By
Rebecca Gibson |
Global trade association Interferry has invited experts to submit papers on safety, security and the environment in the ferry industry ahead of its 43rd annual conference, which will take place in Cancun, Mexico this October.
To complement a presentation about the work its Domestic Safety Committee is doing to improve safety in the developing world, Interferry hopes to receive papers from suppliers with safety-orientated technologies that could be implemented easily and cost-effectively in developing nations. Suppliers are also able to submit presentation proposals on fire safety.
In addition, Interferry would like ferry operators to submit case studies on their new environmental sustainability initiatives. However, people should steer away from using electrification and LNG as alternative fuels because these were covered at last year’s conference.
“Topics under consideration for 2018 could include hydrogen fuel, ballast water management and underwater ship noise,” said Mike Corrigan, CEO of Interferry. “We’re looking for a broad spectrum of presentations ranging from ferry-specific environmental stewardship programmes to green initiatives addressing terminals, foreshores, waters and marine life. In particular, we want shipbreaking and disposal to be a significant part of this agenda, with presentations and a panel discussion among operators and breaking yards on the legal and regulatory requirements, as well as the ethical debate.”
All submissions should be e-mailed to Mike Corrigan by 8 May 2018 and include a 300-word abstract on the proposed topic, as well as a short biography of the author. Chosen speakers will be notified by 15 June.
“The core themes of this year’s conference are issues of ever-increasing importance, not just to the worldwide ferry industry, but also across society as a whole,” said Corrigan. “We welcome papers from both within and outside the industry that can bring unique perspectives to these topics.”
Interferry has already confirmed two keynote speakers – Robin Silvester, president and CEO of Canada’s Port of Vancouver, and Mark Sutcliffe, director of the CSO Alliance of maritime company security officers. In addition, Interferry has approached a multinational authority for a keynote presentation on global terrorism trends and the potential impact on ferry operations, which will be further reviewed by the association’s newly-formed Security Committee.
International Cruise & Ferry Review will be a media sponsor for Interferry's conference.