68
September
2019

Japan Field Study Trip 2019

Saturday–Sunday, May 11-12 – Malmö
to Tokyo
The big day had finally come, and on Saturday
May 11, 29 Sasakawa funded students and two
WMU staff members, Professor Laura Carballo
Piñero and myself, met at Central Station in
Malmö to start our journey to Japan. Much to mydelight, all the students were there well in time,
and we could even catch an earlier train to the
airport! Apart from a nerve-wracking change ofplanes in Helsinki, Finland, where we had very
little time to go through security and passport
control, the flights went well, and we arrived at
Narita Airport early on Sunday morning.
Sachi-san, SPF staff member, and our guide,
Miyo-san, met us as soon as we came throughthe doors so we felt very welcome. After arriving
at Hotel Villa Fontaine, we had an orientation
meeting where we also met Kudo-san andTakeshi-san. Then only a short walk from ourhotel, we experienced our first delicious
buffet-style lunch in Japan. After lunch we took
another short walk to Hamarikyu Gardens, andMiyo-san guided us through this beautiful park.
Standing in the middle of this amazing park, you
could not believe that you were in the center of
one of the 10 largest cities in the world. Aftercheck-in back at the hotel, we had the rest of the
day free, and we all headed off in different
directions to explore Tokyo. Professor Carballoand I very much enjoyed our visit to Asakusa
temple and market.

Sasakawa Fellowships have made available.
Despite Dr. Sasakawa’s busy schedule, he verykindly offered to pose for photos with each andevery one of us!
After the visit, we continued to the Maritime
Bureau (MLIT), where we were met by the Senior
Deputy Director General, Dr. Otsubo and his
staff. An interesting presentation was made by a
WMU graduate, Yasuhiro Urano. Mr. Hasanov
from Azerbaijan spoke on behalf of the students,
Monday, May 13 - Tokyo
thanking the Bureau Staff for the interesting visit.
The first official day in Tokyo ended with awonderful Welcome Reception attended by
WMU alumni, diplomatic representatives andmany other distinguished guests. The surprise of
the evening was that the Master of Ceremonies
was Ms. Riko Takahashi, 2019 Miss Japan
Marine Day Awardee! A generous buffet wasserved, and the sushi was amazing. Mr. Rojas
Trillos from Colombia spoke on behalf of thestudents, expressing their appreciation of the lovely
The most important day of the week started Reception. The students sang the WMU song,with a very nice lunch in a beautiful hotel. accompanied by several of the alumni present.
Afterwards, it was time for the courtesy visit to
The Nippon Foundation and our meeting with
Dr. Sasakawa. He addressed us, and we all listenedwith much interest. The students introduced
themselves, and Professor Carballo spoke onbehalf of the University, while Ms. Ward from St.
Kitts and Nevis spoke on behalf of the students.
She noted the generosity of The Nippon
Foundation and the wonderful opportunities theThe hotel served a nice evening buffet, and a
few retired early, others gathered at the beachand some of us took a relaxing stroll on thebeach walk.

Tuesday, May 14 - Tokyo

Wednesday, May 15 – Tokyo to Okayama

This day turned out to be the only rainy day
during our trip, but luckily, we had all received
umbrellas as gifts during the orientation meeting.
Today’s first site visit was in Yokosuka-city, which
is situated south of Tokyo. We visited the Port andAirport Research Institute and were shown aroundthe various experimental facilities, giving us
glimpses of the extensive research work they are
involved in.
After our morning site visit, we had lunch on thebus in form of a bento box, which was a newexperience for many of us.
The next site visit was to the Japan Agency for
Marine-Earth Science and Technology. We wereintroduced to their many ongoing research
projects, among them forecasting earthquakes andtsunamis. We got the chance to see several of theirresearch vessels, also the Shinkai 6500, which is amanned research submersible.
After coming back to the hotel, Professor
Carballo and I were kindly invited to join a groupof students heading out into the Tokyo night, veryskillfully led by our Japanese student, Mr. Yuta
Arai. Mr. Arai tried very hard to accommodate allof our wishes, which was not easy, since we werequite a large group, but he managed successfully.
We saw the famous Shibuya crossing, took photos
at the statue of Hachiko, went shopping at a Daiso– among other things. The night ended at arestaurant with food from the very south of Japan,
Okinawa, where the menus were only in Japanese,so Mr. Arai ended up ordering for all of us! The
staff at the restaurant were amazed that we
represented so many nationalities in our group.

We had two site visits this morning. The firstone was to the Port of Tokyo, where we wereinvited to the Exhibition room of the Tokyo
Waterfront Area. As well as seeing a very
interesting exhibition, we also enjoyed an amazing
view over the entire Tokyo Port and Tokyo
Waterfront Area, from about 100 meters above
ground. A short distance from there, we continued
to the National Museum of Emerging Scienceand Innovation. The main attractions were the
Geo-Cosmos globe and the robot called ASIMO.

After the visit to the museum, we had the best
lunch of the week, in my view, where the food was
as beautiful as it was delicious. The desserts and ice
cream had just settled nicely in our stomachs,
when it was time to walk to the station and catchthe Shinkansen speed train to Okayama. We
travelled about 600 kilometres in 3 hours, andmany of us either rested or were looking at thescenery outside the train windows. We reached
Okayama where a new bus was waiting for us,
and after driving south for about an hour
through the green countryside, we reached
Diamond Setouchi Marine Hotel, situated by
the beach outside of Tamano.

2

Thursday, May 16 – Tamano/Okayama
to KobeToday’s morning site visit was not far from ourhotel, Mitsui E&S Holdings Co. Ltd., Tamano
Works, which is a huge shipbuilding company.
We were shown around their fascinating
facilities, looking at various assembly shops andeven boarding a vessel that was underconstruction.

We continued to Okayama Gakugeikan HighSchool, and we were divided into small groups totalk to two or three students each. After
presentations by both the rector and students, we
had lunch together in the classroom, we with ourbento boxes and the students with theirhomemade lunches, nicely wrapped in furoshiki
wrapping cloths. Ms. Al-Mahariq from Jordan
thanked the school on behalf of the students. The
local media was present, and we also took a hugegroup photo, with the photographer balancing at
the top of a ladder! All the students thenfollowed us out to the bus and waved at us until
we could no longer see them. We also
experienced this tradition at other site visits – the“10-minute goodbye wave”, as Miyo-san calledit.

The afternoon was rounded off with a visit toHinase Satoumi Research Institute, where wewere given a very interesting presentation of theirresearch work, followed by a boat trip in the sun,enjoying glittering water and beautiful
surroundings.
Now it was time to continue to Kobe, and after
a couple of hours’ bus ride, we arrived at ourhotel, the ANA Crowne Plaza Kobe. Afterchecking in and collecting our main luggage
which had been sent ahead from Tokyo,
Professor Carballo and I were invited to join ourJapanese hosts for dinner. It turned out to be oneof the best evenings – and finally I got to try
some sweet potato sake!

Friday, May 17 – Kobe
Our Friday morning started early with theexcellent buffet breakfast at our hotel, after
which we took a short bus ride to Nippon Maru,
which is the training ship for the Japan Agencyof Maritime Education and Training for
Seafarers. We were divided into groups andwere guided around the ship by cadets.
We proceeded from there to Sasakura
Engineering Co. in Osaka, which is not very far
from Kobe. Here, as at all the places we had
visited all week, we were received warmly and ina very organized manner. Seawater desalinationand noise control were the main topics during
the visit. We also took a group photo in front of
the premises together with quite a number of
their staff members.

The afternoon was free for us to explore Kobeon our own. We had received a tip from acolleague at WMU, so Professor Carballo,
Sachi-san and I took the ropeway (cable car) up
the mountain behind our hotel to visit the Kobe
Nunobiki Herb Gardens. We walked throughbeautiful gardens, had lunch with a stunningview of Kobe, tried lavender-flavoured ice
cream, rested in hammocks and then walked all
the way down to the hotel again, with a stop at
the waterfalls on the way down.
A farewell reception was held for us in theevening, with many distinguished guests, and it
was a great opportunity for us to mingle with
WMU and SPF friends, WMU graduates andother guests. The students sang the WMUsong, conducted by Mr. Ijabiyi from Nigeria,
who also gave the farewell speech on behalf ofthe students.
Saturday, May 18 – Kobe/Kyoto
Today was dedicated to sightseeing in thebeautiful surroundings of Kyoto. We started
with visiting Arashiyama, on the west side of
Kyoto. There we saw the Togetsu-kyo Bridge aswell as the Tenryu-ji Temple, one of theheadline attractions. We also passed Nonomiya
Shrine before entering the bamboo forest. The
light here is amazing, and if it wasn’t for thecrowds of tourists, you would think you were inanother world! The group split up after thebamboo forest, where Professor Carballo and I
decided to visit the Jojakko-ji Temple, a very
peaceful place far from the crowds with a lot ofstairs to climb. It was a stunning place, so it
took us some time to walk around, which
resulted in us not finding time to eat lunch – wesettled with a soft ice cream, with flavours ofbamboo and cherry blossom, green and pink!
We continued with a visit to Kinkaku-ji (theGolden Pavilion), officially known as Rokuon-ji
Temple, situated in a beautiful garden next to apeaceful pond and registered as a World
Cultural Heritage Site since 1994. We ended
our sightseeing tour with a visit to the Garden
of Heian Jingu Shrine, which was yet anotherscenic experience, with ponds full of waterlilies
and turtles.
After coming back to the hotel, Professor
Carballo and I joined a group of students in
exploring the night life in Kobe as well as
finding a place to have dinner. We eventuallyended up eating at a restaurant where you orderthe food and drinks through an orderingmachine, before you take a seat, and the food isbrought to you at the table. The sukiyaki I
ordered tasted wonderful, especially after only
having had ice cream for lunch…

Sunday, May 19 – leaving Japan
A sad day – we had to leave this beautiful
country which we had enjoyed for an entire
week. I will miss the friendly and polite peopleof Japan and the fascinating culinary andcultural experiences that the field studies had
given us all. Japan offered us all such varied
experiences: from historical treasures, to hi-tech
cutting-edge research, from delicious andbeautiful food, to wonderful natural landscapes.
We are so happy to know a little more about
this fascinating country and its culture.
Susanna Perlheden
Senior Registry AssistantWorld Maritime University

3

IMO’s Approach to the New Stage of Global Sulphur Cap 2020

Sadaharu Koga

Manager of Regulations Unit
Japan Ship Technology
Research Association (JSTRA)

In MARPOL Annex VI, Regulation 14
stipulates requirements regarding the sulphur
content in marine fuel oil. In 2008, IMO agreed
to the amendment of the regulation, and theupper limit of the sulphur content in marine fueloil will be lowered from 3.5% to 0.5% fromJanuary 1, 2020.
Th e r e a r e m a n y i s s u e s r e l e v a n t t o t h estrengthening of this regulation, which would
result in a significant change in the nature of fuelused on board ships, such as methods for verifying
compliance and the feasibility of supplying thefuel. Bearing in mind these issues, IMO has
undertaken various preparations to ensure thesmooth implementation of the global sulphur cap
regulation, including the amendment of Annex
VI of the MARPOL Convention and theformulation of guidelines until MEPC 74, which
was held in May this year. This article presents asummary of these efforts made by IMO.
The tightening of this regulation is aimed atsignificantly reducing the emission of sulphur oxide(SOx) from ships and achieving benefits for humanh e a l t h a n d t h e e n v i r o n m e n t . Th e r e f o r e ,governments and ships of all countries are expected
to make steady efforts in the implementation of theregulation utilizing such instruments.
Consistent Implementation of Global
Sulphur Cap Regulation
The 2019 Guidelines for Consistent
Implementation of the 0.50% Sulphur
Limit under MARPOL ANNEX VI(Resolution MEPC.320(74)) were adopted at
MEPC 74. These guidelines were developed toensure the IMO Global Sulphur Cap is
implemented in a consistent manner worldwide.
The guidelines indicate the actions the shipconcerned and the relevant country should takewhen the inappropriate use of fuel with a highsulphur content is detected or when a ship is
unable to procure fuel that complies with theregulation. The guidelines also include the formatof the report that ships are to submit toauthorities in relevant countries when they areunable to procure compliant fuel (Fuel Oil
Non-Availability Report).
Ship Implementation Plan
To encourage vessels to prepare a “Ship
Implementation Plan (SIP)” stating theprocedures to be taken to achieve compliancewith the regulation by January 2020, IMO

released the Guidance on the Development of a
Ship Implementation Plan for the Consistent
Implementation of the 0.50% Sulphur Limit
under MARPOL Annex VI (MEPC.1/Circ.878)
in November 2018. This document gives guidance
relevant to SIP such as items to be included in the
SIP as well as a manual on tank cleaning.

Oil Used on board ships.
Port State Control
The 2019 Guidelines for Port State Control
under MARPOL ANNEX VI Chapter 3(Resolution MEPC.321(74)) were adopted at
MEPC 74. These guidelines provide guidance on
implementing port state control in regard toregulations of MARPOL Annex VI including
those for nitrogenous oxides (NOx) under
Regulation 13 and sulphur oxides (SOx) andparticulate matter under Regulation 14. These
guidelines are the revised version of thoseestablished in 2009 and give guidance for port
state authorities such as procedures of initial anddetailed inspections.
The Guidance for Port State Control on
Contingency Measures for Addressing
Non-Compliant Fuel Oil (MEPC.1/Circ.881),
which was adopted at MEPC 74, also provide
actions that can be taken when non-compliance12th ASEF Forum on October 2018with regulations is detected as a result of PSC(so-called “contingency measures”).

Fuel Oil Availability
Under Regulation 18 of the MARPOL Annex
VI, parties are required to take appropriate
measures to ensure that fuel suppliers under theirjurisdictions supply fuels that are compliant withthe regulation. Regulation 18 also requires parties
to notify IMO of the availability of compliant oilin their ports.
To encourage the steady implementation ofthese regulations by all parties of MARPOL
Annex VI, IMO released the following two
circulars in June 2019: Delivery of Compliant FuelOil by Supplier (MSC-MEPC.5/Circ.15) and
Reporting of Data Related to Fuel Oil Availability
and Quality in GISIS to Promote Greater
Understanding of the Consistent Implementationo f t h e 0 . 5 0 % m / m S u l p h u r L i m i t u n d e r Exhaust Gas Cleaning System (EGCS)MARPOL Annex VI (MEPC.1/Circ.887).
Under Regulation 4 of MARPOL Annex VI,
the use of EGCS is permitted as an alternative
Sampling of Fuels on Board
compliance method for the sulphur cap
MEPC 74 approved the amendment of the regulation. The administration may give approval
MARPOL Convention with a view to ensuring for using EGCS based on the 2015 Guidelines
consistent implementation of SOx regulation. The for Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems (Resolution
m a i n o b j e c t i v e o f t h i s a m e n d m e n t i s t o MEPC. 259(68)). Guidance on Indication ofd i ff e r e n t i a t e f u e l o i l s a m p l e s i n t o Ongoing Compliance in the Case of the Failure“MARPOL-delivered samples” (samples attached of a Single Monitoring Instrument, andto bunker delivery notes), “in-use samples”, and Recommended Actions to Take If the Exhaust“on board samples”, and to specify methods for Gas Cleaning System (EGCS) Fails to Meetanalyzing the respective samples.
Provisions of the 2015 EGCS Guidelines
The amendment of the MARPOL Convention (resolution MEPC. 259(68)) indicate actions to
is expected to be adopted at MEPC 75 in March be taken on board when a malfunction occurs in2020 and to enter into force in September 2021. the operation of an approved EGCS.
However, it is recommended that each countrycommence implementation of the amended Relevant Best Practicemethod of analysis of fuel oil samples before the
Guidance for Best Practice for Member State /entry into force of the amendment of the Coastal State (MEPC.1/Circ.884), Guidance on
convention, based on Early Application of the Best Practice for Fuel Oil Purchasers/Users for
Approved Amendments for the Verification Assuring the Quality of Fuel Oil Used on Board
Procedures for a MARPOL Annex VI Fuel Oil Ships (MEPC.1/Circ.875) and Guidance on
Sample (MEPC.1/ Circ.882).
Best Practice for Fuel Oil Suppliers for Assuring
With respect to the sampling of in-use fuel oil, the Quality of Fuel Oil Delivered to Ships
which is used for combustion in the ship’s engine, (MEPC.1/Circ.865/Add.1) have been developed
sampling points are specified in the 2019 to assist in the smooth implementation of
Guidelines for Onboard Sampling for the regulations by ships and fuel oil suppliers.
Verification of the Sulphur Content of the Fuel

4

Another Horizon of
Economic Enhancement– Ship Recycling in Bangladesh
Dr. Sajid Hussain(MSA-E 1998, WMU)

a Pakistani ship, Al Abbas, got damaged bybombing. Later on, the ship was salvaged by aSoviet team working at Chittagong port at thetime, and the ship was brought to the Faujdarhat
seashore. A local company, Karnafully Metal
Works Ltd bought it as scrap in 1974 and introduced commercial ship breaking to the country.
The industry grew steadily through the 1980s and,by the middle of the 1990s, the country ranked
number two in the world by tonnage scrapped. In
2008, there were 26 ship breaking yards in thearea, and in 2009 there were 40. From 2004 to
2008, the area was the largest ship-breaking yard
in the world.
In 2004 a Basel Convention decision officiallyclassified old ships as “toxic waste”, preventing
them from leaving a country without the permission of the importing state. This has led to a resurgence of recycling in environmentally-compliant
locations in developed countries, especially informer ship building yards. Maneuvering a large
ship onto a beach at high speed takes skill anddaring even for a specialist captain, and is notalways successful. Next, the anchor is dropped tosteady the ship and the engine is shut down. It
takes 50 labourers about three months to break
down a normal-sized cargo vessel of about 40,000
tonnes.

Introduction
Ship breaking or ship demolition is basically adisposal involving breaking up a ship for either
the basic parts for sale or re-use or for pulling out
the raw materials mainly as scrap. It is also
known as ship dismantling, ship cracking or ship
recycling. Wooden-hulled ships used to be
simply set on fire or ‘conveniently sunk’. Those
wooden ships also used to be dismantled and thetimbers re-used. That procedure got discontinued
with the advent of metal-hulled boats. Modern
ships have an average lifespan of 25-30 years
before corrosion, metal fatigue and a lack of parts
render them uneconomical to run. Ship breaking
allows the materials from the ship, especiallysteel, to be recycled and made into new products.
Equipment on board the vessel can also bereused.
India, Bangladesh, China and Pakistan havethe highest market share and are global centres ofship breaking, with Chittagong Ship Breaking
Yards in Bangladesh, Alang in India and Gadaniin Pakistan being the largest ship graveyards inthe world. India, Bangladesh and Pakistan
account for 70–80 percent of the international
recycling market for ocean-going vessels, with
China and Turkey covering most of the remain- Overview of Ship breaking in Bangladesh
ing market. Only about 5 percent of global Ship Breaking Yards are located in Faujdarhat,
volume is scrapped outside of these five countries. Sitakunda Upazila, Chittagong, along the 18-kilometre Sitakunda coastal strip, 20 kilometres
History
north-west of Chittagong. Handling about a fifth
During a severe cyclone in 1960, a Greek ship of the world's total, it is the world's largest ship
named M D Alpine got stranded on the shore of breaking industry. Out of approximately 50,000
Sitakunda, Chittagong. It could not be re-floated ocean-going ships in the world, about 800 are
and so remained there for several years. In 1965, taken out of service every year. At the end of their
Chittagong Steel House of then East Pakistan sailing life, ships are sold so that the valuable steelbought the ship and had it scrapped. It took years - about 95 percent of a ship’s mass - can be reused.
to scrap the vessel, but the work gave birth to the Some of the world’s largest decommissioned ships
Ship Breaking Industry in Bangladesh.
are today scrapped at the shores north of ChitDuring the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, tagong, which is the second largest city and major

sea port in the country. It is estimated thatapproximately 30 percent of the world’s Light
Displacement Tonnes (LDT) are scrapped in
Bangladesh.
The ship breaking industry in Bangladesh is
estimated at an annual turnover of around 1.5
billion dollars. Some of the ships are 350 meters
long and weigh up to 15,000 tons. Up to 60
percent of the steel used in Bangladesh is believedto originate from the ship breaking yards in Chittagong. It is estimated that there are around 100
ship breaking yards along the coast, and every
year new yards are being constructed.
Benefits of Bangladesh from Shipbreaking
Ship breaking plays an important role in thenational economy for a number of reasons:
1. Production of steel:
The scrapping of ships provides the country’s
main source of steel and in doing so saves asubstantial amount of money in foreign exchange
by reducing the need to import steel materials. At
present Bangladesh has a demand for 500,000
tons of metal/steel, but it has no iron ore sources
or mines, which makes ship scrapping an inevitable and important source of raw materials.
More than 400 re-rolling mills have been using
ship scraps as their raw materials, and the industry is currently supplying more than 60 percent of
the raw materials for the local steel industry. The
local shipbuilding industry also largely depends
on this, as raw materials are mostly being usedfrom scrap steel. A good number of local industries including heavy and light engineering
depend on the ship breaking industry.
2. Green Industry
In some ways it can be considered a “green
industry”, as almost everything on the ship andthe ship itself is recycled, reused and resold. The
scrapping of ships supplies raw materials to steel
mills, steel plate re-manufacturing, asbestos
re-manufacturing, as well as providing furniture,
paint, electrical equipment, lubricants, and oil tothe number of businesses that have sprouted up
specifically as a result.
3. Revenue Earning
It generates large amounts of revenue for various Government authorities through the payment of taxes. Every year the Government
collects 10,000,000,000 Taka (US$125 million)
in revenue from the ship breaking industry
through import duties, yard taxes and other taxes.

54. Employment
Despite the conditions that the workers are
employed under, this is an industry that employs
more than 50,000 people directly, while another
150,000 people are involved indirectly. It offers
work to some of the poorest people from thenorth of Bangladesh who would otherwise haveno employment.
SENSREC phase I
The International Maritime Organization(IMO) and the Government of the People's
Republic of Bangladesh represented by the Ministry of Industries (MOI) are jointly implementing a project entitled “Safe and Environmentally
Sound Ship Recycling (SENSREC) in Bangladesh - Phase I”. The key objective of the project is
to make the country's ship recycling industry
sustainable by helping it improve its standards
related to occupational safety and health, working
conditions and environmental protection.
The project is being executed by the Marine
Environment Division of IMO as the implementing and executing agency, in partnershipwith the MOI, which acts as the national executing partner, with Bangladesh Marine Academy(BMA) as the national functional institution. The
MOI coordinated the input from the different
stakeholder ministries within the country, andand will train a variety of stakeholders within awell-functioning training system.
Speaking at the Dhaka meeting, Her Excellency Ms. Sidsel Bleken, Ambassador of Norway to
Bangladesh, highlighted the significant progress
made and their support for phase II. “The firstphase of the project has achieved significant
progresses in terms of developing health, safety
and environmental standards as well as developmost importantly from the industry represented ing appropriate training programs for the industry
by the Bangladesh Ship Breakers & Recyclers stakeholders including its workers. Norway is
Association (BSBRA), while IMO also collabo- pleased to launch phase II of the project and to
rated with other relevant UN agencies including continue supporting Bangladesh on its road to
BRS, the International Labour Organization compliance with the Hong Kong Convention.
(ILO) and the United Nations Industrial Devel- The Government of Bangladesh, the ship recyopment Organization (UNIDO) to ensure the cling industry as well as the international
ship-owners, have a joint responsibility in making
successful delivery of the project.
this happen.”
SENSREC phase II
The IMO-implemented SENSREC phase II Conclusion
Recycling of outdated or decommissioned ships
project to enhance safe and environmentallysound ship recycling in Bangladesh was launched means ensuring a green shipping world. Banglaat a meeting of stakeholders in Dhaka in 2018. desh bears the major share of this exceptional and
The project will focus on building capacity within essential industry. However, recognizing safety as
Bangladesh to develop a legal, policy and institu- a prime and spontaneous issue, Bangladesh istional reform roadmap towards accession to the heading towards ensuring a safety culture in her
Hong Kong International Convention for the Ship Recycling Industry with IMO’s cooperation
Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of and assistance.
Ships (known as the Hong Kong Convention),

Promoting a Sustainable Blue Economy in Africa
through Partnership Enhancement and Cross-Sectoral Coordination

Dr. Atsushi Watanabe

Senior Research Fellow,
Policy Research Department,
The Ocean Policy Research Institute,
The Sasakawa Peace Foundation

The blue economy has become an emerging Kobayashi and I also gave presentations andhot topic in African countries, including those interacted with the participants. Namibia, one ofland-locked, to achieve sustainable economic the Southern African Development Communityand societal developments by using marine (SADC) member countries, takes proactive
environments sustainably. Kenya, with its efforts to realize a blue economy in partnershipc o - h o s t s C a n a d a a n d J a p a n , h e l d t h e with other SADC countries. Low carbon marine
conference on the Sustainable Blue Economy renewables are an important social foundationin Nairobi in November 2018. The conference for a sustainable blue economy and should be
brought together more than 16,000 participants promoted in harmony with other blue economy
from 184 countries, including heads of state. sectors such as marine tourism, fisheries, andThe event has built momentum for African seabed mining. For instance, strong winds in thenations to pursue a sustainable ocean economy. coastal area of Namibia facing the Atlantic
I and my colleague, Mr. Masanori Kobayashi, Ocean have a potential to provide the area withwent to the Republic of Namibia in May this coastal and offshore renewable wind energy.
year to attend a workshop on the blue economy
After the workshop, we returned to the capital
held in the coastal town of Swakopmund, city of Windhoek and visited various institutes,
hosted by the University of Namibia. Hon. including the SADC Centre for Renewable
Bernard Esau, Minister for Fisheries and Energy & Energy Efficiency (SACREEE). A
Marine Resources, gave the keynote speech, 2018 Sasakawa Fellow, Mr. Tangeni Haimbala
stressing the importance of promoting a blue from Namibia introduced Ms. Karin Reiss ofe c o n o m y i n a n i n c l u s i v e m a n n e r . M r . SACREEE to us, which made it possible to6visit her office. SACREEE was established in2016 in Windhoek to contribute towards
increased access to modern energy services andimproved energy security. We explained about
our blue economy projects by indicating thatthe promotion of offshore wind turbines insynergy with fisheries or tourism could foster aninnovative ocean based economy in many partsof the world, and exchanged ideas on possible
collaborative fields in SADC countries in the
future.
During our visit to Namibia, we also met
another Sasakawa Fellow, Ms. Leena Ndahafa
Kagola working at Namport in Walvis Bay. I
believe these direct and indirect connections
with Fellows working in government sectors,
maritime industries, and relevant institutions invarious parts of the world could become adriving force for the cross-sectoral coordinationand promotion of the blue economy.

Combatting One of the Most Pressing Challenges for our Oceans- The Nippon Foundation’s Approach to Addressing Marine Litter

Aleke Stöfen-O’Brien

Associate Research Officer,
Global Ocean Institute

Our oceans are filled with items that do notbelong there. Huge amounts of consumer plastics, metals, rubber, paper, textiles, derelict fishing gear, vessels, and other lost or discarded
items enter the marine environment every day,making marine debris one of the most widespread pollution problems facing the world's
oceans and waterways. The author of this article
in her function as Associate Research Officer atthe WMU-Sasakawa Global Ocean Institute,received the high honour to present her researchon marine litter, which she is conducting at theInstitute, at the UMIGOMI（Marine Litter)
Zero International Symposium, and would liketo share more information about her experienceand the extraordinary work of The Nippon
Foundation.
Change for the Blue Project
To address various ocean issues, in 2016 The
Nippon Foundation launched the Umi-to-Nippon (Ocean and Japan) project. Following this,in 2018 it launched the Change for the Blue
Project in collaboration with the Ministry ofEnvironment of Japan, to expand and develop
new projects on marine litter involving theprivate sector, the public sector and academia.
The Change for the Blue Project has three core
activities: UMIGOMI Zero Week, an
UMIGOMI Zero Award to recognize superior
activities that can serve as models for the formulation of ocean waste policies, and an UMIGOMI Zero International Symposium. The Change
for the Blue Project aims to create awareness andstresses the societal dimension of the problem. It
hopes to have 800,000 people involved each year,with 2.4 million people involved over the next
three years, in simultaneous projects nationwide
under the banner “Don’t create litter. Don’t
throw away litter. Pick up litter.”
UMIGOMI Zero International Symposium
The UMIGOMI Zero International Symposium took place on June 17, 2019 in Tokyo at
the headquarters of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation. It was held in conjunction with activities
associated with the G20 Ministerial Meeting on
Energy Transitions and Global Environment for
Sustainable Growth which was held in Nagano
Prefecture from June 15-16, 2019.
Taking advantage of this momentum, the
UMIGOMI Zero International Symposium wasattended by a wide range of interested parties
from Japan and abroad. It not only provided
information about international work related tomarine debris, but served as a platform to disseminate information about Japan’s and The Nippon
Foundation’s actions toward solving this issue
both nationally and globally.
The UMIGOMI Zero International Symposium was opened by Chairman Sasakawa whoshared his extensive experience on international
collaboration in the field of ocean policy. Chairman Sasakawa reflected on his vision with regard
to the need for a more intensive and streamlined
international collaboration to address the entire
lifecycle of plastic that lies at the core of the problem.
The Minister of the Environment, Yoshiaki
Harada then shared the preliminary outcomes of
the G20 Ministerial Meeting, which had concluded one day prior, and in that way set thetheme for ensuing elements of the agenda. Under
the diplomatic guidance of Japan, the G20 States
were able to adopt an implementing frameworkon marine litter issues for the G20 Summit.

After Japan’s comprehensive and ambitious
approaches and initiatives to address marine litter
were outlined and presented, The Nippon Foundation’s work on marine litter was presented by
Executive Director Mr. Unno. The Foundation’s
approach under the framework of Change for theBlue Project matches the high complexity of theissue, closely collaborating with 12 key stakeholders to create a model to address marine litter andto share best practices within and outside ofJapan. Collaborations are established with industries and corporations, local municipalities, educational institutions, non-profit organisations andthe Partners of The Nippon Foundation Ocean
Japan Project.
In the keynote speech, Dr. Rodolfo Lacy, in his
capacity as Director of the Environment Directorate of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), outlined theorganisation’s efforts to improve markets for recycled plastics as a means to address marine litter.
Then Prof. Atsuhiko Isobe of Kyushu University
delivered a presentation about his research relating to microplastic proliferation in the Pacific
Ocean. Prof. Isobe stated that unless the amountof mismanaged plastic waste is reduced substantially, marine plastic pollution is likely to proceed
to a point of no return, beyond which marine

7

organisms will be harmed, as has been shown inlaboratory experiments.
Subsequently, Prof. Elaine Faustman of the
University of Washington presented her researchon Ocean and Human Health Context forMarine Litter. Prof. Faustman outlined that
Human Health effects of marine litter could, forexample, be direct through physical exposure to
microplastic pollution. In this regard, the role ofrisk assessment and risk characterization was
stressed. Then, the author of this article presented the work undertaken in the European Union
to address marine litter. The European Union’s
approach establishes a comprehensive system
which sees mandatory marine litter monitoring,
the establishment of corresponding management
approaches, as well as the ban and reduction
targets of top single use items that end up as
marine litter.
The Symposium also served as a platform topresent the UMIGOMI Zero Awards in different categories, for innovation and entrepreneurial
ideas from all over Japan. The awards were
presented to different individuals, organisations
and/or companies that have developed remarkable products or conducted comprehensive
actions to address marine litter. The awards werean excellent opportunity to showcase the significant expertise and knowledge that is available inJapan.
The UMIGOMI Symposium demonstrates
the very ambitious and comprehensive approachof The Nippon Foundation and Japan to address
the issue of marine litter. The development ofknowledge to address the many knowledge gaps
and research needs stands central. Also, the nurturing of human talent and the societal dimension of this topic are an important pillar. The
broad international vision and dimension of The
Foundation’s approach is not only evident by thestrong international network relating to research,
but also their strong emphasis on cooperation
among and between different sectors, including
industries, NGOs, academia and government.
The idea to award outstanding industry, NGO
and/or entrepreneurship ideas and actions isextremely important as the initiatives of certain
key stakeholders can affect a significant change.
The author would like to thank The Nippon
Foundation for the kind invitation and theopportunity to be part of such an important
event.

Finding My “Ikigai” at the World Maritime University

OpenRisk Guidelines and Tools is an open access document, intending tofacilitate decision making processes within and between authorities. The
suggested set of risk management processes can be adapted to the particular
Dr. Anish Hebbar
needs of member States based on particular national requirements and/or
Assistant Professor, WMU
regional needs. The OpenRisk toolbox comprises twenty different risk
(2006, india)
assessment tools covering all three stages of a typical risk assessment process:risk identification, risk analysis and risk evaluation. The toolbox includes
tools having a proven track record in maritime risk management as well as
The word “ikigai" – made up of two Japanese words, “iki" meaning “life” tools developed particularly for the project such as Marine Risk Index,
and “gai/kai" meaning “worth” – is usually used to indicate a raison d’etre, Accidental Damage and Spill Assessment Model for Collision & Grounding
the source of value in one’s life or the things that make one’s life (ADSAM C/G) and Maritime Event Risk Classification Method
worthwhile. Besides, IMO’s work is dedicated to safe, secure and efficient (ERC-M).
shipping on clean oceans and the prevention of accidents and its adverse
While OpenRisk aimed to improve understanding of risks and provide
effects on the marine environment while the World Maritime University tools which support decision making, a new research project, BALTIMARI,(WMU) works towards furtherance of these objectives, providing focusing on the Baltic region in which WMU is currently participating, aims
education, training and research services on issues related to the work of to review the current state of risk analysis, assess research and innovation
the Organization.
projects that have been undertaken previously and identify knowledge gaps.
In this backdrop, joining the Maritime Safety and Environmental The project intends to locate gaps and address the risks in maritime
Administration specialisation at WMU was a natural choice following on a transportation systems and offshore energy production systems with respect
doctoral work which focused on governance of oil spill disasters and a to factors such as environmental pollution, autonomous vessels and humanmaster’s dissertation on risk communication coupled with a current focus behaviour aspects. BALTIMARI also aims to study factors like coston subjects such as risk assessment, maritime accident investigation, and effectiveness and readiness of current technology, analyse the quality ofdomestic ship safety. Indeed, my appointment at WMU coincided with underlying evidence and check for scientific rigidity of any method. The
the conclusion of a major maritime safety project titled, Open-source tools project will eventually help in transferring research to benefit industry andfor regional risk assessments for improved European preparedness and policy environments.
response at sea (OpenRisk).
Projects such as OpenRisk and BALTIMARI bring me back to ikigai. In
OpenRisk addresses various critical issues in the area of pollution the Okinawan culture, ikigai has been thought of as a reason to enjoy life,
prevention and response, such as the lack of systematic and harmonized which is perhaps one of the reasons people don’t wish to retire and live long
approaches, the lack of transparency in the methodological basis of the lives. They continue to do their favourite job as long as health permits. With
tools used in risk assessments, the lack of comparability of risk assessment exciting pathways in maritime safety and environmental governanceresults across geographical areas and over time, high costs of implementing research, I have surely found my ikigai at WMU, and indeed, heartfelt
regional risk assessments, and challenges in implementing risk assessment thanks are owed to H.E. Yohei Sasakawa for his noble support in myresults, both at the EU member state and regional cooperation level, endeavours.
especially when different authorities are involved.

Under the new system formed around Chairperson Kunieda, muchtime is being spent at each editorial meeting debating what kind of article
contributions Fellows will enjoy.
Although the Newsletter carries articles that are somewhat serious,
including on maritime affairs and IMO-related information from aroundthe world, the nature of this Newsletter is essentially that of casual reading
for an alumni association. In other words, “What kind of activities andlives are members pursuing in each country?” Knowing this should makeit easier for members to become closer, and that is the belief I have had
during my involvement since the time of the first issue.
Until now, I was optimistic that the number of contributions would
naturally increase along with the number of graduates, but I have beenfeeling apprehensive about the recent state of contributions. I hope that
Fellows haven’t become less enthusiastic in valuing the network, so I
really want them to remember the feelings they had towards active
participation in the Sasakawa Network when they decided to attend
WMU.

On the Occasion of "The Award Ceremony for Honorary Fellows 2014”

On a private note, my wife, to whom I had been married for many years,
passed away in February this year. She also was a source of support for someof my WMU activities, albeit from behind the scenes. I received heartfelt
messages of condolence from several Fellows who knew her, and I would liketo take the opportunity to apologize here for not thanking each of them
individually.
Eisuke Kudo (Advisor, SPF)