# CHAPTER 2 Maritime Transport Safety

## 1 Maritime Environment Enhancements

Given the enlargement and higher velocity of ships, diversification of marine waters' usage and complications of maritime traffic, maintenance was carried out on sea routes, ports and harbors, fishing ports and aids to navigation in order to ensure the safe and smooth navigation of ships and safety at ports, harbors and fishing ports. The enrichment of information regarding safety of nautical charts, coast pilots and improvement of the information delivery system using IT is to be attempted.

1 Improvement of the transport safety facilities

2 Enhancement of traffic regulation as well as the provision of information related to maritime traffic

3 Improvement of passenger ship terminals for the aging society

## 2 Ensuring Safe Operation of vessels

The safe operations of ships are to be ensured by maintenance and enhancement of the knowledge and skills of marine workers, and the establishment of a system related to safe operations.

For that purpose, improvements will be made of the qualifications of mariners, pilots, passenger ship operators, as well as domestic water carriers and operation management system of ships will also be enhanced. In relation to that, enhancement of operation labor audits, countermeasures to prevent the recurrence of serious accidents, and improvements in the transport safety management system, etc. will be promoted and systematic activities for the prevention of accidents of shipmen are also to be carried out.

Moreover, based on the changes in the environment surrounding mariners, improvements will be made to take into consideration the provision of accurate responses to the requests to downsize the public administration and to improve its efficiency with regard to the education and training content of each institution involved in providing instructions for learning operations of ships and navigation training.

Furthermore, in order to enhance the functions to investigate the causes of the accidents, etc., on land, sea, and air (railway, marine, aircraft) and the functions for prevention of their recurrence, a “Japan Transport Safety Board” will be set up as an external organ of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

1 Enhancement of the qualifications of shipmen

2 Enhancement of the operation control of ships

3 Promotion of countermeasures against accidents of shipmen

4 Radical reform in the piloting system

5 Enhancement of a system for investigating causes of marine accidents

## 3 Improvement of Safety Measures for Small Vessels

In order to attempt the prevention of maritime accidents of small ships that constitute a major part of overall maritime accidents, maintenance of an environment enabling safe operations and strengthening of the rescue system is essential. This has to be done in addition to the increase in the awareness among marine leisure enthusiasts and fishermen about their own safety.

For this purpose, improvement of boat parks, orderly usage of the water areas, wearing of life jackets, upgrading of the mobile rescue system using helicopters, etc. are to be promoted.

Furthermore, countermeasures to prevent the casualties of older shipmen and fishing boats are to be promoted based on the basic plan and execution plan for the prevention of the accidents of shipmen.

1 Improvement of boat parks and “fisharenas”

2 Promotion of measures for the safety of fishing boats

3 Promotion of measures for the safety of pleasure boats

4 Increasing the life jacket utilization rate

5 Prompt receipt of information regarding maritime accidents