The International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA) will hold a series of seminars and meetings in Sydney and Brisbane from Monday 5 November focussing on improving the capacity of authorities to ensure the safety of life at sea.
The events will be attended by IALA Secretary-General Gary Prosser and representatives from maritime safety authorities from Australia and around the world. Attendance by developing countries in the south west Pacific region is being sponsored by the IMO, AusAID, International Fund for Aids to Navigation (IFAN) and AMSA.
On Monday 5 November, a risk management training seminar, hosted by IALA and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), will provide an overview of IALA’s risk management tools and allow for delegates to be trained in their use.
The IALA Aids to Navigation Management Committee meeting to be held in Brisbane from 12 November is an opportunity for the committee to enhance IALA’s guidance for authorities on key aspects such as the marking of shipping channels and offshore structures, the use of AIS as an aid to navigation, determining the users’ requirements for aids to navigation, the application of the IMO-approved maritime buoyage system and improving the quality of aids to navigation services.
A training seminar to be held in Sydney from 12-13 November will focus on the advances in navigational safety and building awareness of the obligations for countries to ensure safety of navigation in their waters under the International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea 1974 (as amended).
AMSA manages Australia’s AtoN network which consists of over 400 facilities around the coast.
IALA is a not-for-profit international technical association, established in 1957. IALA’s purpose is to ensure that seafarers are provided with effective and harmonised marine aids to navigation services worldwide to assist in safe navigation of shipping and protection of the environment.
IALA supports the work of the International Maritime Organization by developing guidance on aids to navigation such as beacons, buoys and lighthouses, automatic identification services and vessel tracking services.
It is also working closely with the IMO on the development of e-Navigation, which will enhance navigational safety.