123 “ The primary purpose of the seminar is to enhance ferry safety across the African continent” stowage, respectively. We shall have the whole range of experts coming to Dar es Salaam, including those with experience in enforcement and ferry ticketing. Archipelago Philippine Ferries Corporation will share its expertise and recommend investment in newbuild tonnage as one of the safety issues is a poorly maintained second-hand fleet. We will also have a session dealing with political will. Admittedly, this is a very sensitive topic, but it’s one of the key recommendations that came out from our FerrySafe project in the Philippines. If there’s no political will to bring about enforcement or change, you will not improve your safety record. The same goes for a ‘no sail’ policy; this ensures that the master has the authority to cancel sailing in the event of severe bad weather. Although all sessions will be held in English, this will be a true panAfrican seminar with invitations to both francophone and anglophone countries. The IMO will invite up to 50 delegates, encompassing regulators, legislators and government bodies concerned with ferries. Interferry will also invite a similar number from ferry operators throughout Africa. What do you expect to achieve with the seminar? Let me stress that we are not in Dar es Salaam to lecture these operators and their governments as there are other tools available, for example the IMO’s Model Regulations on Domestic Ferry Safety. The primary purpose of the seminar is to enhance ferry safety across the African continent. The best way to do this is for Interferry panellists to listen to the African delegates’ experiences and then make suggestions and recommendations. We are very conscious this cannot just be a one-off; we expect to repeat this exercise, but we need to see if a seminar is the right format to improve domestic ferry safety in Africa. Interferry is working with ferry operators in developing countries to ensure they follow safety procedures and fit vessels with equipment such as lifeboats Photo: Pexels/Alexander Zvir
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