40
September
2012

Multinational Chapter
Established in Singapore

Teotimo R. Borja Jr.

(Philippines, 2005)
Focal Point in Singapore Chapter

The Singapore Chapter of the Friends of WMU,
Japan was established on April 25, 2012 during“Singapore Maritime Week 2012”. This Chapter
is initially composed of eight WMU graduatesfrom 1998 to 2006. What makes the Singapore
Chapter distinct from other international chaptersis that its members are coming from six different
countries and are now based in Singapore asworking professionals.
The meeting to establish the Chapter was held in
the Marina Mandarin Hotel and was attended by
the following people: Mr. Kyaw Htut from
Temasek Polytechnic (Myanmar, 1998), Mr. Abu
Hena Mohammad Mamun from Hong Lam
Marine Pte, Ltd (Bangladesh, 2000), Mr. Wai
Lynn Htut from Singapore Offshore Marine(Myanmar, 2004), Mr. Duong Hoang Pham from
Clarkson Asia Pte, Ltd. (Vietnam, 2005), Mr. living in Singapore who understand the WMU It is really meaningful that Sasakawa Fellows are
Teotimo R Borja, Jr. from the Philippine Coast Fellowship Program, were eagerly discussed. able to exchange their information under mutual
Guard (Philippines, 2005), Mr. Altan-Od Before closing, Mr. Mamun was approved as the trust in Singapore, which is one of the maritime
Bazarragchaa from the Ministry of Road, Chairperson and Mr. Borja as the Focal Point.
centers of Asia and currently the biggest hub ofTransport, Construction and Urban Development The occasion became more eventful with the the world’s maritime distribution. We are always(Mongolia, 2006) and Ms. Anh Thu Thi Nguyen arrival and presence of Mr. Yohei Sasakawa, the willing to welcome any Sasakawa Fellows andfrom Ship Management (Vietnam, 2006). Mr. Chairman of The Nippon Foundation. The WMU graduates who visit Singapore on business
Ahmad Irfan from Indo Perdana Lloyd (Indonesia, Fellows expressed their profound thanks for all the trips or other occasions.
2006) was unable to attend the meeting.
support from his Foundation. Mr. Sasakawa also For your reference, please visit the “Friends ofAside from these members, the meeting was also expressed happiness in meeting the Fellows. He WMU, Japan” website at:attended by CDR Tomoya Shimizu (Japan, 2004), kindly took time for even short conversations with http://www.wmu.sof.or.jp/events_chapter_singapore.htm
the Manager of the International Office of the each attendee.
Japan Association of Marine Safety. In fact, he A reception dinner was held at a restaurant in thecontacted them each time he went to Singapore on hotel after the meeting. Mr. Mitsuyuki Unno,business trips and made great efforts to develop the Executive Director of The Nippon Foundation
circumstances to establish the Chapter.
and Mr. Makoto Washizu, Director of the JapanAt the meeting, each article of the Chapter’s rules International Transport Institute (JITI) and manywas carefully discussed in order. Particularly, ideas more guests joined the reception to celebrate theabout, 1) action policy 2) selection and establishment of the Chapter. The Nippon
replacement of the Chairperson and the Focal Foundation and JITI were the organizers of the
Point 3) openness towards WMU graduates who Corporate Social Responsibility Seminar held on
are non-Sasakawa Fellows, as well as for those the following day.

Japan Field

Ginga Maru

On Sunday, the 13th of May, 2012, 27
Sasakawa Fellows together with WMU Registrar
Ton Smaal arrived in Osaka, Japan for the Class2012 Study Trip.
After having met in October 2011 at WMU in
Malmö for the first-ever ‘Sasakawa Get-together
Welcome Reception’, in which the Sasakawa
Fellows of Classes 2011 and 2012 had theopportunity to mingle and interact with eachother in a great environment, we were welcomedby OPRF staff and Miyo, the tour guide, whomany of the Sasakawa Fellows will definitely
remember, at the ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel in
Kobe.
Despite having been traveling for many hours,
almost every student participated the sameafternoon in the optional daily tour: observing thetraining ship, ‘Ginga Maru’ of the National
Institute for Sea Training (NIST), Japan. Here wewere welcomed by the Captain, Mr. Yoshiharu
Sakamoto. The ship provides a well-developed
educational
environment,
includinga
ship-handling simulator, a lecture theatre andgymnasium for 66 crew members and 180 cadets.
We were able to enjoy the beautiful Rokko
Mountain from the deck of the ship at her berth inKobe Port.
May 14th
Kobe Steel, Ltd. (Takasago Works)
It has the position of being an integrated
production center of Kobe Steel. In this plantcrank shafts, propeller shafts, rudder stocks andother large steel castings and forgings areproduced. We were able to follow and literally‘feel the heat’ of the casting and forging processes.
Port and Harbor Polytechnic College(Kobe School)
The location of this college at Port Island ensuresthat the students never forget what they are

The Nippon Foundation

aiming for: a job in the port! The college is reallysurrounded by six high-standard 15 meterdraught container berths, gantry cranes andcontainer yards. It is a typical vocational
education program where the students are trained
to become the so important ‘engines of the port.’
With the increasing necessity of fast
turn-around-times for ships, they are really an
important link in the worldwide supply chain.

RIKEN Advanced Institute for
Computational Science.
The K computer, named for the Japanese word
‘kei’, meaning 10 quadrillion, is a supercomputer.
This supercomputer is an ultra-fast computer thatcan be used for large-scale scientific calculations
across a wide range of fields. Simulations are also
useful in cases where the subject of study is not
amenable to experiment, such as in the case of thenatural environment, geographic regions, or
societies. This K Computer is intended to have avariety of applications, including climate research,disaster prevention and medical research. Japanleads the world in this field, but continued
research development is needed to maintain andimprove the country’s technological capacity.
May 15th
Mazda Motor Corporation Hiroshima
Plant & Museum
The Mazda Motor Corporation, founded in
Hiroshima in 1920, still retains its headquarters
in the city of its origins. It owns a large plot ofcoastal land which accommodates research anddevelopment laboratories, factories, and shipping
facilities, where Car Carrier Vessels are loaded toexport the cars worldwide. Mazda has made acompany museum and part of a factory available
for public viewing. Viewing the production line
shows the real cooperation between men,machines and robots.

Itsukushima Shrine, Miyajima
The ferry brought us to the island of Miyajima
and the Itsukushima Shrine which is listed as a
UNESCO World Heritage Site. The first shrinebuildings were probably erected in the 6th
century. The view of the main gate which is in thebay in front of the island's Mount Misen isclassified as one of the Three Views of Japan.

Atomic Bomb Dome and Hiroshima
Peace Memorial Museum
The most famous landmark in Hiroshima is theAtomic Bomb Dome (World Heritage). The ruinserves as a memorial to the people who were
killed in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. At
8:15 on August 6, 1945, the first atomic bomb to
be used in war detonated almost directly above
the dome.
The Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hallfor the Atomic Bomb Victims is an effort by theJapanese national government to remember andmourn the sacrifice of the victims. It is also an
expression of Japan's desire for genuine andlasting peace.
Visiting this site leaves a big impression on allof us and can only be answered with silence. It
makes us realise again the great value of peace andmakes us appreciate the opportunity we have tolive and study together in great harmony with somany nationalities.
May 16th
IHI Marine United (Kure Shipyard)
IHI Corporation, formerly known as
Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co.,
Ltd., produces ships, aero-engines, turbochargers
for automobiles, industrial machines, power
station boilers and other facilities, and suspension
bridges and other transport-related machinery.
At Kure Shipyard, the world’s largest tankers,
container vessels, coast guard and navy ships as

Port and Harbor Polytechnic College

Atomic Bomb Dome and Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

RIKEN

Kobe Steel, Ltd

2

Trip 2012
well as offshore structures (FPSO’s) are being
built or repaired here. We were welcomed by Mr.
Takezono, the General Manager. We were able towitness the entire manufacturing process fromsteel plate to the final assembly of a seaworthy
vessel. Multiple container vessels were waiting fortheir name-giving ceremony and maiden voyage,
which showed the magnitude of Japan as a
ship-building nation.
Japan Coast Guard Academy
The Japan Coast Guard (JCG), comprising
12,000 staff members, is under the oversight of
the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport
and Tourism, and is responsible for the protectionof the coast-lines of Japan. It was founded in
1948. JCG Academy is a university-level academy
located in Kure-city for the purpose of training
students to become officers. Superintendent Uryu
Haruhiko gave a welcome speech andpresentation about the Academy.
As part of capacity improvement andcooperation among Coast Guard Agencies in
Asia, the JCGA runs the Coast Guard Capacity
Improvement Program which started in April
2011. We were given the opportunity to meet andinteract with the current overseas students fromIndonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam.
May 17th
Kamome Propeller
Here we were warmly welcomed by the Presidentof the company: Mr. Hiroshi Itazawa. Kamome
Propeller has been making ship propellers,
including CPP (Controllable Pitch Propeller) andship control systems for more than 80 years.
Besides giving the presentation about thecompany, it was President Itazawa himself who
guided us throughout the production area. Thiswas very remarkable, exemplary of his leadershipand dedication to his company and staff. It was

Reception Party

well appreciated by all!
All were so surprised to see that the production
process for every single propeller starts with themanual creation of a sand sculpture for the
molding!
The visit was ended by the WMU students
singing the WMU song as a final tribute to the
President and his generous staff members.
May 18th
Skull Sessions in the Maritime Fields
Our maritime knowledge was really put to the testin the early morning during the skull sessions,which were chaired by Prof. Toshio Hikima, Ms.
Kazumi Wakita and Mr. Shinichi Hanayama(both from OPRF). During the sessions various
topics were discussed:- Fundamental problems in the MET Field- How can we develop a coastal management
plan?
- Protection from bio-invasion throughmaritime vectors
It was a big pleasure for the students to meet
WMU’s former Professor Hikima. He is still able
to provide his students (as he is used to saying) thecourse material in a very enthusiastic, catching andvivid way.

Maritime Bureau, Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT)
At MLIT, we were informed of theorganizational setup, policies, and action plans ofJapanese maritime affairs. Director-General
Masato Mori of the Maritime Bureau and Mr.
Hideaki Saito, the Director for International
Regulations and Safety Standards Division
welcomed the Fellows. Mr. Saito gave an
informative lecture on CO2 Emission
Regulations, the Ship Recycling and Ballast

Water Management Conventions. It was Mr.
Wijenayake from Sri Lanka who expressed, in thename of all Fellows, our gratitude toward MLIT.
The Nippon Foundation
The highlight of the week was, of course, meeting
The Nippon Foundation Chairman Dr. Yohei
Sasakawa in person! We experienced a very warm
welcome by Dr. Sasakawa, who spoke about manyof our home countries and the respective projects
the Foundation is active in.
Mr. Hieu Trong Pham from Vietnam provided
a speech representing all the students. Dr.
Sasakawa took more than the allotted time for a
Q&A session and picture taking at individual
requests. When we suddenly experienced a small
earthquake, probably the first ever felt by many ofus, it was Dr. Sasakawa who calmly reassured usthat this was quite common in the City of Tokyo.
Reception Party
The Farewell reception was very well attended by
more
than
a
hundreddistinguishedrepresentatives from the Japanese maritime
industry, as well as many alumni and other
Friends of WMU. The buffet was preceded by the
opening speech of Director-General Masato Moriof the Maritime Bureau, who asked forcontinuous support and cooperation with WMU.
It was an excellent opportunity to network, meet
our sponsors, supporters and friends! Ms. Anna
Rabotnova from Ukraine expressed herappreciation and gratitude to the attendees forenabling her studies at WMU, but even more forthe memories and friends that remain, hopefully
for a lifetime.

Ton Smaal
Registrar, WMU

HakoneJapan Coast Guard Academy

IHI Marine United
HakoneKamome Propeller

3Our Responsibility for Maritime Safety- 100 years after the TITANIC -Are ‘Fail safe’ Mechanisms ‘Safe’ to ‘Fail’?

Rajesh Mittal (India, 2011)

1. The environment at sea is quite different fromthat on land. There are multiple stakeholders
fighting for the area of safety (Fig. 1) thatconcerns them the most. The Exxon Valdez
happened because of a navigational error but led
to the introduction of double hulls. The reactive
response of the shipping industry requires global
solutions such as the ISM Code, SOLAS, etc.
2. Although it is quite fashionable to say that thevast majority of incidents at sea are the result of
human error, the very root cause ofoversight/insufficiency needs a closer look. The
earliest upsurge in maritime accidents occurred
between the mid-sixteenth to mid-seventeenth
century when wooden ships traveled the westernworld and the Indian landmass. Advancement intechnology replaced sailing ships with ships
powered by steam. However, the stronger hulls
had to face even stronger challenges of rapidly
developing technology.
3. IMO today has shifted focus to the very root
cause of accidents: the human element (and aptly
declared year 2010 as the Year of the Seafarer).
The guidelines issued covered vital factors
describing the man-machine environment. By

the beginning of the 21st century IMO
developed future goals for their organization
focusing on the human element by seeking andrespecting the opinions of those that work at sea.
4. Every human is different from the other. In
order to achieve a complete understanding of an
operator’s behavior, the approach needs to be
integrated with socio-technical settings. Everchanging competitive environments in themaritime industry and automation have resulted
in the reduction of crews and quicker turnaroundof ships, thereby increasing reliability on
automation more than ever before. Thus,balancing tasks between machines and humans isvery vital as the desired outcome depends on it.
However, the sophistication of humans’
adaptability may not be equaled. The issue of theso-called ‘Generation Gap’ also plays animportant role. Some older operators may not beable to exploit the functionality and live up to thedemands of newer technology, whereas relatively
younger operators tend to rely more ontechnology. In both these scenarios, there is amismatch between the capabilities of an operator
and a machine.

Figure 1 - Concept of Safety
The Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred in
Prince William Sound, Alaska, on March 24,
1989, when the Exxon Valdez, an oil tanker
bound for Long Beach, California, struck
Prince William Sound's Bligh Reef andspilled 260,000 to 750,000 barrels (41,000
to 119,000 m3) of crude oil. It is considered
to be one of the most devastating
human-caused environmental disasters.

ISM Code, Human Element and Safety
Culture in Marine Industry

Manjula Hettiarachchie (Sri Lanka, 2012)

The capsizing of the ro-ro passenger ferry
Herald of Free Enterprise highlighted major
deficiencies on the part of safety management
systems. Therefore as a preventive measure, IMO
introduced the International Safety Management(ISM) Code with a strong emphasis on humanrelated issues in the marine industry. How criticalis the human factor in maritime accidents?
According to Perrow (1984), the human factor
contributes 80% to maritime accidents. In a recent
report on the Deepwater Horizon, the author
suggests that approximately 80% of failures arerooted in extrinsic uncertainties, and only theremaining 20% are intrinsic (Bea, 2010).
However, according to the Reason (1990), every
system has latent failures (pathogens). Due toimperfections in individual defenses thesepathogens sneak through and trigger an active
failure. Both active and latent failures are
introduced to the system by organizational ormanagerial factors, but individuals trigger the of accidents/incidents onboard ships isactive failure (Cooper, 2002). Therefore the significantly low due to the fear of job loss inhuman factor contribution to accidents doesn't seafarers. Therefore it’s very important tonecessarily mean that individuals are responsible encourage a no-blame culture to create a positive
for 80% of them, instead it’s reasonable to argue safety culture in the maritime industry. The ISM
that a failure in Safety Culture is the key cause of Code emphasizes the necessity of continuous
accidents, because according to the definition, improvement of safety management skills of“organizations with a positive safety culture are personnel by competency development programs,
characterized by communications founded on which must be up to date with changing
mutual trust, by shared perceptions of the technology. But it is rather difficult to set
importance of safety and by confidence in the s t a n d a r d s a n d m a i n t a i n c o n s i s t e n c y i nefficacy of preventive measures (HSE, 2005)”. competency levels due to the globalized nature of
Therefore when considering the human factor in the industry.
accidents, we have to pay close attention to 3 key Although shipping is highly regulated, recent
accident reports have revealed that a safety culture
factors mentioned in the above definition.
A l t h o u g h t h e I S M C o d e p r o v i d e s a is still not established in most maritime
comprehensive structural approach for higher organizations. Therefore it’s high time to findsafety standards, some key features of a positive strategies to establish a safety culture onboard
safety culture are not adequately addressed. Risk ships, which have not been achievable throughcommunication is one of them, because reporting existing regulatory frameworks.

4

Future Maritime Safety

Joseph S. Banda (Malawi, 2012)

The million dollar question one would ask is modern with all the necessary safety features and which compromise the seaworthiness of vessels inwhat went wrong with the Titanic; was it simply a equipped with efficient machinery, accidents the EU.
structural failure or a cause of human error? To continue to occur. Maybe the problem was not Ship manning is one aspect that is audited. Whatdate, no convincing answer has been found to this with ship design, construction and operation after the auditors look for, I suppose, are relevant
sobering question.
all. Having taken holistic measures to ensure qualifications for the crew. This is indisputably
Looking back at what happened on that fateful conformity of the SOLAS convention by correct, but fatigue may not be detected during the
day in history, we know that the disaster happened Shipping nations, IMO still faces a challenge survey. A tired crew is prone to human error,
at night; obviously visibility was poor and the today to audit for compliance. Unfortunately, which in most cases gives rise to catastrophic
navigational systems in those days were not as IMO has no enforcement and compliance accidents. The Industry has been rudely shocked
good as the ones we have today. When the tragedy monitoring powers. This is left in the hands of by the alarming rate of crew fatigue and its impact
occurred communication was not effective enough Flag Administrations who in turn delegate to on accidents. Accordingly, it is imperative thatin sending out a distress signal. To avert a repeat classification societies to perform the verification IMO come up with a more robust approach toof similar accidents IMO looked at pertinent for compliance as demanded by the ISM Code. r e g u l a t i o n t o d e t e r s h i p m a n a g e m e n t
issues regarding ship safety, a comprehensive This arrangement has flaws in that surveys done by companies/ship owners from using a minimal crew
regulatory framework embodying every aspect of third parties are compromised. To make surveys and overworking them.
ship design, construction, operation and manning. more effective the IMO can take a cue from the Furthermore, there should be a concerted effort
However, having a beautiful regulatory European Maritime Safety Association (EMSA), by ship management companies/ship owners toframework is not good enough; much more needs which is on the verge of introducing a provision foster good working relationships between
to be done. Despite the fact that ships today are which would hold Class Societies liable for surveys shore-based staff and their crew.

Seafarers’ Language Proficiency: What’s Best for
Maritime Safety and Environmental Protection?

Yasuhiro Urano (Japan, 2012)

According to recent reports by IMO, seafarers’ separately considering seafarers’ multi-nationality. communicative problems and set reasonable
English proficiency is considered to be one of the Therefore, IMO should consolidate separate efforts standards only for particular professions. For
major factors causing communication errors on establishing maritime English standards. example, on-board communication troubles and theon-board and/or between ships and onshore offices. Additionally, it would be significant to analyze subsequent non-compliance with the ISM Code
Although IMO has made efforts to establish a actual language problems causing marine accidents can be analyzed for this purpose.
maritime standard vocabulary and phrases, as well and establish the proper criteria for language Furthermore, we should concurrently seek
as model training courses for enhancing seafarers’ proficiency. For instance, the ICAO recognized alternative ways to address communication errors.
English proficiency, it recognized they would still that general English delivery skills in emergency For instance, a language made up of gestures is
not be sufficient. Actually, IMO is aiming to situations are essential for aircraft pilots and air considered to be much more recognizable to all
introduce more detailed global standards for traffic controllers, and has already enforced p e r s o n s a n d v e r y e ff e c t i v e f o r a v o i d i n gmaritime English in STCW. Additionally, the EU common criteria to certify their competencies.
miscommunication due to certain pronunciation
has launched the Maritime Test of English However, since the maritime industry involves differences or noisy circumstances.
Language (MarTEL) project with many academic many professions, it would be harder than the I believe all these efforts towards seafarers’
and MET experts to create English standards for aviation case to make common standards for language proficiency will dramatically reduce theseafarers dependent on their operational tasks.
maritime English proficiency. In this regard, risk of marine accidents caused by communication
These international and regional actions are detailed case studies on marine accidents or unsafe errors and will consequently provide much safer andindeed preferable, but should not be taken e v e n t s a r e n e c e s s a r y t o i d e n t i f y c r i t i c a l cleaner shipping.

“Let’s go to the theater and watch Titanic 3D”
Akihiro Nakatsuyama (Japan, 2012)

It is a universally acknowledged truth that ship situations, such as being caught in an unstable, monetary terms, human resources, and time.
passengers considered as the general public dark, noisy environment or trapped by fire and This year, “Titanic 3D”, the 3D version of Jamesshould be protected by stakeholders in the smoke, are too serious and unusual for the average Cameron’s “Titanic”, has hit the big screen.
maritime industry, such as IMO and shipping person to behave as expected. So, how could public “Titanic” could help raise public awareness, as thecompanies. However, in case of emergency on awareness be increased? What sort of training movie describes what happened on the ship inboard ship, if all passengers know their could be conducted?
detail. Moreover, now that it is in 3D, it can evenevacuation route and remain calm, evacuations Regarding passenger training, there may be some be seen as a sort of simulation, because of the
could be done more smoothly.
methods, for instance, of providing emergency realism and strong visuals, enhancing the
To enhance the public’s awareness of maritime guidance to passengers by the crew, as is done on audience’s safety consciousness.
safety, it is required, first of all, to make them airplanes, or by conducting on board evacuation That’s why, to sum up, I would like to say, “Let’s
understand maritime disasters and the significance drills, or using soon-to-be developed simulation go to the theater and watch Titanic 3D” to my
i n p r e v e n t i n g a n d p r e p a r i n g f o r t h e m . systems. However, there are some obstacles to friends, the public and future ship passengers. This
Furthermore, to guarantee better reactions during achieve these methods, and further R&D is is just one small step, but it can help share a sensesuch accidents, some passenger training might be definitely required to establish practical and of maritime safety with ship passengers.
required. The circumstances in emergency effective methods, which usually cost quite a lot in

5

A Geostrategic View of Semi-enclosed Boundary Seas:
the Case of the EU
1

Yves Henocque

IFREMER, Former OPRF Visiting Fellow

The European Security Strategy (December
12, 2003) applies not only to land areas but
also to semi-enclosed or closed large water
bodies, which are the Baltic Sea in the
Northeast, the Mediterranean Sea in theSouth, and the Black and Caspian Seas
towards the East. All of them are located at
the boundaries of the European Union andare used as gateways between the various
continental and coastal powers of the“Eurasian coastline” 2, composed of seven of
the fifteen biggest trading partners of the EU(China, Japan, South Korea, India, Taiwan,
Singapore and Saudi Arabia). Working
towards coherent and efficient strategies
regarding these regional seas is thus essential
to the stability and security of the region andof the EU as a whole.

Addressing issues and integrating policies Broadening the scope of integrated coastal
at stakemanagement

The application of the new Integrated Maritime
Policy much depends on the capacity of making
synergies between a number of EU policies3 suchas the Trans-European Networks (TEN) in theareas of transport, telecommunications andenergy supply infrastructure, the Structural Funds
and European Regional Development Fund
(EDR) about economic and social cohesion, thetwo EU-led common policies for agriculture andfisheries, the Marine and Maritime Research
Strategy, and the Environment policy.
In this regard, these four sea areas are worth
particular attention due to the strongsocio-economic and environmental links andtheir importance in EU external policy. To tackle
the key environmental issues in these regions4,
the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) is a
crucial dialogue and action based tool,particularly through fostering technology transfer
and helping to build institutional capacity.

When launching its strategy to implement the
EU Integrated Coastal Zone Management(ICZM) Recommendation (2002), theCommission indicated that coastal areas are
particularly in need of an integrated territorial
approach, but, notwithstanding the continued
need for ICZM on shore, further emphasisshould be placed on the implementation of
ICZM across the land-sea boundary and in aregional seas context 5 . The EU integrated
maritime policy and its environmental pillar, theEU Marine Strategy Framework Directive,
should give new impetus to the ICZM policy
toward sustainable development, i.e. integrating
environmental policies into sectoral policies. Thisconsideration is particularly important while
ICZM is nowadays a popular concept that isunder implementation in many locations andriparian countries of the four seas (like in otherparts of the world!). Moreover, in a region likethe Baltic Sea, ICZM initiatives are increasingly
becoming trans-boundary, thus enhancing thejoint regional cooperation between the Baltic Sea
regional users6. These numerous ICZM projects
represent a regional potential capital provided
they are given the opportunity and the means to
network together.

Strengthening the role of regional seas
conventions and their action plan

Figure 1

1. This article is an adapted short version of a paper preparedin the framework of an EU 7th Research Programme project
EU4SEAS: EU’s Strategy on Maritime and Environmental
Issues in the Four Seas: multilateral approaches in the Baltic,
Black, Caspian and Mediterranean seas. Y. Henocque and X.
Lafon. 2011
2. James Rogers. 2009. From Suez to Shanghai: the European
Union and Eurasian maritime security. Occasional Paper 77,
European Union Institute for Security Studies.

3. European Communities. 1999. ESDP – European Spatial
Development Perspective. Towards balanced and sustainable
development of the territory of the European Union. European
Commission, Committee on Spatial Development.
4. EEA, 2007. Europe’s environment – The fourth assessment.
European Environment Agency, Copenhagen

6

Three of the four seas (Baltic, Mediterranean,and Black Sea) are under a Regional Sea
Convention and Action Plan along UNEP
Regional Seas Programme to which the EU is
contributing as a Party. Under the UNEP global
strategic directions7, their major concerns andpriorities are in agreement with a number of EU
initiatives like Horizon 2020 in the
Mediterranean:• land-based sources of marine pollution withparticular emphasis on responding to pollution
resulting from municipal wastewater;• ship-generated marine pollution, oil spill
5. COM (2007). An evaluation of Integrated Coastal Zone
Management (ICZM) in Europe.
6. Our coast. 2010. ICZM focus in the Baltic Sea region.
Newsletter 5, Our coast – ICZM in Europe
7. UNEP, 2007. Global strategic directions for the regional seas
programmes 2008-2012: enhancing the role of the regionalseas conventions and action plans. 9th Global Meeting of theRegional Seas, Conventions and Action Plans.

Dr. Yves HenocqueOver 30 years of international experience in coastal resourcesmanagement including identification, planning, evaluation andmanagement of Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) projects.
Experience includes: Japan and SE Asia (1980’s); Indian Ocean
Commission for the Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, and Seychelles(1995-2000); Thailand as Team Leader and Co-Director of CHARM(Coastal Habitats and Resources Management) Thai Government andthe EU (2002-2007). For the last four years (2009-2012), he has been a
Visiting Fellow at the Ocean Policy Research Foundation in the field ofmaritime policies and ICZM approaches.

preparedness and response,and construction of port
reception facilities for ships’
wastes, a major concern inthe four seas;• the impact of increasing
urbanization and coastal
development on marine
coastal ecosystems, requiring capacity building
in support of integrated coastal management;• conservation and management of marine andcoastal ecosystems, including protected areas.
Although over-exploitation or depletion ofliving marine resources, including fisheries, is amajor concern, this aspect is mainly in the
Regional
Fisheries
Management
Organizations’ hands;• monitoring, reporting and assessing the marine
environment, to fill the need for more accurate
and technical information.

Working with other regional organisations

Given the over-fishing in the three seas
(UNCLOS8 does not apply to the Caspian Sea),
it is essential to link the EU Common Fisheries
Policy to their respective regional fisheriesorganisations.

Security and good governanceIn the four seas, with a special emphasis on the
Mediterranean, Black and Caspian seas, theEuropean Parliament9 recommends that the EU
can and should play a more active role in shaping
their security environment through enhanced EU
cooperation. Creating linkages between security
and environment observation systems could bevery beneficial to the development of appropriate
strategies.
GEF Partnerships
The three seas, the Baltic, Mediterranean andBlack seas, are considered as large marine
ecosystems (LME). The GEF/LME approachmakes it an important framework for consistent
information for GEF/LME methodology ofTrans-boundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA),

8. United Nations Convention on the Law Of the Sea.
9. European Parliament. 2010. Report on an EU Strategy for
the Black Sea. EP Committee on Foreign Affairs.

followed by Strategic Action Plan (SAP)
development which generates the strategy foreach LME.

Working with regions and macro-regions

On many occasions, the Conference of
Peripheral Maritime Regions of Europe(CPMR) emphasized the peripheral Regions’capacity as outposts and the important role they
can play in contributing to the EU
Neighbourhood Policy at the EU’s borders10,
which is the case of the four seas. Overall, the EU2020 strategy, through possible macro-regions11,
will need to be built on a multi-scale or “nested”
governance system.

Some strategic recommendations

These strategic recommendations concern thefour European regional border seas mentioned
above but their essence could well be considered
in regard to other regional seas like the Sea ofJapan, or on a larger scale, the South China Sea.
• Given their strategic importance at theboundaries of the EU, each of the four seas’strategy should be an integral part of the EU’s
broader foreign and security vision wheresecurity, good governance, energy, transport,
environment, socio-economic and humandevelopment shall be considered as priority
actions;• The development of synergies between thevarious EU policies that come into play in eachof the four seas’ strategy should be
systematically promoted, particularly theTrans-European Transport and Energy
Networks, the Structural Funds, theEnvironment policies including the agriculture
and fisheries related ones, and the Research andDevelopment Framework Programme;• Since the state of the four seas is highly
dependent on the state of their coastal areas,
there should be a clear operational link between
the EU ICZM and its Integrated Maritime

10. CPMR. 2010. 38th General Assembly of the CPMR. Final
Declaration and Resolutions.
11. CPMR. 2010. Europe and its neighbourhood : towards
macro-regions ? Political and operational perspectives.
Macro-regions seminar, Brussels, 1 July 2010.

7

Policy as an essential building block for further
work on maritime spatial planning in the
double context of the EU Marine Strategy
framework directive and the GEF Partnerships’
initiatives, including its Large Marine
Ecosystem (LME) main components;• As a component of the Integrated Maritime
Policy and in close collaboration with theRegional Fisheries Management Organisations(RFMOs), the Common Fisheries Policy(CFP) should be considered in each of the fourseas’ strategies on an equal footing with theother European basins, including provisions toencourage the riparian states outside the EU tocomply as closely as possible with the principlesof the CFP;
• The existing Baltic and Mediterranean Seas
maritime corridors, as well as future ones for theBlack Sea Region, should be closely integrated
into the TEN-T priority axes, in particular withregard to the Motorways of the Sea (TEN-T21), completing the interconnections between
each region and other European regions, as in
the case of the Baltic-Adriatic corridor;• In the name of the European Strategy for
Marine and Maritime Research, each regionalsea should benefit from the establishment of a
specific Marine and Maritime Research Forumused as a forum for dialogue and partnership
involving existing networks and all key partners
in the marine and maritime research andindustrial sectors;• Cross-border cooperation between regions
should be enhanced using frameworks such as
the European Grouping for Territorial
Cooperation (EGTC) and structured networks
supported by, among others, the Conference of
Peripheral Maritime Regions of Europe(CPMR) for developing multi-level forms ofgovernance.

Chairman Sasakawa’s Speech at the United Nations

In his speech, Mr. Sasakawa emphasized that maritime affairs andmaritime legislation are not only cross-sectoral matters but are also areasthat are expanding in scope on a scale never witnessed before. These areas,
he noted, require the ongoing, meticulous attention of all people working inmaritime and related areas. To effectively deal with the various maritime
issues, he stressed that it is vital for people throughout the world to accept
their common obligations to safeguard the oceans and to recognize thateach and every individual plays a part in solving its problems.
In reviewing the work of The Nippon Foundation over the years, Mr.
Sasakawa noted that the foundation has provided training and education forover 700 specialists in maritime laws and policies in more than 100 countries.
On June 8, 2012, during the 22nd Meeting of State Parties to the United He stated that the objectives of The Nippon Foundation’s training programs
Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, a special event was held at the are to train and send out into the world new generations of professionals in
UN Headquarters in New York City to commemorate the 30th anniversary maritime-related fields who are capable of demonstrating leadership inof the establishment of the United Nations Convention of the Law of the changing people’s awareness and behavior. At the same time, he stated, theSea. In recognition of The Nippon Foundation’s long-standing contribution foundation aims to create a network of maritime professionals who willto training personnel in maritime organizations throughout the world, Mr. cooperate and work together for the welfare of the oceans beyond their own
Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of The Nippon Foundation, was given an particular fields. Mr. Sasakawa also affirmed that The Nippon Foundation
opportunity to address the meeting.
will continue supporting such initiatives in the future.

Vivid Flashback

In Dalhousie University, Canada

Jean Edmond Randrianantenaina (Madagascar, 2010)

The world is so small and there is always a chance was and what a singular joy can blossom whenthat we will meet someday. While doing my tenure sharing past experiences and excellent memories.
as a United Nations-Nippon Foundation Fellow at Thus, I believe that all of us will meet one day, but
the Marine Affairs Programme, Dalhousie it is always important to keep contact. Thanks toUniversity, Halifax, Canada, I was attending a class the Friends of WMU, Japan website, and theon a maritime security module at the International newsletter which regularly arrives at home by
Ocean Institute hosted by the same university. It postal mail, the link amongst the Fellows is
was a surprise to see that Ms. Emi Shimada, an preserved. Therefore, I would like to take thisOPRF staff member, was attending the same class, opportunity to offer my profound gratitude totoo. She was attending the 2012 International OPRF and its staff for the work that they have
Ocean Institute training programme. The last time done not only in taking care of the Sasakawa
I met her was during the Japan field trip of the Fellows during their period of study at WMU but
WMU 2010 Sasakawa Fellows in September 2009. for continuously maintaining the link amongst
When we met, I just realized how small this world them through regular updates.

At a Prime Management Seminar, Indonesia

Poppy Sartika (Indonesia, 2009)

On June 19, 2012, I attended a seminar in my my Director, Capt. Yan Risuandi (Indonesia,
boss’s stead at the Intercontinental Mid Plaza 1990) was also attending the seminar. The last
Hotel. It was held by Class NK, a Prime surprise came when the first keynote speaker
Management Seminar. This seminar was quite introduced himself as Naoki Saito (Japan, 2004).
interesting for me since the second theme was He delivered a crystal clear and easy to digest
about the Maritime Labour Convention 2006, presentation about ECDIS and its certification andwhich is a never-ending topic in my section at the teaching module. The seminar was very fruitful for
Ministry of Transportation. From an passing along information in the maritime
administration perspective, it gave a clear community, particularly during the Q&A session.
explanation regarding how a Class responds toward Even if some of you have seen these pictures on
the convention, which also included the kind of Facebook, I still wanted to share the story behind itwith all of you around the globe. Unfortunately, we
services provided.
In the meeting room, I was surprised to see didn’t have a chance to take a picture with Capt.
Arizal Hendriawan (Indonesia, 2008). Although Risuandi. As for any other WMU alumni, you are
we live in adjoining cities, it's not so easy to plan a always welcome when visiting Jakarta, and don’t
get-together. Another surprise was when I noticed forget to inform us in advance.

Editor’s note

During the training sessions for the Sasakawa Fellows in Japan in May,
we held discussions to exchange opinions regarding maritime-related fields.
The theme I selected was “Fundamental Problems in the MET field,” andwe had a very lively exchange.
Although the shortage of seamen is a major problem, I believe theshortage of teachers at maritime training organizations in the world is evenmore serious. In the future, as revised in the STCW2010 Manila
amendment, the improvement of quality in individual seamen will increasein importance. Because of this, securing high-quality teachers is without adoubt more critical than in the past.
Being able to impart a common understanding among persons involvedin the maritime field in Japan as a country within Asia at this exchange of
opinions with the Sasakawa Fellows was a significant aspect of the training
sessions this time.
It was also a pleasure to be able to enjoy both the meeting and an
excursion to Hakone with the Fellows.
Prof. Toshio Hikima(Marine Technical College)

Mr. Kunihiko Kitabayashi, Mr. Tomoya Shimizu

Toranomon 35 Mori Building, 3-4-10 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0001 JAPAN
Tel: +81-(0)3-5404-6843 Fax: +81-(0)3-5404-6800 URL: http://www.sof.or.jp/