News

Season Greetings

IALA and the Buoyage family are wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2022! The offices will be closed on Thursday 23 December 2021 and we will be back on Monday 3 January 2022!

Digital@Sea Asia-Pacific 2021

Registration is now open for the Digital@Sea Asia-Pacific Conference. It will be a virtual event on an online platform from 8 to 9 September 2021. All the details are available on the dedicated website.

World Marine Aids to Navigation Day Webinar 1st July 2021

Watch on Youtube

This year again the WATON Day will be celebrated virtually. Everyone is invited to share photos of AtoN in Social Media on that day to raise awareness world-wide.

View the programme of the webinar organized for the occasion.

Seminar on MASS in Spanish Language

In the same line as the workshop on AtoN in the Autonomous World held from 24 to 28 May 2021, a seminar with similar content is organized for Spanish speaking countries on 29 to 30 June 2021. Information / Registration

Council 73

The 73^rd session of the IALA Council was held by video conference from 8 to 10 June 2021. The Council proceeded in a good spirit although the pandemic was still very much present in everyone’mind. Business went as usual with activity reports from the Secretary-General, the deputy Secretary-General, the Dean and 7 members who submitted National Matters. Information about the progress on the change of status and a provisional timeline for the planning of the future steps was provided.

Since the IALA Heritage Lighthouse of the Year Award was established in 2019, the Engineering committee reviewed a high number of nominations submitted, emphasising the variety and cultural value of lighthouses around the world. In total, 29 nominations from 18 member countries were received for consideration. The Council decided to award Cape Byron lighthouse, Australia the title of IALA Heritage Lighthouse of the Year 2021.

The Council approved three recommendations and nine guidelines, and one workshop as well as the extended committee work programme for 2018-2023. 

New and revised recommendations:

• R0143 – Provision of Virtual Aids to Navigation (O-143)
• R1022 – Provision of GNSS Augmentation Service for Maritime Application
• R0110 – Rhythmic Characters of Lights on Aids to Navigation (E-110)

New and revised guidelines:

• G1081 – Provision of Virtual Aids to Navigation
• G1143 – Unique Identifiers for Maritime Resources
• G1159 – Ship Reporting from a shore-based perspective
• G1134 – Surface Colours used as Visual Signals on AtoN
• G1160 – Competencies for planning and implementing a VTS
• G1141 – Operational procedure for delivering VTS
• G1132 – VTS Voice Communications and Phraseology
• G1017 – Assessment for Recognition of Prior Learning in VTS Training
• G1161 – Evaluation of Platforms for the Provision of Maritime Services in the Context of e-Navigation

View the webinar on New guidance documents organized on 17 June 2021 at 12:00 UTC.

Academy News – Participants views on the Symposium

Watch the feedback from 3 participants to the 14th IALA Symposium held from 12 to 16 April 2021.

Workshop on AtoN in the Autonomous World

IALA in association with Japan Coast Guard is hosting a Workshop on Marine Aids to Navigation in the Autonomous World, to be held virtually from 20 to 28 May 2021.

Press Release from MENAS launching accredited training courses

Bahrain-based Middle East Navigation Aids Service (MENAS) has underlined its commitment to boosting safe navigation in the Middle East Gulf by launching an Accredited Training Course (ATO) in partnership with the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA). 

The ATO accreditation was awarded after a rigorous process undertaken by Trinity House (TH) under an existing agreement between IALA and TH for training audits.

The IALA Marine Aids to Navigation Training Courses have been designed to generate a common approach to Aids to Navigation (AtoN) training and achieve a high standard approach to its implementation. The courses are delivered according to the IALA World-Wide Academy (WWA) model course syllabus.

Government and semi-government departments within the Gulf Cooperation Council member states will be targeted for the courses, which will start once the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has eased off.

The initial delivery will be IALA Level 2 Marine Aids to Navigation Technician courses providing a framework for the training and education of personnel tasked with conducting the installation, servicing, maintenance or replacement of marine aids to navigation and their components.

Subsequently, MENAS will deliver the IALA Level 1 Marine Aids to Navigation Manager course, providing a framework for the training and education of professionals involved in the strategic and operational management of AtoN services. This course covers the fundamental principles of effective AtoN management, with a significant emphasis on the implementation of the IALA standards, to enable coastal states to have suitably qualified professionals to effectively discharge their obligations under the SOLAS Convention.

MENAS, which is a subsidiary of the London-based International Foundation for Aids to Navigation (IFAN), welcomed the move.

Mahdi Al Mosawi, General Manager for MENAS, stressed: “We’re delighted to have developed a course to help provide a universal approach to ensure thorough training and standards are maintained globally.”

Peter Stanley, CEO of IFAN, said: “The IALA Marine Aids to Navigation Training Courses will help to keep safety at the forefront. It’s taken a long time to come to fruition, but we’re thrilled that we’re now able to support training for safer seas.” 

14th Symposium – 12 to 16 April 2021

Enhanced Maritime Safety and Efficiency by Connectivity

The 14^th IALA Symposium was a great success with interactive participation from 229 delegates from 20 countries and 13 sponsors online. Here is a list of the highlights from the discussions of the week. The network app is still open until 1^st of July for everyone to enjoy the presentations and networking a little bit longer!

Digital@Sea Webinar – 14 April 2021 – 10:00 to 11:00 UTC

A webinar on the Digital@Sea Conference was organized on the 14 April 2021 from 10:00 to 11:00 UTC just prior day 3 of the IALA 14th Symposium.

Watch the webinar on Youtube !

	Francis Zachariae, Secretary General, IALA – Digital@Sea Introduction and background
	Andreas Nordseth, Director General, DMA – Digital@Sea Initiative and possible role for IALA
	Sunbae Hong, Director of Korea MOF – Digital@Sea Cluster and capacity building
	Ed Wendlandt RTCM(USCG) – ENUW (e-Navigation Underway) NA (North America) and plan for this year’s conference

Webinaire Points Cardinaux n°2 – Pleins feux sur les atouts de la gestion des risques – Mardi 23 mars 2021 à 1400 UTC

L’Académie Mondiale de l’AISM a  décidé d’organiser des vidéo-conférences, appelées Points cardinaux, ouvertes à l’ensemble des parties prenantes de la sécurité de la navigation (autorités nationales compétentes, autorités portuaires, …).

Pour le renforcement des capacités en Afrique, le webinaire Points Cardinaux n° 2 « Pleins feux sur les atouts de la gestion des risques – L’analyse de risques, outil de dialogue et de réduction des coûts » est programmé le mardi 23 mars 2021, en langue française, de 1400 à 1500 UTC. Voir le programme.

Pour vous connecter, merci de bien vouloir utiliser le lien suivant : cliquer ici

L’enregistrement sera disponible sur la chaine Youtube de l’AISM.

The World-Wide Academy is organizing a series of webinars entitled ‘Points Cardinaux’ open to all actors for the safety of navigation (Competent Authorities, Ports Authorities, …).

For Capacity Building in Africa, the webinar ‘Points Cardinaux n°2 Light on the benefits of Risk Management – Analysis of risks, tools and costs reduction’ is scheduled on Tuesday 23 March 2021, in French, from 1400 to 1500 UTC.

Singapore ratified the Convention on the International Organization for Marine Aids to Navigation

On 9 March 2021, Singapore ratified the Convention on the International Organization for Marine Aids to Navigation. It is the first country to do so shortly after it signed the Convention on 1 March 2021.

See Press Release here and more information on the Convention here.

Signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on Sponsorship to the WWA in Dec 2018. Mrs Angela Png, Director (International) Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore and Mr Francis Zachariae, Secretary-General of IALA.