LIFELINE December 2013 - English

The International Maritime Rescue Federation is a registered company limited by guarantee in the United Kingdom

and registered as a charity in England and Wales

Patron: Efthimios E. Mitropoulos, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization, 2004-2011

Registered office: IMRF West Quay Road Poole BH15 1HZ United Kingdom Company Registration Number: 4852596 Charity Registration Number: 1100883

www.international-maritime-rescue.org

LLIIFFEE LLIINNEE

The Newsletter of the International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF)

News Experience Ideas Information Development

In this issue:

Hamish McDonald on the global challenges of water safety & SAR development

mass rescue operations and the next in the IMRFs international conference series

news from China, Estonia, Germany and North, West & South Africa

and more!

DDeecceemmbbeerr

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December 2010 December 2010 December 2010 December 2010 December 2010 December 2010 December 2010 December 2010 December 2010 December 2010 December 2010 December 2010 December 2010 December 2010 December 2010 December 2010 December 2010 December 2010

Looking back on 2013 and forward to the new year

As 2013 draws to a close, Chief Executive Bruce Reid reflects on the IMRFs achievements during the year, and

looks forward to some of the things planned for 2014.

The IMRF is coming to the end of an incredibly busy year. We have held very successful regional

meetings in North West Africa (in Morocco and the Canary Islands), Malta, Bangladesh, Hong

Kong, China, and Estonia. IMRF Trustees and officers have participated in other major events; in

Fiji, Sri Lanka, the UK, the Bahamas, Germany, and Uruguay. Our major projects have forged

ahead: global SAR development, rescue boat guidelines, mass rescue operations, water safety

education and awareness, and, in our European region, the crew exchange project. We have

played a full part at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) too, representing the worlds SAR

organisations on the world stage, and contributing to the development of SAR guidance and regulation.

We have reviewed and revised our communications strategy, updating the IMRF website (www.international-maritime-

rescue.org), increasing our news media output with regular press releases, and of course regularly publishing your

newsletter, LIFE LINE. We have agreed a Memorandum of Understanding with the International Life Saving Federation

(ILS). Our Asia Pacific Regional Centre is making great progress. And the IMRF team is there to deal with any individual

matters our Members want to raise: remember Ann Laings watch-words Just Ask! The Stonehaven telephone number

is +44 (0)1569 767405; in Shanghai its +86 21 55095301; and the first point of email contact is [email protected].

Anyway: thats a flavour of 2013. But what about next year? Theres a huge amount to do. Currently, we are planning

regional meetings for Africa, Europe, South America and the Asia-Pacific region. The Trustees will be visiting Australasia

and Thailand. Therell be the third in our series of International Maritime Mass Rescue Conferences in Sweden. We also

plan to hold up to four mass rescue operations workshops around the world, and will be launching the IMRF Rescue Boat

Guidelines too, which will also include a series of workshops. Our Asia Pacific Centre plans to hold further On Scene

Coordinator training [see page 3], and further training and support will be provided in the North and West Africa Region too,

working with the IMO and the African States in the region and their European neighbours.

As you can see, the IMRF is driving forward, making a noise and making a real difference in global maritime SAR. The

IMRF is our Members, without whose determination and support none of these things could be achieved. Thank you for

all you have done in 2013. Want to be more involved next year...? Just Ask!

LLIIFFEE LLIINNEE DDeecceemmbbeerr 22001133

www.international-maritime-rescue.org page 2

Editorial

Welcome to the latest edition of your newsletter.

Another full and varied issue for you.

As our CEO Bruce Reid says on page 1, the year

now drawing to a close has been a busy one for the

IMRF, and a great deal has been achieved. But

theres always more to be done, and we dont expect

2014 to be any quieter: its Full Ahead at the IMRF!

However, as Bruce remarks, the IMRF is its

Members. Without you and your efforts, SAR does

not get done and global SAR will not improve. So

thank you. And keep up the good work.

Keep yourself and others in touch, too. If you receive

LIFE LINE from us direct, can you pass it on to

colleagues? Or if the newsletter has been forwarded

to you, please ask us to add you to our distribution

list. If you arent an IMRF Member or Supporter, and

would like to know more, have a look at our recently

refreshed website, at www.international-maritime-

rescue.org

and/or contact my colleague Ann Laing, at

[email protected] or on +44 (0)1569 767405.

The New Year beckons. As it progresses we will be

preparing for the next IMRF Quadrennial General

Meeting, which will be held in conjunction with our

2015 World Maritime Rescue Congress, in

Bremerhaven, Germany. Our Members will be kept

fully informed of developments, of course but watch

LIFE LINE too for news of what will be going on.

Among many other things, the Members attending

the QGM will be deciding on the major projects the

IMRF will undertake in the next four years, to

complement our work in the current quadrennium on

rescue boats, mass rescue operations, water safety

education and global SAR development.

Exciting stuff! Be a part of it.

From all of us at the IMRF, Board

and Secretariat, a happy and

successful New Year to you all.

Dave Jardine-Smith

[email protected]

Contents

Looking back and forward .................. 1

Editorial ................................. 2

Dates for the Diary ................................. 2

IMRF & ILS sign agreement ................... 3

On scene coordination ................... 3

G3: our next MRO conference ................... 3

The IMRF in N&W Africa ................... 4

The IMRF in Europe ................................. 5

Estonian Maritime Rescue Organisation ... 6

SAR Matters ................................. 7

Mass rescue operations ................... 9

The IMRFs MRO project ................... 9

WaterWise in South Africa ................... 10

Supporting North & West Africa ... 10

IMO Bravery Awards ................................. 11

Safe affordable ferries ................... 12

The FIRST Project ................................. 12

Send us your news & pictures ... 12

Dates for the Diary

Gothenburg 3: the next in the IMRFs mass rescue

operations conference series 1-3 June 2014

Hosted by the Swedish Sea Rescue Society. See page 3.

Drowning Prevention Week 21-29 June 2014

Organised by the Royal Life Saving Society UK. See

www.drowningpreventionweek.org.uk.

Rescue 2014 17-19 October 2014

Hosted by ICE-SAR in Reykjavik, Iceland. See

www.icesar.com/rescue.

World Maritime Rescue Congress 1-4 June 2015

Advance notice of the IMRFs next Congress and quadrennial

general meeting. Details in due course.

If you are planning a SAR event of international interest

which you would like to see listed here, please send the

details to: [email protected]



On Scene Coordinator Courses

The IMRFs Asia Pacific Regional

Centre (APRC) and the Nanhai

Rescue Bureau of the Chinese

Ministry of Transport combined to

hold an On Scene Coordinator (OSC)

training course in Shenzhen in

September. More than 30 people

attended from the China Maritime

Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC)

and China Rescue and Salvage.

Speakers and trainees at the Shenzhen

training course

In his opening remarks, Mr Lin Zhihao

of the Nanhai Rescue Bureau

emphasized the importance of

cooperation between China Rescue

and Salvage and the MRCC,

especially as regards information

exchange and the sharing of rescue

resources.

IMRF Trustee Captain Udo Helge

Fox, of the German Maritime SAR

Service, who led the training session,

noted the importance of the IMRFs

regional development strategy. He

considered the training course a

significant milestone: for the first time

the IMRF, through its APRC, was

providing practical training on the

important, and potentially very difficult,

OSC function in SAR operations.

This is an initiative that the IMRF

would like to build on in other parts of

the world.

The Shenzhen course focussed on

maritime emergency management

and research on maritime SAR skills,

and reviewed the whole process of

maritime emergency response,

including analysis of typical cases.

The attendees were able to obtain the

necessary theoretical knowledge and

OSC skills, involving on-scene

command, control, coordination and

communication issues.

IMRF and ILS sign new agreement

The IMRF has signed a Memorandum

of Understanding (MoU) with our

sister organisation, the International

Lifesaving Federation (ILS). The ILS

is the world authority for drowning

prevention, lifesaving and lifesaving

sport. ILS leads, supports and collab-

orates with national and international

organisations engaged in drowning

prevention, water safety, water

rescue, lifesaving, lifeguarding and

lifesaving sport.

The new MoU recognises that

drowning is a major public health

issue that is claiming and affecting

millions of lives every year. ILS and

IMRF share a common goal of

reducing drowning on all continents

and in all waters. With this in mind

both organisations want to collaborate

more closely to ensure that all

available resources are applied in a

productive and resourceful manner to

drowning prevention.

Mutual respect and recognition of

each others contribution and unique

global status underpin our working

relationship. We will work to support

common activities at the national and

international level and to align our

public messages while preserving our

respective organisational identities.

Working together makes us stronger,

and should help save lives.

Partners: ILS President Graham Ford and

IMRF Chairman Michael Vlasto

G3 our next MRO conference

The IMRF is delighted to announce

our latest International Maritime

Mass Rescue Conference, to be held

on 1-3 June 2014 in Sweden. This is

the third in our Gothenburg series of

conferences, kindly hosted by IMRF

Members the Swedish Sea Rescue

Society. It forms part of the IMRF

mass rescue operations project.

Major incidents of any kind severely

test response capabilities; even more

so when rescue or relief efforts

involve operations on the water. The

2010 and 2012 conferences in the

Gothenburg series, and the 2011

World Maritime Rescue Congress in

Shanghai, helped to highlight and

address many of these challenges.

The 2014 conference will focus on

developing and sharing practical

solutions to the previously identified

problems, under the following main

headings:

Integrating the preparation and

planning efforts of all stakeholders,

including industry

Enhancing incident coordination

and establishing supportive response

systems

Improving cohesion between all

stakeholders to optimise response

capability

More information in the next edition

of LIFE LINE, from [email protected]

or at www.international-maritime-

rescue.org... and see page 9 as well.



The IMRF in North West Africa

Fishermen with poor communications and safety

equipment are one of the main reasons for SAR call-outs

off the coasts of North and West Africa.

This was one of the issues raised at the IMRFs North

West African Regional Meeting held in Gran Canaria in

October. As well as representatives from the region

several European SAR organisations also attended.

The meeting was told that along the coast of Senegal

alone there are some 13,000 artisanal fishermen, who

often are not equipped to alert the authorities if they get

into trouble. This problem is repeated along much of the

African coast.

There have also been changes in fishing techniques in

recent years which, when they are employed using

traditional fishing craft, can cause them to capsize. It was

agreed that the dangers identified were not just a SAR

issue but also required a community approach to

encourage a safety culture. (See SAR Matters, page 7.)

Another challenge faced by some of the States

represented at the meeting is the increasing number and

size of cruise ships operating in their areas. The increased

possibility of a mass rescue operation being required

highlights the need for SAR organisations to develop

plans to manage this risk. The IMRFs mass rescue

operations project will assist this planning process. (See

page 9.)

The ability to access funds for non-capital SAR

requirements such as training is also a continuing

challenge in the region. Examples were given of

equipment being provided but with no provision to train

those expected to use it.

IMRF Chief Executive Bruce Reid says: "The development

of the North and West Africa Regional SAR Plan has

improved communication and collaboration and the overall

SAR response and capability of the region but there is

still work to be done.

"Regular meetings, combined with training, are bringing

the groups closer together and possible expansion to

include other African States and observers from European

SAR agencies would enhance this activity."

In the Canary Islands themselves, SAR organisations

identify pleasure craft, and particularly the increasing

number of small water craft such as kayaks, windsurfers

and jet-skis, as a problem, due in part to a lack of

knowledge and understanding on the part of users, and

reliance on technology over seamanship in some cases.

Maritime adventurers engaged in single-handed voyages

remain a small but frustrating problem group. The

emerging challenge presented by the developing offshore

oil & gas industry in this region was also highlighted.

The matter of 'migrants' was discussed. Despite the recent

disasters off Lampedusa and elsewhere in the

Mediterranean, this risk group was no longer a major

problem for the North and West Africa region, with

significant work having been undertaken to address the

matter. Numbers of migrants have dropped from 30,000

intercepted in 2006 to 340 in 2011. But while the migrant

issue is not a major challenge at present it is recognised

as still being a potential risk for the future.

The problems outlined above, the meeting heard, were

being addressed through the introduction and

enforcement of new regulations to lift overall safety

standards. Improved reporting had also allowed the types

of incidents occurring to be analysed and targeted, with

interventions primarily through inter-agency cooperation,

local community short courses and training, and by

utilising local radio to broadcast safety messages.

Public education and awareness strategies are also being

used with some success to target the pleasure boat group

in Gran Canaria. Public campaigns are run at targeted

times to raise awareness and improve safety behaviours.

This is an ongoing challenge as the main groups being

targeted are transient: mainly holiday-makers or short-

term residents.

The IMRF remains fully committed to working with and

supporting its partners in this rapidly developing SAR

region.

As usual, the IMRFs Trustees held one of their bi-annual

board meetings alongside the Regional Meeting, to make

best use of resource and to enable them to meet regional

Members and partners and discuss their concerns.

At the board meeting the Trustees heard updates on

IMRF work from around the world, and discussed the

IMRFs continuingly expanding workload and the resource

needs this expansion implies.



Ene Kalmus addresses the Estonian

Maritime Rescue Conference

The Chairman and CEO of the IMRF,

together with other Trustees and

officers, were honoured to attend a

Maritime Rescue Conference held in

Tallinn, Estonia, in October. Ene

Kalmus of IMRF Members the

Estonian Maritime Rescue Organisation

the EVMJP (see page 6) was a

prime mover behind the event.

Mr Ken-Marti Vaher, the Estonian

Minister of the Interior, emphasised

the importance of collaboration and

cooperation. He noted that, while the

State cannot create volunteers like

the EVMJP, it can, and will, facilitate

their role in maritime SAR. The other

keynote speakers, Mati Raidma of the

Estonian Parliament, and Rando

Kruusmaa of the Police and Border

Guard (who lead on SAR in Estonia),

also noted the need to work together

to achieve substantial benefits. The

key word, said Deputy Director

Kruusmaa, is cooperation.

A crowded hall heard presentations

on maritime rescue and the State

structures in the Estonian SAR

system, and on their voluntary

partners and potential partners.

IMRF projects were explained,

including the European crew

exchange project (see LIFE LINE,

October 2013), and other international

examples were discussed by IMRF

Members represented at the

conference: the Russian Voluntary

Maritime Rescue Society, the Finnish

Lifeboat Institution, the Swedish Sea

Rescue Society and ADES, the Sea

and River Rescue Association of

Uruguay.

We know that, to improve SAR, it is

vital that all those involved should

talk, and understand each others

roles and capabilities. Examples from

elsewhere are also of great help. This

conference proved both points well.

The IMRF in Europe

The latest IMRF European Regional

Development Group Meeting was

held in Viimsi, Estonia, the day after

the Maritime Rescue Conference in

Tallinn. It was chaired by Remmi

Edelbo Pedersen, and was attended

by representatives of some fifteen

European IMRF Member organ-

isations, as well as the Chairman and

other officers of the Federation.

European Regional Development Group

members visiting Viimsi rescue boat

station (and sheltering from the hail

blowing off the Baltic!) and, below, the

meeting in full swing

Remmi ran an open space meeting

for the most part, inviting attendees to

identify subjects they wished to

discuss and then to join small

working groups to talk through the

various topics identified.

The subjects raised included:

cooperation, both between SAR

organisations and with other maritime

emergency responders such as

salvors

sustainable development of

SAR organisations, including recruit-

ment and retention strategies

funding and fundraising,

especially for running costs; and

training: it was agreed that a

working group would be established

to study this area in particular. Watch

LIFE LINE for its reports!

Klaus Wilkens, of the German Life Saving

Society (DLRG) and conference

chairman, sums up the findings

The 2013 World Conference on

Drowning Prevention was also held

in October, in Potsdam, Germany.

Over 500 delegates attended this

major event, which was organised by

our partners the International Life

Saving Federation (ILS see page 3)

and hosted by the German Life

Saving Society.

The agenda covered all aspects of

this global health issue, which is

bigger than many accept, and almost

entirely preventable, in the words of

ILS President, Graham Ford.

The conference tackled multiple work

streams, including

prevention & pool safety

swimming education

life-saving education

sport

youth

scuba & rescue diving

risk assessment

water rescue services

rescue boat driving

disaster prevention & rescue

medical aspects

research

lifesaving management

world collaboration; and

sea rescue.

The last thread included presentations

by Michael Vlasto, IMRF Chairman,

on the IMRF and our rescue boat

guidelines project, and by David

Jardine-Smith of the Secretariat on

our mass rescue operations project.

It is clear from the list above that

there are many areas of common

ground and interest between the ILS

and the IMRF. We look forward to

working on them in partnership.

The next World Conference on

Drowning Prevention will be held in

Penang, Malaysia, in October 2015.



Member Focus: Estonian

Maritime Rescue Organisation

The IMRFs European Regional Meeting took place in Estonia in

October (see page 5), kindly hosted by the Estonian Maritime

Rescue Organisation. Ene Kalmus, Chairperson of the

Organisations Management Board, writes:

Dwellers on Estonian shores have always included

seafarers and fishermen and every seaman knows how

important a helping hand is at a critical moment. Our

Organisation has its roots in this tradition.

There had been rescue stations during the Russian period:

when the Republic of Estonia was created, they were

handed over to the State and reported to various agencies

until 1927, when they were attached to the Red Cross. By

1938, Estonia had 28 rescue stations registered, some

operating in winter where there was active traffic over ice.

The key equipment was the so-

called unsinkable lifeboat

specially built for rescue

operations: a double-boarded

hull with a metal keel and air

spaces at either end filled with

crates of cork, grab ropes around

the boat, and sacks of oil to calm

waves. But the skills of the crew, their selflessness and

willingness, were considered paramount.

During the Soviet period, the concept and content of

rescue stations changed the sea was no longer free and

rescue at sea was replaced by rescue along the shore, with

lifeguard services serving as the central organisation. During the second period of Estonia's independence,

however, and with economic growth, the numbers of boat

owners increased: fishing remained the main activity for

many people. With the development of small-craft harbours

the numbers of international visitors have grown as well.

Increasing cooperation between Estonia and Finland from

2004 included a review of Estonias maritime safety

provisions. The idea of a volunteer maritime rescue

organisation met with general support, and cooperation

projects were carried out with EU funding to determine the

objectives of a volunteer sea and lake rescue system, the

principles for its functioning, its results, and cooperation

with the national border guard and rescue agencies.

April 2010 saw the registration of the non-governmental

organisation Eesti Vabatahtlik Mere - ja Jrvepste

(EVMJP the Estonian Maritime Rescue Organization). Its

founding members were six volunteer sea and lake rescue

societies and a continuing education centre.

Under its statutes, the organisations main objectives are:

Increase significantly security at sea and on inland

waters by involving volunteer societies in the rescue

operations of rescue and border guard units;

Support citizen initiative and willingness to volunteer to

assist rescue agencies and, thereby, reduce the fixed

costs of national rescue readiness;

Form a cooperation network of various sea and lake

rescue societies to cover the entire shorelines of the

sea and major lakes;

Coordinate the core activities and training at local

volunteer societies by creating functioning cooperation

and training systems;

Working with national agencies, set up legal bases,

social guarantees and a system for financing the costs

of sea and lake rescue volunteers and their societies;

Integrate into the international volunteer maritime

rescue system by raising Estonia's rescue capability

and making use of partners' years of experience.

The EVMJP now unites 15 volunteer maritime and lake

rescue societies whose members total over 220 people.

The societies vary greatly in terms of their equipment

everything from RIBs owned by the societies themselves

to privately owned wooden boats. Several societies rent

their vessels from private companies. Primary rescue

equipment has been purchased but more is needed. To

date, the Level I training required under the law has been

completed by 117 people, with 38 volunteers having

attained Level II or team leader training.

The number of search, rescue and aid events in which

volunteers participate is increasing, and, given the upward

trend of boat owners and water sport enthusiasts, this is

set to rise even further. Volunteers also organise water

safety days, study camps and information events

dedicated to students, which are very popular, and

volunteers take care of safety during various water sport

events: canoe trips, sailing regattas, races and the like.

The EVMJP has enjoyed a close partnership with the

Finnish Lifeboat Institution since 2006; and we joined the

IMRF in 2010. This enables us to benefit from, and

contribute to, membership in the international family of

maritime rescuers: close cooperation links sprang up with

volunteer maritime rescue organisations in Sweden,

Denmark, Iceland, Norway, the UK and elsewhere.

The EVMJP is now in a decisive phase in its evolution:

our development plan calls for support from the State to

enable transition to an independent and permanently

financed system. We want to be a real partner for the

State in developing Estonian maritime SAR.



SAR Matters This column provides a forum for LIFE LINE readers

worldwide to contribute to debate on any relevant SAR

issue. You can join in, or propose new items for discussion,

by emailing [email protected].

Or you can join the discussion on our SAR Matters Blog,

online at www.international-maritime-rescue.org.

Have a look at previous discussions on the website too, in

the LIFE LINE archive.

In this edition IMRF Trustee

Hamish McDonald discusses the

global challenges of water safety

and SAR development.

IMRFs stated mission is "preventing

loss of life in the worlds waters a

bold and noble aim. However, to facilitate its achievement

many very varied challenges must be recognised and

addressed. A major initial difficulty for any international

organisation that has evolved predominantly from

developed member entities is to be able to perceive the

challenges for both the developed entity and the indigenous

artisan. An holistic perception must encompass not only the

practicalities of operational capability development but be

inclusive of, and sensitive to, cultural, geo-commercial, geo-

political and societal dictates.

Accurate figures for the annual loss of life on the worlds

waters are extremely difficult to define: an often-quoted

estimate is 400,000. What is certain is that a very

significant percentage of these deaths relate to indigenous

artisan peoples, either within fisheries (marine or inland) or

migrant. The consequential reality of these figures is that

there is maximum pressure on disaster management,

emergency response and SAR resources in the regions

and communities with the least developed resource and

capability.

Over the past few years there has been a very high loss of

life at sea related to human trafficking and the transhipping

of migrants. Most reaction to this situation is to demand

greater border security and greater SAR capability; a

response that is in some ways understandable and may

provide some short term gains. Longer term, however,

greater strains are placed on limited resources, and the

problem is moved elsewhere.

To develop a perception taking account of both the

developed and the indigenous viewpoints, it is necessary

to undertake a review of the causal and influencing factors

on individual perceptions of safety, security and wellbeing,

focusing on individuals ability either to sustain or develop

such perceptions or, alternatively, to become susceptible to

criminal, extremist, migrant, narcotic or terrorism (CEMNT)

activities. Analysis clearly identifies that those who have

lost most, for reasons beyond their direct control, are those

most easily redirected to CEMNT activity. This is easily

exemplified in the root causes of piracy in Somalia, insurgency

in Mali, the movement of peoples from the Sahel, and the

breakdown of law and order in Guinea Bissau.

When considering the high loss of life on the waters of the

North and West African States, it is imperative that all the

influencing factors are taken into account particularly

when it is realised that all the different forms of CEMNT

movements, both in and out of the North Africa / Sahel

region, have to transit a maritime boundary at some

stage. Adding greatly to this problem is the fact that the

States that make up the coastal boundaries of this region

have artisanal fishing industries and communities that are

suffering serious safety and viability problems of their

own.

Three key challenges impact artisanal fisheries:

1. Management, operation and processing the product of

artisanal fishery in a sustainable and viable manner

Inadequate fisheries management and policing

measures have led to overfishing, illegal fishing,

increased competition and reduced profitability for

artisanal fishers.

States selling their fishing rights to external entities.

The huge catching capacity of overseas vessels

exploiting these stocks earns them billions of euros;

but the artisanal fishermens catch is greatly reduced.

According to the UNs Food and Agriculture

Organization (FAO) the probability is that all West

African fishing grounds are fully or over-exploited.

A direct result of this is that over 1.5 million artisanal

fishermen cannot sustain their growing populations.

2. Cultivation and adoption of a maritime safety culture

that is fit for purpose, viable and sustainable

The present general lack of a maritime safety

awareness culture within many artisanal fishery

communities is well documented.

The FAO estimates that, worldwide, roughly 30 million

fishers work aboard 4 million fishing vessels. About

98% of these vessels are below 24 metres in length,

and approximately 2.7 million are small un-decked

craft. The number of fishing fatalities is very

conservatively estimated at 24,000 per year.

(continued on page 8)



It should therefore be in ALL our interests to facilitate the

enhancement of the individuals safety, security and

wellbeing, in turn facilitating a positive knock-on effect to

the society and country as a whole.

A significant number of support programmes aim to

address these challenges. Although excellent in their own

right, the majority of such programmes cover relatively

narrow aspects of what is a very complex overall problem.

Unfortunately the current standard healing mechanisms

invariably consist of a combination of reactive external

policing and interdiction linked to the provision of internal

development packages. But it is often the case that these

development packages are not truly inclusive of the grass-

roots community, are not locally sustainable, and

therefore frequently make the local situation worse rather

than better.

Analysis of information

gained from indigenous

perceptions of many

previous support prog-

rammes suggests that there

is a need to be more all-

inclusive in addressing the

varied aspects and inter-

relationships of the safety,

security and wellbeing of

artisanal fishery commun-

ities and their associated

sectors. The same analysis

highlights the need to

learn from some of the

mistakes of past endeavours,

where best intentions have

been compromised by:

poor definition and lack of understanding of

operational requirements;

lack of understanding of the available support

infrastructure; and

misinterpretation of information received or given.

In the next edition of LIFE LINE, Hamish will propose a

methodology and programme aimed at addressing the

challenges detailed above by facilitating all-inclusive

beneficial change to the safety, security and wellbeing of

artisanal fishery communities and associated sectors.

(continued from page 7)

The consequences fall heavily on dependents. In some

countries, these can be devastating: widows may have

a low social standing, there is no welfare state to

support the family and, with a lack of alternative

sources of income, the dependents may face total

poverty. In Africa, on average, for every dead fisher

there are seven family dependants and a further ten

persons will also suffer loss of income.

3. Management and operation of fit-for-purpose, viable

and sustainable policing, emergency response and rescue

resources

In many of the maritime regions associated with

artisanal fishery, human trafficking and migrant

problems, the maritime policing and emergency

response capacity levels vary dramatically.

Unfortunately they are at best minimal in some of the

worst affected areas, and they have to deal with many

varied situations.

The three key challenges outlined are interlinked,

inter-reactive and inter-causal.

Bad management, operation and processing of the

product of artisanal fishery leads to an unsustainable

and non-viable industry.

Participants attempting to cope with the situation often

adopt cost-cutting and risk-taking measures, resulting

in a culture of diminished maritime safety awareness.

This in turn puts additional demands on the

emergency response resource; and shortfalls in

that resource have a negative effect on the safety,

security and wellbeing of the artisanal fishers.

The presence of any one or more of these three key

challenges can create a self-perpetuating negative

rotation of outcomes.

Participants in the artisanal fishery develop the

perception of having no future and no prospects. They

have no profitable work, so no pay and thus no support

mechanisms. Perceiving poverty or destitution, they

need to move, or get pay by other means.

In times of desperation and need, people are most

vulnerable to targeting by the criminal, extremist,

migrant, pirate, trafficking and/or terrorist controllers

and paymasters.

Consequently, a very high proportion of persons involved

in artisanal fisheries have either become migrants, or have

chosen, or been forced, to be under the direction of

CEMNT controllers. These factors are recognised locally,

nationally and internationally. Additionally it is known that

there is a strong interactive link between an individuals, a

familys, and a communitys perception of their own safety,

security and wellbeing, and that of the actual safety,

security and wellbeing of their society as a whole. It is also

the case that a negative perception within a country has

the potential to have detrimental impacts on international

safety, security and wellbeing.



Mass Rescue Operations

On 3 October a heavily overcrowded fishing vessel caught

fire, capsized and sank off Lampedusa. She was carrying

people trying to cross to Europe from North Africa. 366 of

them, mostly Eritreans and Somalis, died. There were 155

survivors. It was the worst but by no means the only such

tragedy in the Mediterranean in recent times. For once,

the global news media paid attention.

Back in August the ferry St Thomas Aquinas was in

collision with a cargo ship, Sulpicio Express Siete, off

Cebu in the Philippines. The ferry sank quickly. Of the 870

people believed to have been on board, at least 80 were

killed and another 40 were missing, probably trapped in

the wreck. 750 people, however, were saved.

In November Typhoon Haiyan caused devastating

damage in the Philippines and other countries in the

region, resulting in a mass rescue operation on a much

greater scale. Quite rightly the news media focussed on

this catastrophe, and an international rescue and recovery

operation continues. But the loss of St Thomas Aquinas

was less well reported. And she was not alone.

In Indonesia there were two ferry accidents within two

days of each other: the Express Bahari 8C caught fire on

22 August off Tanjung Pandan, with the reported loss of 7

lives. 184 people were rescued. Then, on 24 August,

Sandar Jaya capsized, also off Sumatra, killing at least

four. 21 people were rescued but, as is so often the case,

the number of people aboard the ferry was uncertain.

In September another boat carrying asylum-seekers sank,

this time off Java. Over 70 are feared dead, and only 25

reported rescued.

In October a large dugout, carrying scores of people and

a large amount of merchandise, broke up on the Niger

river near Koubi. 210 survivors were reported but, with

over 70 people confirmed dead, it was one of Malis worst

river disasters. "In the future, said a government minister,

These canoes will have to be equipped with life vests, fire

extinguishers and lights for night-time navigation..."

***

The awful stories continue to be told, sometimes catching

the worlds attention; but all too often not. If causes are

addressed at all, they are addressed too late for those

already lost, and sometimes it is doubtful that the action

promised will be fully carried out once the brief flare of

publicity dies away.

The IMRF cannot address all these issues in our Mass

Rescue Operations project (see this page) but we are

determined to highlight the continuing and usually

avoidable losses of life and to support initiatives such as

the Safe Affordable Ferry design competition (see page 12).

We also note, and highly commend, the rescue efforts of

our colleagues responding to these disasters around the

world. Until these preventable accidents are prevented,

the need to share such rescue experience remains.

(picture courtesy the Italian Coast Guard)

The IMRFs MRO project

Sharing is what the IMRF is all about; and its what our

mass rescue operations (MRO) project is all about too. At

present there are three main threads to the project.

The Gothenburg Conference Series is the first thread:

the third international conference in the series will be held

on 1-3 June 2014: see page 3.

Then theres the IMRF MRO Library. This will be a

comprehensive and user-friendly on-line library of maritime

mass rescue operations guidance material. Anyone

preparing for MROs will be able to study the whole

problem or easily find guidance on particular issues. A

working group of subject-matter experts drawn from IMRF

member and partner organisations is compiling the library.

We intend to have it up and running within the next year.

Finally, there are the IMRF MRO Workshops. These are

usually one-day events designed to bring all the main

responders together, nationally or regionally, to enable

them to discuss their roles and capabilities and, using a

tabletop exercise suited to their local circumstances, to

discuss the many issues arising from MROs.

The overall project aims are to raise awareness, enable

discussion and share expertise and experience. The three

main threads described above will work together to help us

all be better prepared.

And, while the reference

library is still being built,

the workshops are already

under way, and are a

great success. A one-day

workshop in Uruguay last

year, for example, has

already led to a follow-up

event organised by the national emergency authority, held

in November this year. This included a more detailed

tabletop exercise, and a visit to the cruise ship Zaandam.

Here we see the ships Master discussing emergency

response issues with the workshop participants.

The IMRF will help organise a maritime MRO workshop

anywhere in the world for the need to prepare is a global

one. Interested? Good: thats the first step to being

prepared! Contact the IMRF project manager, David

Jardine-Smith, for details: [email protected].



WaterWise in South Africa

Andrew Ingram of South Africas National Sea Rescue Institute writes:

The WaterWise Academy is the

proactive educational initiative of

South Africas voluntary National

Sea Rescue Institute. The

programmes nine full-time

Instructors have taught some

435,388 children about water safety

since its inception in 2006.

Even competent swimmers can

drown so, instead of teaching kids to

swim, we teach them how to rescue

their peers. We target 9- to 14-year-

old kids, since they are most at risk

of death by drowning. We teach

them what to do in an emergency,

who to call for help and how to

initiate basic bystander CPR (cardio-

pulmonary resuscitation) while they

wait for an ambulance to arrive.

WaterWise Instructors based around

South Africa visit the classrooms of

disadvantaged schools and teach the

children, through interactive

activities, what is safe and what is

not when playing near or in water.

The children are given a basic

understanding of what to do should

they find themselves in an

emergency. Very importantly, this

includes how to identify and avoid rip

currents, as well as what to do if they

or their friends are caught in one.

Using the acronym PLAN (where P

stands for Plan, L for Look, A for Ask

and N for Never) we give them the

dos and donts of basic water safety.

For the older children the First Aid

HHH (Hazards, Hello and Help) is

used to teach about their own safety

coming first; and finally the children

have great fun learning the national

emergency number.

Transnet National Ports Authority

sponsors six Instructors and our

Waterwise Eden Instructor is proudly

sponsored by the Department of

Agriculture. Sea Rescue funds the

remaining two with public donations

that are made specifically to the

WaterWise Academy project.

You can help spread good ideas on water safety education and awareness!

Please send a summary of your education programmes to Ann Laing, the

IMRFs education project manager, at [email protected].

Supporting North & West Africa

IMRF Trustee and Executive

Director of the DGzRS

(German Maritime SAR

Service) Udo Helge Fox writes:

Good news from Germany!

The German Ministry of

Transport is prepared to

fund IMO projects involving

DGzRS with the sum of

52,000 (in addition to the

5,000 already agreed).

This means that two training courses

can be carried out in the

North & West Africa Region

in early 2014, and that a

fact-finding mission can be

undertaken in Senegal.

These initiatives are in

addition to the support the

International Maritime Org-

anization has recently

provided, through the IMRF,

to enable two students to

have a weeks training each

at the German Maritime

Rescue Coordination Centre

run by the DGzRS in

Bremen.

IMRF Chairman Michael Vlasto

adds:

This is great news indeed. It

will enable the excellent

work already started by the

IMRFs Regional Coordina-

tor, and the SAR Coordinator

in Morocco, Mohammed Drissi, to

move forward even further.

The work being organised in

this region by Mohammed,

with support from the IMRF

and the IMO, and the very

generous help provided by

the German government, is

a classic example of the

IMRFs purpose the

sharing of expertise and

resources for the betterment

of maritime SAR all around

the world.

For more on the North & West African

initiative, see our August 2013 edition at

www.international-maritime-

rescue.org.

Zanele Bushwane teaches CPR

(above); and children learn the

emergency number, 10177 (below)

Lwazi Fihlela teaches water safety

(above); and Liza Wigley teaches

CPR (below)



Mrs Gu Meiying, widow of Yang Jinguo, and ASTs Haba and

Todd at the award ceremony in London

The IMO Awards for Exceptional Bravery at Sea

Each year, the International Maritime Organization (IMO)

makes awards for exceptional bravery at sea. The awards

are a unique, international recognition for those who, at

the risk of losing their own life, perform acts of exceptional

bravery, displaying outstanding courage at sea.

Anyone may be nominated, by an IMO Member State or a

non-governmental organisation with consultative status at

the IMO, such as the IMRF. Our expertise in this area also

means that we are represented on the judging panel that

considers the nominations made. The 2013 awards were

presented at the IMO on 25 November and IMRF CEO

Bruce Reid and our Chairman, Michael Vlasto, were in the

audience.

The 2013 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea was

awarded to two rescue swimmers from the United States

Coast Guard, and, posthumously, to Mr Yang Jinguo, a

seafarer from China who died trying to save the life of a

passenger aboard Tong Chang Qi Du 11 after the ferry

had collided with the cargo ship Shun Qiang 28. Seeing

that the passenger was trapped in his truck, Mr Yang leapt

back aboard the sinking ship to try to free him. Although

he could have escaped, he continued trying to prise open

the jammed cab door, at the cost of his own life.

Aviation Survival Technician Second Class Randy J. Haba

and Aviation Survival Technician Third Class Daniel J.

Todd of USCG Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina,

were nominated for saving the lives of 14 crew members

from the replica tall ship HMS Bounty, during Hurricane

Sandy. The two men were part of the crews of Coast

Guard Rescue Helicopters, CG-6012 and CG-6031,

despatched in response to a message from HMS Bounty

that she was taking water and preparing to abandon.

After flying through the outer bands of the hurricane, in

strong winds and torrential rain, they found the ship

partially submerged, with a large debris field and

surrounded by life rafts.

CG-6012 was the first to arrive, and AST Haba was

lowered into the stormy waters. He spent an hour battling

strong currents and 10-metre waves, in wind and rain,

taking survivors from the liferafts to the waiting rescue

basket. At one point, he was engulfed by a huge wave

that knocked his mask off, and performed two more

rescues without it. He exhibited exceptional strength and

endurance throughout the entire rescue.

Rescue Helicopter CG-6031 arrived 30 minutes after CG-

6012, and AST Todd was immediately deployed to

another liferaft. Whilst he was assisting the second

survivor in this raft into the rescue basket, a large wave

toppled the raft with four more survivors still inside. AST

Todd secured a handhold on the sea anchor to stabilise

his position and expedite the rescue. He then

repositioned to a second raft, containing three additional

survivors, who he also successfully rescued.

The IMRF was pleased to nominate a crew from another

member organisation, the UK & Irelands Royal National

Lifeboat Institution. The volunteer crew of the Port Isaac

inshore lifeboat helmsman Damien Bolton, and Nicola-

Jane Bradbury and Matthew Main were awarded a

Certificate of Commendation for rescuing two people in

rough and dangerous sea conditions beneath the cliffs of

the North Cornwall coast.

Two men who had been swept into the sea were within

an arc of semi-submerged rocks and were being tumbled

in confused and breaking 3-metre waves, making any

rescue extremely challenging. Operating at the extreme

limits of the lifeboats capabilities, Damien used great

seamanship skills to manoeuvre towards them, and both

were recovered to the boat. Sadly, however, one of the

men did not survive.

(photos courtesy RNLI/Bob Bulgin)

Five other Certificates and

12 Letters of Commend-

ation were also awarded as

the IMO honoured lifesavers from around the world.

The IMO is now seeking nominations for the 2014

Awards. In order to qualify, the action must have taken

place in the period 1 March 2013 to 28 February 2014;

and nominations must be submitted to the IMO by 15

April 2014. As the IMRF is on the judging panel, we ask

for nominations to be made via an IMO Member State if

possible. Contact [email protected] for further details.



LLIIFFEE LLIINNEE

And finally...

We hope that you have found this issue of LIFE LINE informative and interesting. We know that there is

much more going on among IMRFs membership that could be reported here, to the benefit of all but we

rely on you, the reader, to tell us about it! LIFE LINE and the IMRF website need you to provide their

contents your news, your projects, your events, your ideas, your lessons learned.

We also need your pictures, please: good quality pictures (more than 250 kB, if possible) of your SAR units

boats, ships, aircraft, RCCs etc. These will be used in LIFE LINE and on the website but are also needed

for presentations and to accompany press articles about the IMRF and its worldwide work.

Please send articles and pictures (or links to them, with formal permission for them to be used for IMRF

purposes) to [email protected]

Lets spread the word, for the benefit of all at risk on the worlds waters.

The FIRST Project

There are other ways of improving ferry safety too. We

have featured the FIRST Project in LIFE LINE before.

Heres a quick update from project member Mikael

Hinnerson of the Swedish Sea Rescue Society.

In July some of the FIRST team did special training and

tests with TESO, the Dutch ferry company operating

between Texel and Den Helder. Here we see one of our

rescue runners alongside the Dokter Wagemaker.

TESO, like many other shipping companies, has had

incidents with the hooks of the ships rescue boat. This

makes people reluctant to trust the equipment. But

masters, mates and seamen agree that the FIRST launch

and recovery principle, using a cradle, is much safer.

Again, the improvements are there to be made, if the

regulators and operators are willing to make them. For

further information, see www.first-rescue.org.

Safe affordable ferries

On page 9 we discussed the problems of mass rescue

operations, and the work the IMRF is undertaking to

improve capability in such cases globally. But the MRO

problem needs to be tackled from the other end too.

Thats why the IMRF strongly supports efforts being made

to improve passenger ship safety, particularly in the

developing world, where ferries have to operate as

cheaply as possible.

This is the winning design in an international student

design competition run by the World Ferry Safety

Association and our sister organisation at the IMO,

Interferry (see www.ferrysafety.org).

The goal was to elicit new approaches for ferry design in

the developing world as well as to encourage designers to

enter this arena. There is both a need and an emerging

market. Dr Roberta Weisbrod, WFSA Executive Director,

said All the teams were technically strong and many had

innovative approaches. The winners were a team from the

University of British Columbia, Canada, with a monohull

vessel design with exceptional stability characteristics.

The entry was very complete in terms of design and cost

and fuel analysis. Features include CNG-fuelled engines,

modular cabins, and handicapped access.

The IMRF adds our congratulations to the winning team,

and to the other entrants. Now we hope to see their ideas

become reality!

LIFELINE December 2013 - English

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