As part of October Transport Month, Transport Minister Sibusiso Ndebele will officially launch the Centre for Sea Watch and Response at the South African Maritime Authority (SAMSA) offices in Cape Town on Thursday.
The Minister will be joined by the Chief Executive Officer of SAMSA, Commander Tsietsi Mokhele, maritime experts and transport officials.
Details of the event are as follows:
Date: Thursday, 22 October 2009
Venue: SAMSA Office Park, Tygerberg Valley, Cape Town
Time: 09h30 for 10h00
The Centre for Sea Watch and Response (CSWR) has the capacity to identify and track vessels up to 1 000 miles from our coastline as well as South Africa-flagged vessels anywhere in the world. This data, automatically transmitted every six hours, can also be displayed on an electronic chart which is accessible via a secured website and only with an authorised username and password. Once a vessel is identified, full details of the vessel can be accessed via a ship’s database.
The adoption of the African Maritime Transport Charter at the Second African Union Conference of Ministers Responsible for Maritime Transport in Durban from 15 to 16 October 2009, is a significant milestone for the continent. In this regard, South Africa has also decided to further develop our South Africa National Data Centre to establish the Africa Cooperative Data Centre.
The CSWR has access to automatic identification system (AIS) data of ships on the coast in the areas around the major ports of South Africa which means the vessel’s every move can be tracked. The centre will be suitably capacitated to communicate directly with all ships at sea within the areas of our responsibility. This will improve the quality of information exchanged and ensure direct contact with the vessel’s master to be fully appraised of any situation that may develop and improve the Centre’s response time to maritime incidents.
Satellite AIS, wherein an AIS aerial and receiver is placed aboard a satellite which follows a circum-polar orbit and is able to receive signals from vessels anywhere on the face of the earth and then transmit data back to a ground station, is also being worked on, something like South Africa’s new SumbandilaSat that has recently been launched. There is the possibility of installing our own AIS receiver and other sensors aboard future satellites and the data that will be received will not only enhance the maritime domain awareness but also highlight South Africa’s capabilities. This capability can be another resource that can be used for the benefit of all African countries.
The centre’s mission is to comply with National Maritime regulations and agreements as well as international conventions such as the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Safety of Life At Sea (SOLAS) and Search and Rescue (SAR) requirements with respect to maritime security and the protection of the marine environment and to fully realise the following objectives:
* safety of life and property at sea
* prevent and combat pollution of the marine environment by ships and
* promote the Republic’s maritime interests.
Media are invited to attend. Journalists attending are requested to confirm their attendance for accreditation and access purposes by no later than 12h00 on Wednesday, 21 October 2009 with:
Mthunzikazi Mbungwana
Cell: 072 645 1792
E-mail: Mbungwam@dot.gov.za
Enquiries:
Logan Maistry
Cell: 083 6444 050
Issued by: Department of Transport
20 October 2009
