmar, working invarious maritime sectors.
Nowadays, the seafaring business has beenplaying an important role in the economic

development of Myanmar, which is one of
the major seafarer supplying countries in theworld. Seafaring has been an attractive job for
Myanmar over the past four decades, because
salaries are higher than regular land-based jobs.
Currently, more than 60,000 Myanmar
seafarers are serving on national-flag as well as
foreign-flag vessels under the Department ofMarine Administration, Ministry of Transport.
Upholding IMO’s motto, "Safe, secure andefficient shipping on clean oceans," depends
upon all seafarers serving across the worldcompetently and professionally. It enables
linkages in the field of maritime affairs, broadly
defined to include maritime education, safety,
security, navigational technologies, as well as
environmental management, and to expand
educational opportunities for Myanmar
students.

Acting WMU President Neil Bellefontaine
said, "WMU alumni comprise a unique andpowerful global network that is strengthened by
the relationships fostered between graduates.
Through the initiative and support of Myanmar,
this regional alumni conference is focused on
Asia and Oceania. It is intended that futurealumni conferences will be held with partnercountries in other regions as well, to further
encourage invaluable relationship-building
among graduates."
In conclusion, we believe that this conference
will be an important educational andnetwork-building event to get opportunities andshare knowledge not only among alumni but
also maritime clusters around the world.

"World Maritime University's first Alumni Conference a win-win
for hosting region and attending alumni"

Lisa Froholdt

Assistant Professor
World Maritime University

WMU Alumni Conference

By the close of 2015, there will be nearly 4,000
WMU alumni. Regardless of the year that a
student has graduated, there is a unique bond
between WMU and its graduates. The experienceof studying at IMO’s apex institution for maritime postgraduate education and researchsupports maritime capacity building worldwide.
To further promote connections among the
global network of WMU alumni, the first WMURegional Alumni Conference was offered inpartnership with the Myanmar Department ofMarine Administration on January 27-28, 2015,
in Yangon, Myanmar. The Conference provided
a unique opportunity for alumni to update theirknowledge on key and contemporary Maritime
Education and Training issues, to exchange
experiences, and to strengthen the WMU alumni
network.

The Alumni Conference in Myanmar

This event was open to all WMU graduatesfrom the Asia and Oceania region, particularly
from Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia,
Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives,
Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka,
Thailand and Vietnam. Local and regional
industry representatives were also invited toattend. WMU alumni were invited to contributepresentations and perspectives from theirexperiences in industry, agencies, and education.
The overall theme of the conference was“WMU Regional Alumni Conference –Maritime Education and Training: Catalyst ofIndustry Growth”, which was a theme that wasaligned with the 2015 World Maritime Day
theme: “Maritime education and training”. There
were predominantly MET lecturers present at theconference, including Head of METSpecialization, Dr. Michael Manuel, Associate
Professor Clive Cole, lecturer, Mr. Johan
Bolmsten, Dr. Momoko Kitada, Dr. Lisa L.
Froholdt, Dr. Peter Muirhead and Secretary of
the International Association of Maritime
Universities, Dr. Takeshi Nakazawa. This list of
MET lecturers included formerly, currently andnewly employed faculty members of WMU.
Other speakers included:• H.E. U Nyan Tun Aung, Minister, Ministryof Transport, Myanmar• Neil Bellefontaine, President (Acting), World
Maritime University• Mitsuyuki Unno, Executive Director, The
Nippon Foundation• Maung Maung Oo, Director General,
Department of Marine Administration,
Myanmar• Birgit Sølling Olsen, Deputy DirectorGeneral, Danish Maritime Authority• Max Mejia, Administrator of the Maritime
Industry Authority in the Philippines
Also invited were two IMO staff members,
Senior Deputy Director, Mrs. Pamela Tansey
and IMO Regional Coordinator, Mrs. Josephine
Uranza from the Regional Coordinator for the
IMO Regional Presence for Technical Coopera-

2tion in East Asia. The presence of IMO at the
WMU alumni conference demonstrated thecooperation between IMO and WMU.

Conference evaluation

Overall, the conference was a success. There
were 166 participants, including 88 from theregion. The conference strengthened capacity
building by allowing the local region theopportunity to showcase its own developments
and expertise. Further outputs included:• An MoU between WMU and the local
Myanmar Department of Marine
Administration.
An evaluation form was drawn up by AssistantProfessor Dr. Momoko Kitada for allparticipants. There were 11 responses to thequestionnaire. Overall, the responses werepositive, although the networking opportunity isweighted stronger than the output of the sessions.
In conclusion, three randomly selectedcitations:
1. ”The networking established when we werein WMU has been strengthened. I certainly
believe that this conference was a good venue forour updating (as alumni).”
2. ”Chance to hear from the MET experts,
panel discussion, networking, participants fromvarious countries, meeting WMU/IMLI friends.”
3. ”The commitment of the Department ofMarine Administration and WMU for the
Alumni Conference is impressive.”
The overall reception of the conference waspositive, and as part of WMU’s cultural capital,
there is recognition that alumni conferences
should be a future activity in the palette of WMU
offerings.

The IMO’s Front Line of Ship Navigation
Recent Developments in e-Navigation
Li Wenhua (China, 2002)

According to estimates, by the end of thenext decade, a hyper-connected world willneed to respond to the needs of some eightbillion people. Most demands will be met insome form using maritime transport, but tosolve the problem of energy saving and emission reduction, the best way is e-navigation.
After nearly 10 years in development,
e-navigation has made great progress. In thee-navigation development agenda, one of themost important things is a Strategy Implementation Plan (SIP).
Based on the SIP, international organizations and research groups focus their attention on the six pillars of e-navigation:
E-navigation Technical Architecture, MSPs,
Position Fixing Technology, Communication Technology, Data Modeling andE-navigation Test-bed.
The International Maritime Organization(IMO), International Association of Lighthouse Authorities (IALA), and some IMO
member states are designing Common
Shore-based System Architecture which will
be released as a recommendation in the near
future. A Ship-based System Architecture isalso in the works.

16 MSPs have been proposed, but at present, all are at the concept stage. The next step
includes service architecture design, operation
function design, software quality requirements, deployment manage policies, etc.
On Position Fixing Technology, threesolutions were submitted. An integrated
PNT system, a shore-based position fixing
system, and a variety of GNSS augmentation
systems and techniques, which are regarded
as the best ways to solve GNSS vulnerability.
Concerning Communication Technology,international research groups are focusing on
AIS technique, VHF Data Exchange System(VDES) and NAVDATA technique. The
modernization of the Global Maritime Dis-

tress and Safety System (GMDSS) is also a
popular issue.
IALA is designing a Common Maritime
Data Structure (CMDS), and planning to
produce a series of product specifications on
the basis of the S100 framework, comprisingfeatures, exchange, portrayal, interaction,
metadata, product specification and requirements.
Several countries and regions in the world
have built or are building e-navigation testbed projects: ACCSEAS, MONALISA,EFFCIENTSEA, IONO, MARISS, and soon. Increased efficiencies and reduced costs
are some examples where e-navigation willcontribute to the global economy.

The First Step toward Safer and More Efficient Shipping via e-Navigation- The Latest on the Progress of IMO Yasuhiro Urano (Japan, 2012)

Due to the remarkable technological development of recent decades, current navigational equipment and systems tend to behighly dependent on information technologies and have more and more integratedfunctions. These kinds of changes can sometimes cause an increase of complexity inoperation and a consequential decrease inusability for crews.
Furthermore, the collection, integration,
analysis and distribution of electronic data
through these sophisticated equipment andsystems are mostly controlled and managed
by a variety of installed software. If this software doesn’t work properly, there is a possibility that the data processed or generated
could lead to incorrect provision andexchange of safety related information among
ship-to-shore, shore-to-ship or ship-to-ship.
Considering these aspects, along with thedevelopment of the e-Navigation Strategy
Implementation Plan (SIP), IMO hasaddressed the development of a nonmandatory guidance to provide navigational

equipment/system manufacturers with apractical framework and methodology todesign and develop user-friendly and trustworthy navigational equipment and systems
for the purpose of achieving e-navigation. As
a result of extensive and thorough discussions
at IMO over several years, the Maritime
Safety Committee finally approved the
Guidelines for Software Quality Assurance(SQA) and Human Centred Design (HCD)
for e-navigation at its 95th Session (MSC95) held from June 3-12, 2015 (approved
Guidelines to be published as an MSC Circular: NCSR 2/23, Annex 4). Since theseguidelines are very generic (even though thetitle includes “e-navigation” as its purpose),they will also help the design and development of a much wider variety of equipment
and systems than e-navigation specific ones.
On the other hand, in order to efficiently
and effectively achieve the e-navigation SIP,
MSC 95 has also approved five prioritized
new planned outputs for the development of
e-navigation related standards and guidelines,

3

which will be addressed at the SubCommittee on Navigation, Communicationand Search and Rescue (NCSR). The scopesof these outputs are: (1) standardized modesof operation (S-mode); (2) harmonization ofbridge design and display information; (3)standardized and harmonized electronic shipreporting and automated collection of
onboard data for reporting; (4) built in integrity testing (BIIT) for navigation equipment;and (5) harmonized display of navigation
information received via communicationequipment (approved outputs: MSC 95/19/8,
Annex 1–5).
With these new design and development
tools and specific goals to be achieved, IMO,
Member States and maritime industries are
now going to make the transition from theconceptual development of e-navigation to
the actual introduction stage. This is definitely the first step toward the realization ofsafer and more efficient shipping via
e-navigation that we all have desired for a
decade since the start of discussions.

From Observers to Delegates: Sasakawa Fellows at HTW-2
Mulbah K. Yorgbor, Jr.
(Liberia, 2014 )Less than four months after graduating fromthe World Maritime University, Sasakawa
Fellows are already representing their respective
countries at international meetings. The scene
was the Second Session of the Human
Element, Training and Watchkeeping
Sub-Committee (HTW-2) which ran fromFebruary 2-6, 2015, in London.
Two fellows from the Maritime Education
and Training (MET) Specialization, Yusuke
Mori and Mulbah K. Yorgbor, Jr., formed partof the Japanese and Liberian delegations
respectively, while Abul Kalam Azad
Sellakkannu from the Maritime Safety andEnvironmental Administration (MSEA)
Specialization represented India.
As part of their MSc program, current
Sasakawa Fellowship students also attended
HTW-2 as Observers. There are currently three
Fellowship students in the MET Specialization,
Class of 2015 - Hla Ohn Mar Htay
(Myanmar), Christine Pauline Diciano(Philippines) and Alejandro Raxon Herrera(Guatemala). Dr. Momoko Kitada, lecturer inthe MET Specialization accompanied thestudents on their field study trip to IMO.

IMO Headquarters in London is always agreat place to be. You meet people fromcountries that you may have only read about inbooks or seen on TV. I didn't think I would
meet someone from Fiji or the Cook Islands in
my lifetime, but the gatherings at IMO makethose very seemingly impossible things cometrue. More than that, the environment is also
academically and professionally charged. You
could literally get enlightened just by sitting inplenary even without a person saying a word yes, it’s that charged! From lawyers to captains
to engineers to policymakers - just so many
people to interact with and learn from.
For current Fellowship Students and Fellows
present, it was a reunion outside Malmö.
Yusuke and I did presentations together in class,and he even presented at IMO during one ofour break sessions. A brilliant performance! I
am hoping to see him and other Fellows at
HTW-3 and more international meetings.
Truly, the Sasakawa Fellows' Network is
growing bigger and better.
The picture sums up the mood at IMO,
especially with Mr. Toshio Hikima, Rector of
the Marine Technical College, which we visitedin May 2014 as part of the Japan Field Study
Trip organized by the OPRF for Sasakawa
Fellowship Students. Masashi Sugomori from
the Maritime Affairs Bureau of the Japanese
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport
and Tourism (MLIT), and also a Sasakawa
Fellow, attended HTW-2 as a Japanesedelegate.

How to Cope with Stress as a Seafarer
Le Nam Tran

(Vietnam, 2009)

Everyone has to face stress in life, but for
seafarers in their working environment, stresslevels seem much more intense. To improve thissituation, suitable stress management skills
should be applied by shipping companies.
A good performance plan is beneficial toreduce stress. Operational procedures manuals;
Safety Management System policy manuals;
establishing safeguards against all identified
risks; emergency response plan manuals, etc.,
help shipping company employees manage
various events and overcome difficulties.
Keeping a stress diary is very important. Daily
reports are required for ships (whether at sea orin port) to analyze, manage and settle
outstanding issues. Notable incidents should beparticularly reported in detail. Appropriate anduseful guidelines for seafarers on how to avoid
and react to similar kinds of incidents help themto reduce stress considerably.
Providing a better physical work
environment, training, suitable manning,
reasonable work schedule, Health Protection,
Welfare and Social Security Protection, etc.,

improve seafarers’ emotionally-oriented skillsof imagery, physical technique and rational
positive thinking. The Maritime Labour
Convention, 2006, is a good effort from ILO toprotect seafarers’ interests. Although it is achallenge for shipowners in poor shipping
markets nowadays in terms of cost, it is an
essential element for seafarers to reduce thepressure of their risky jobs and depression due toliving far from home. Shipowners should strictly
comply with it. Shipping companies shouldespecially pay attention to education andtraining. The seafaring occupation requires ahigh level of knowledge, skill, experience andresponsibility. Today, with the development of

4

science and technology, ships are equippedwith more modern and sophisticatedequipment. Seafarers need to be very highly
trained in order to be confident and capableenough to navigate vessels safely and deal withthe dangers in the maritime working
environment. In addition, companies should
apply a reward and punishment system andhigh personal discipline to motivate seafarers.
The above mentioned ways are just somesuggestions I have learned from the Vinalines
Shipping Company, where I work. For me,
they are very effective methods of stressmanagement in shipping operations.

The Evolution of a Seafarer Training Center
Matthias J. Ewarmai(Micronesia, 1990)

When the FSM Fisheries and Maritime
Institute (FMI) was established in September of 1999, there were no facilities,
resources, or personnel to operate it. Since
then, the Government of the Federated
States of Micronesia (FSM) provided theinitial budget to hire personnel and procure
resource materials and supplies necessary tostart the school. Some older facilities established by the US Government for a Loran C
station were chosen as the location of the
training center. Fortunately, there werecourses already developed under the purview
of the Maritime Program of the Secretariatof the Pacific Community (SPC), which had
been distributed to training centers within its
member countries. These courses became theones offered at the training center, and werein line with the standards and requirementsof the International Convention on theStandards of Training, Certification andWatchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978, as
amended. They include short basic andadvanced safety courses, courses for watchkeeping deck and engine ratings, and courses
for Class 6 to Class 3 Master/Engineer
levels.
Substantial repairs to the facilities werenecessary as the roofs of the main buildings
were leaking profusely, and the interior ofcertain buildings needed to be refitted andupgraded in order to adapt to the needs of
personnel and training requirements. By
September of 2000, FMI opened its doors to
its first batch of cadets. The repairs to theroof, however, were still on-going, and werecompleted in 2001.

At about the same time as the school was
forming, the Japanese government, throughits technical assistance agency, JICA,
expressed its wishes to provide technicalassistance to any fisheries project for the
FSM Government, which then designated
FMI. An agreement was signed andJapanese technical personnel were fielded toassist in the development of the school andthe offering of programs and services.
Training equipment and resources wereidentified, procured and shipped in fromJapan and other locations, and were installed
or distributed to each program as necessary
f o r i m m e d i a t e u s e . Th a n k s t o t h eGovernment of Japan and JICA, the training
capability for FMI was greatly enhanced bytheir assistance.
Furthermore, ten years after the first technical assistance program terminated, JICA is
now once again offering help to the school.
The agency has expressed its intention toprovide training equipment and materials,
software, state-of-the art equipment to
upgrade the school’s training boat, all toassist the instructors in the delivery of programs and enhance the training capability ofthe school. Moreover, The Nippon Foundation, in collaboration with the Sasakawa
Peace Foundation, is donating a bridge
simulator to FMI for the training of harborpilots, ship masters and deck officers for theMicronesian sub-region, in the areas ofbridge resource management and ship handling in pilotage waters.
To date, FMI offers three programs,
namely, Navigation, Marine Engineeringand Fishing Technology. Training is inbasic and advanced safety, watchkeeping
deck and engine ratings, and class 6 to class
5 master/marine engineer. All courses inNavigation and Marine Engineering meetthe standards of the STCW Convention,
except that Classes 6 and 5 are coastal voyages. Cadets in the Fishing Technology program also take the courses in the other two
programs in accordance with their preferredminor, including the safety and watchkeeping courses, since they will be employed on
board ships.
Since the establishment of the school,
there have been 199 graduates from thethree programs. Unfortunately, only 48% ofthem have found jobs, either ashore or
afloat. The majority of them have been
employed by the government in the fisheries
observer's program which ensures sustainablefishing by vessels from distant-water fishingnations within its exclusive economic zone.
I would like to seek the assistance of all
those who are employed in shipping companies, or better yet shipowners, to consider
the possibility of hiring graduates from the
FSM Fisheries and Maritime Institute. It is
known that only a few Micronesians havepenetrated the international shipping job
market in the past and their employment
records have long been forgotten. However,
we would like to assure shipowners and shipping companies that they work as hard, if
not harder than any seafaring nationals
around the globe.

Federated States of Micronesia

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Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Respect to Common
Guidelines Concerning the Treatment of Fishermen
Retno Windari(Indonesia, 2001)

Indonesia and Malaysia are geographically very
close, and in fact our roots also come from thesame family, or as we call it “serumpun”. Our two
countries possess a number of maritime borders;some have been demarcated according tointernational law, while others are still underbilateral negotiations to be settled. The maritime
areas that need to be demarcated include theMalacca Strait segment, the East of Singapore
Strait segment, the South China Sea segment,
and the Sulawesi Sea segment.
Maritime borders are known to have thepotential to cause problems, especially if such
borders are not well managed by both countries.
Special attention must be given to those areas
which still need to be demarcated (“overlapping
claim areas” or “unresolved areas”), as
circumstances there are not conducive for either
nation’s fishermen. For many years they have
exploited these waterways; however, due tooverlapping claims, fishermen who enter someareas are considered as encroaching or evenviolating the laws of the other country. There are
a number of cases where fishermen have beenarrested, and where some conflict has occurred
between the maritime law enforcement agencies
of Indonesia and Malaysia. Such situations havecontributed negatively to bilateral relations,which are actually at a high level nowadays.
The leaders of Indonesia and Malaysia havenot taken this matter lightly. The Indonesian
President, DR. H. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono,
and the Malaysian Prime Minister, Dato’ Seri
Mohd. Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak, have met on
a number of occasions and have discussed thisproblem in particular. Both leaders havemandated to resolve the issue amicably.
The Common Guidelines were establishedbased on a Record of Discussion of the 11th
Meeting of the Joint Commission for Bilateral
Cooperation (JCBC) between Malaysia and theRepublic of Indonesia, in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia, on October 10-11, 2011.
The objective of the Guidelines is to establish
agreed upon activities for dealing with fisheryissues between the two countries with particularemphasis on ensuring the wellbeing of fishermen.
The principles laid down in the Common
Guidelines are maintaining the good relations
between the countries, while every action
undertaken by the maritime law enforcement
agencies should avoid violence and be carried out
without use of force. Any and all actions taken inaccordance with the Common Guidelines shallnot in any way prejudice existing bilateralagreements on maritime boundaries, the ongoingbilateral negotiations on delimitation of maritime
boundaries between the two countries or any
issue of sovereignty, and impartial treatment
should be extended to the fishermen inaccordance with their fundamental human rights.
Under this MoU, the activities to be carriedout consist of two types: Preventive measures andActions. The preventive measures, among otherthings, include the dissemination of information
to fishermen and other fishery industry
stakeholders and coordinated patrols. Actions to
be taken upon encroachment include:
a.Inspection and request to leave the area forfishing boats and to desist in using illegal fishingequipment, such as explosives, electrical andchemical fishing gear;b.The inspection and request to leave the area
shall be reported promptly to Focal Points; andc.Conducting an open and directcommunication among the maritime law
enforcement agencies of the two countries
promptly and expeditiously.

Sub-regional Seminar on the Ratification and Effective Implementationof the Cape Town Agreement of 2012 in East Asia Region
Ore Ovia Toua

(Papua New Guinea, 2014)

The International Maritime Organization’s
Integrated Technical Cooperation (IMO –ITCP) organized and funded the weeklong
sub-regional seminar in Bali from April 13-17,
2015. The event was hosted by the Director
General of Sea Transportation and the Republicof Indonesia. The seminar was comprised of
Maritime and Fishery personnel and experts
from the various member countries in the East
Asia Region, where more than 70% of the global
fishing fleet is based. A total of 25 participants
attended the seminar, representing the Member
Governments of China, Indonesia, Japan,
Malaysia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea,
Philippines, Republic of Korea, Russia, Thailand,
and Vietnam.
The aim of the seminar was to provide
Member Governments with the assistance they
may need in implementing the Cape Town
Agreement of 2012 on the Implementation of
the Provisions of the Torremolinos Protocol of1993 relating to the Torremolinos International
Convention for the Safety of the Fishing Vessel,
1977. It is expected that the entry into force andFrom left: Ye Myint (Myanmar, 2006), Ore Ovia Toua (Papua New Guinea, 2014), Sandra Rita Allnutt (Brazil,1999), Rizal Javier Victoria (Philippines, 2010), and Surachet Dejkajornrittha (Thailand, 2007)

implementation of the Agreement will make asignificant contribution to the safety of ships, ingeneral, and the safety of fishing vessels, inparticular.
Th e p a r t i c i p a n t s f r o m t h e M e m b e r
Governments discussed various elements of theCape Town Agreement, including key
presentations from the International Maritime
Organization and the Food and Agriculture
Organization, highlighting the importance of thefishery sector aligning with the maritime sector.
The Cape Town Agreement was a result of a6

diplomatic conference on October 9–11, 2012,attended by representatives from 58 States, andheld in South Africa under the auspices of
IMO. In ratifying the Agreement, Parties
agreed to amendments to the provisions of the1993 Protocol, so that they could come into
force as soon as possible thereafter.
The Cape Town Agreement of 2012 willenter into force 12 months after at least 22
States with more than 3,600 fishing vessels ofover 24m in length operating on the high seasconsent to be bound by it.

Pakistan Establishes Inland Water Transport Authority (IWTA)
Asghar Ali(Pakistan, 2006)

There have always been deliberations inPakistan on the idea of utilizing the Indus
River’s waterways for freight forwarding.
Almost 96 percent of the country’s freight isdependent on the road network, while lessthan four percent is transported by rail.
Recently, the government has decided to set
up an Inland Water Transport Authority(IWTA) to use the waterways. IWTA was
first established in 1958 by the former East
Pakistan government as the East Pakistan
Inland Water Transport Authority for theoverall control, management, anddevelopment of inland water transport.
All inland navigation will fall under one
national authority, working under the
Ministry of Water and Power, and a groupconsisting of officials of WAPDA and the
Pakistan Navy will be set up initially. Morethan 700km of the 1200km between Karachi
and Peshawar is already available for cargotransport. Link and irrigation canals in
Punjab are also usable to supplement
farm-to-market roads. The Pakistan Navy has
surveyed 200km of the Indus, while theprivate sector has offered to fund all shore
equipment, terminals and cargo craft.
Provinces are also being encouraged to start
their pilot projects, as navigation on canals
falls under their jurisdiction under the 18th
Amendment, while that on the main rivers
remains under the federation.
To create awareness on the subject, aseminar was organized at the Institute of
Policy Studies (IPS), in Islamabad in June
2013. “Transport your cargo by river andcanal; save money and the environment andearn money through carbon credits” was theunanimous call of navigation experts,
surveyors, industrialists, government bodies
and lawyers at the seminar, as they exploredthe potential, progress and strategies ofinland water transportation in Pakistan.
The panelists observed that the country’s

extensive river and canal network has beenused over the centuries for transportation,although there is no cargo movement on thewaterways now. This could offer huge savings
for a country that is highly dependent on
expensive imported fuel, which could then be
used for critical power generation.
Low water depth was also an issue, but wasproved baseless, as 500 tons of freight only
need a depth of five feet, and 1500 tons canbe transported in nine feet of water. Other
discussions revolved around the policing ofwaterways, coordinating between the central
government and the provinces, and a draft
law for an inland water transport authority. It
was also brought to light that public andprivate sectors are already working together
to make the project happen as early as
possible.
La Goulette VTS tower

For the Improvement of Safety
in Tunisian Ports
Badir Chihebeddine (Tunisia, 2015)

In Tunisia, the Port Authority supervises
all operations when ships enter or leave thebasins, as well as all movement inside theport. Radio contact is maintained with ships
at all times, 24 hours a day, to ensure theirsafety and prevent accidents. However, radio
contact is not enough to organise the traffic,
and others tools are required.
In fact, Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) is
provided to improve navigational safety andefficiency, safety of life at sea and protectionof the marine environment. There are two
types of VTS: Port and Coastal, and there isa clear distinction between the two. A PortVTS is a service provided when entering or
leaving ports or through waters which restrict
the manoeuvring of ships. A Coastal VTS ismainly concerned with vessel traffic passing
through a sea area. VTS may range from theprovision of simple information messages toships navigating in certain areas to extensive

management of traffic within a port.
In general, the officers who work in theport authority face many issues. For me,
when I started my career in the port of Sfax,
there was no VTS station in the harbour
office. The government planned to install
VTS in other Tunisian ports, except the portso f L a G oulette and Rades w hich areequipped with the only VTS station for the
traffic of container and RORO vessels. ThisVTS takes charge of each ship and continues
until it is docking. However, the project of
installing VTS stations at other ports was
stopped. We know that VTS ensures thesafety of navigation in the surrounding area,
including the port, the channel, and theroads. The traffic in the port of Sfax ischaracterized by the movement ofcommercial vessels, navy vessels, and ferryboats which navigate between Sfax and
Kerkennah island. In these areas, vessels

7

navigate in very close proximity to eachother, and some also have dimensions that
restrict them to deep-water routes and makethem susceptible to local tides andmeteorological conditions. By its nature
vessel management in such areas is safety
critical. Thus, VTS is highly needed toprovide assistance service that supports bridge
teams in their safe navigation of port
approaches and other areas that present
navigational difficulties.

Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry Appointed as WMU's New President

On January 14, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the World
Maritime University (WMU) announced
the appointment of a new President to head
the University.
Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, who has
dual Dominican and Swiss nationality, willassume office as WMU President on July 1.
She began her career at the University of
the West Indies, Barbados, as a lecturer inlaw and later worked with the Iran-US
Claims Tribunal in The Hague, the Netherlands before joining the International Labour Organization (ILO) in 1986. She served as a senior lawyer
of ILO, as well as in other management positions, before being appointed
Director of the International Labour Standards Department in 2004.
Dr. Doumbia-Henry is renowned in the maritime community and washeavily involved in the development of the Maritime Labour Convention,

2006. Since the late 1990s, she has led the ILO participation in a
number of IMO/ILO interagency collaborations on several issues ofcommon interest, including the Joint IMO/ILO Ad Hoc Expert Working Groups on Fair Treatment of Seafarers and on Liability and Compensation regarding Claims for Death, Personal Injury and Abandonmentof Seafarers. She has published extensively on a wide range of international law subjects, including: international labour law, international tradelaw, maritime law, and the law of the sea.
As the seventh WMU president, Dr. Doumbia-Henry will be the firstfemale in the role as well as the first president from a developing country.
She will lead the University in its newly expanded mission that includes
an oceans agenda “to serve the global maritime community through education, research, and capacity building to ensure safe, secure, and efficientshipping on clean oceans.”
Maia Brindley Nilsson

Communications Officer
World Maritime University

Welcoming a New Member to the Family

I’m glad that I can share updates with my dear friends
through Friends of WMU.
It’s been five years since graduation, which was followed bymany other wonderful events, such as my younger brotheralso entering WMU, my marriage to a beautiful woman,and last August, the birth of our daughter. Until the day I
saw her face, I never imagined myself as a father. However,now I truly am one.
At present, she is very active, cries very loudly, and drinks
milk very hungrily, even though she was born prematurely.
My wife had had no problems, but unexpectedly she began
to suffer threatened premature labor. As soon as she wasdiagnosed with TPL, she was placed in the hospital andgave birth via Caesarean section just 4 days later.
Even though our daughter was born very small, she hasgrown day by day. The speed of her growth is amazing.
Comparing my growth to hers, I ask myself if I am making
enough efforts to develop, to challenge myself, and I cannot
answer “Yes”. To be a person that my daughter can beproud of, I realized that I have to continue to move
forward. Of course I cannot grow at the same rate as mydaughter, but I will be happy if I can progress at a hundredth of her speed.
Yasuhiro Okamoto (Japan, 2009)

In Memoriam: Pedro N. TERRY Guillén
On March 1, at the age of 46, our friend Pedro Terry,
Sasakawa Fellow and WMU Class of 2002, passed away in
Peru. He was a Captain in active service in the Navy ofPeru, with a notable naval career of 30 years.
After finishing high school at the Military College "Leoncio Prado” in Lima, he entered the Naval Academy of Peru
in March 1985, at only 16 years of age.
During his naval career, Pedro was, among others, Officer
onboard Coastguard Ships, Harbour Master of Pisco Port,
Head of Department of Maritime Security and Port State
Control, Director of International Affairs and Regulations,at the General Directorate of Coastguards and Captaincies,
which is the Peruvian Maritime Administration. His last
appointment was as Head of Staff of the Coastguard Operations Command. He also performed duties as IMO External Consultant for Latin America, Port State Control Officer, Flag State Inspector, and Safety and Security Surveyor
for Ships.

Almost two and a half years have passed since I started
addressing various issues on IMO instruments. During thisperiod, I had many opportunities to meet WMU graduates
who work as delegates from member states and officials of the
IMO Secretariat at the IMO meetings. That shows their studies and experience at WMU will be of advantage to take
important roles in their countries and the international maritime field.
Besides, we can easily keep in touch with each other via

Academically, Pedro was first in his Coastguard Class at
the Naval Academy of Peru; post-graduated in Naval Intelligence, Media Sciences, Naval Staff Course, Naval Command & Staff Course, and High Naval Command at the
Peruvian Navy; Master’s in Maritime and Port Administration at the Merchant Marine Academy of Peru; MBA in
Global Energy Management at the University of Calgary;as well as MSc. in Maritime Affairs at the World Maritime
University, where he got the Chancellor's Medal for Academic Excellence in the Class of 2002.
Pedro is survived by his wife, Maria Cristina Escalante,
and two children, Fernando (15) and Matias (9).
We will always remember Pedro as a skillful Officer, agood person, enthusiastic member of the Scouts, great
father and husband, and a great leader. We pray that God
keep him in His Glory. Rest in peace.
Jesús A. Menacho Piérola (Peru, 2010)

e-mail and social networks such as Facebook. Even daily
updates can be shared around the world in a moment by only
one finger. It would appear that on-going friendships among
WMU graduates are not so difficult nowadays.
Therefore, I really hope that WMU graduates and students
will proactively share their professional views on a variety ofsignificant issues in the maritime field, not only daily foodand drink, and unite their strong powers to achieve “safer andcleaner oceans” beyond their period of study at WMU.

Yasuhiro Urano(Japan, 2012)
Japan Ship Technology
Research Association