Tag: Mediterranean Shipping Company

Day of the Seafarer 2024: SA maritime sector pays tribute to 11 SA fishermen lost at sea in May.

Day of the Seafarer 2024
Day of the Seafarer 2024: Durban. 25 June 2024. Senior government officials, heads of organisations and companies, seaferarers and others attending, devoting a minute’s silence in memory of South Africa’s 11 fishermen lost at sea, and presumed dead in May 2024.

Pretoria: 04 July 2024

South Africa joined the global maritime community on June 25, the Day of the Seafarer, to honour and pay tribute to seafarers, in an event hosted in three of the country’s coastal cities of Cape Town, Gqeberha and Durban.

The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) in partnership with the Department of Transport (DoT) and Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) led the event in Durban KwaZulu-Natal, while the DoT held base in Cape Town, and the South African International Maritime Institute (SAIMI) hosted the Gqeberha leg.

SAMSA and the maritime captains saluted the endeavours of the seafarers who risk their lives at sea for months on end, annually.

Ushered by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) with the theme: “Seafarers’ contribution to making the maritime sector a safer workplace”, key speakers at the SAMSA event included Mr Dumisani Ntuli; Chief Director: Maritime Policy and Legislation at the DoT, Mr Tau Morwe, SAMSA Acting Chief Executive Officer (ACEO), along with representatives of maritime sector companies, among them; Mediterranean Shipping Company (MCS), South African Association of Ship Operators and Agents (SASOA), and  Fender Care.

Mr Mahesh Fakir:
SAMSA Board Chairperson
Mr Dumisani Ntuli.Chief Director: Maritime Policy and Legislation. Department of Transport
Ms Siphumelele Gcaba
Fender Care Representative

True to the spirit of the theme of the Day, the gathering in Durban dedicated a minute of silence in remembrance of the 11 South African crewmen who tragically lost their lives after their Cape Town based fishing trawler rapidly sank in the Atlantic Ocean on 17 May 2024. The fishing trawler, FV Lepanto, according to reports at the time, had 20 crew members on board, with nine (9) having survived the ordeal after being rescued.

SAMSA’s Board Chair, Mr. Mahesh Fakir, reflected on the incident as indicative of the most challenging working environments seafarers in South Africa and global have to deal with as well as vital role they continue to play to the world economy.

He noted that an investigation was still underway on the tragic Cape Town fishing vessel incident.

Mr Tau Morwe. Acting CEO. South African Maritime Safety Authority

Also, in his opening remarks, speaking on the theme of the day and stressing the pivotal role seafarers play in ensuring safety in the maritime sector Mr Morwe, said: “The (Day of the Seafarer 2024) theme serves as a reminder of the crucial role that seafarers play in ensuring their own safety and the safety of the vessels while navigating the unpredictable sea. The maritime industry is a challenging and demanding environment where seafarers face numerous risks.”

“It is through their unwavering dedication, professionalism, and commitment to safety to overcome challenges and ensure the smooth operation of the maritime sector. As a South African Maritime Safety Authority, we share this responsibility. We pay tribute to all the seafarers that have been injured, lost their lives at sea, or have been suffering from trauma because of their service.”

Captain Brynn Adamson, TNPA Harbour Master at the port of Port Elizabeth, also shared a message of support to the contribution of seafarers towards their safety and wellbeing.

“As TNPA, the custodian of all the ports in South Africa, we take the role of embedding safety not only in marine operations exceptionally seriously, but also, ensuring that safety is cascaded to our tenants, port users, vessel masters, terminal operators, through our licenses, lease arrangements, incident management procedures.

“As one of the largest employers of seafarers in South Africa, TNPA pledges and reaffirms to the safety and most importantly, the well-being of seafarers that visit our 8 ports and all seafarers calling our shores. We take this opportunity to recognise the contribution that all seafarers make in our daily lives.”

Lending support to the focus of sentiment on the day, on behalf of government, Mr Ntuli of the DoT highlighted the government’s efforts in creating employment opportunities for seafarers in the country, outlining the plans that are in place.

“We have advocated for a homegrown ship as well as increase flagging to assist our seafarers to access high employment opportunities. The Merchant Shipping Act which is under reconstruction in a form of a Merchant Shipping Bill will introduce coastal shipping for the country and its regions which will promote also employment, skills and development,” said Mr Ntuli.

Meanwhile, as has become standard practice by the DoT and SAMSA during celebration of the Day of the Seafarer annually, pupils in grades 10 to 12 from about 12 schools in the KwaZulu Natal province partook in the event, as were exhibitors such as the South African Police Service (SAPS), African Marine Solutions (AMSOL), Moses Kotane Institute (MKI), Durban University of Technology (DUT), Ports Regulator of South Africa (PRSA), Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA), and KZN Department of Transport.

The event also encompassed a panel discussion on various subjects such as safety and wellbeing (psychological, emotional, and physical health) of seafarers as well as the advancement of technology, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) on whether it has an impact on job security of seafarers.

The panel discussion was led by Capt. Tshepo Motloutsi, a senior manager for maritime policy at SAMSA’s Centre of Policy, Legal and Regulation, in which participants include Mr Michael Manqele, lecturer at Durban University of Technology (DUT), Cap. Rodrego Thompson, a ship surveyor at SAMSA, Reverend Forbes Maupa from the Durban Seafarer Mission, Ms Tracy Myeza, Chief Engineer of Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) tugs, and Ms Zama Mkhize, Tug Master at TNPA.

For more visuals of the event, a large portion of which was livestreamed, please click on the following SAMSA Facebook posts links in succession.

https://web.facebook.com/share/v/2bcCkbXfjmpnHaEv

https://web.facebook.com/share/v/aWmjWCwRsM34yBxQ

https://web.facebook.com/share/v/TKSUhABSQUesP6hD

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Durban beaches ready for festive season after nurdles spillage clean-up: SAMSA

DSC_1944
Clean up of Durban beaches to rid it of millions of tiny pellets known as nurdles is progressing well, according to the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA). According to SAMSA, the beaches should be ready for the 2017 Festive Season.

CAPE TOWN: 08 December 2017

 

Durban beaches will be ready for thousands of revelers this festive season after a successful clean-up of millions of tiny little plastic pellets known as nurdles that polutted almost the entire eastern coast of South Africa after the break up of containers containing the pellets during a freak weather storm that battered Durban recently.

This is according to the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) on Friday in a statement spelling out progress achieved to date with the clean-up.

DSC_1983The SAMSA statement reads:

December 08, 2017: As the festive season approaches, the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) along with Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA), Transnet National Ports Authority (TPNA), and the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) are optimistic that KwaZulu-Natal beaches are ready for bathers and holidaymakers.

Authorities have been working tirelessly around the clock to retrieve a total of 2000 bags that were carrying plastic polyethylene nurdles lost from containers following the storm on October 10, 2017 in KwaZulu-Natal.

The storm wreaked havoc causing several deaths in and around the province, as well as extensive damage. It further caused destruction at the Durban harbour when several ships lost their moorings, and four shipping containers fell off vessels.

A Joint Operations Committee, attended by SAMSA, DEA and TNPA has met regularly reporting on the progress of the clean-up. While the Durban Harbour has been declared safe and clean, the authorities are still monitoring the area. So far at least 3,5 tons of nurdles have been recovered.

The clean-up teams have worked around the clock to ensure that the Durban beaches were ready for the festive season.

The JOC confirmed this week clean- up operations will now be concentrated on the north coast as heavy deposits of nurdles were spotted on the Northern lagoon banks.

The MSC has appointed local firm Drizit Environmental who have been storing the nurdles at their depot in Jacobs, Durban, and were using several clean-up teams round the clock.

The clean-up has moved from the Durban beaches, towards the North Coast beaches, namely Clarke Bay, Granny’s Pool (second clean-up), Shaka’s Rock, Thomsons Beach, Mvoti beach, Villa Royale beach, and Ballito main beach.

Areas which have also been prioritized are the Tugela Mouth Lagoon and the Hatchery Lagoon.

SAMSA’s principal officer based in Durban Captain Hopewell Mkhize confirmed that the clean up process was progressing well.

“Drizit has assured us that they will continue in their efforts to ensure that the critical beaches are treated as priority, and that their they are declared safe for use before December 10, 2017.”

Mkhize said the clean-up process will be ongoing. Some areas have been recharged with nurdles and having to be cleaned again. “The situation will be monitored for now before the decision to stop is made.”

Additional resources and personnel provided by DEA have been brought to sites, and are assisting to speed up the clean-up operations. During the clean- up operations different types of plastics, not emanating from the containers, were also spotted.

Mkhize said an ROV Survey was completed to scan the bottom of harbour area to ensure that none of the nurdles bags were trapped underneath. The investigation found nothing.

A model study was further undertaken looking at the currents, the tides, and the wind to confirm the possible places where the bags could have gone. The clean-up teams were busy with the targeted areas and also focusing on the projections of the model results.  

SAMSA was overall pleased with the clean-up process and welcomed the efforts by the Department of Environmental Affairs’ Working for the Coast program to clean up the shorelines.

The support from volunteer groups who have assisted with the clean-up efforts, and the public at large has been greatly appreciated. There have been reports received of nurdles washing up on beaches in the Eastern Cape and Western Cape. These reports are of great concern and are being addressed, the DEA said.

ENDS