INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION
Did you know that...• Oceans cover 71 per cent of the surface of the Earth, or 360 million square kilometres.
• The ocean is, on average, 4 kilometres deep. The deepest point is the Mariana Deep
(11.7 kilometres deep).An automatic SOS
Jerry Ruby is a skipper on board the "Spirit of Saint Louis IV," a sailing boat under Costa Rican flag, presently in dry dock in Saint Barthelemy in the West Indies.
"Sure, the sea remains dangerous. All sailors are aware, when going out at sea, that they may not always come back safely to port. So much can happen on the way, from collisions with freighters to simple falls. It's true, however, that security systems have improved tremendously. In the last few years, for instance, a system of satellite communications has made it possible to send warnings when something happens on board. Within one or two years, there will even be a system for automatic distress calls. If a boat sinks, a signal will automatically be sent to rescue teams, requiring no operation from the crew."
The IMO works for the establishment of communications systems which guarantee greater safety on the seas.
Double hulls
Liu Pia Yen works on the docks in Singapore. He has just finished unloading a cereal freighter.
"We see so many freighters here, of all kinds and in all conditions. From old tubs that barely float to ultramodern supertankers that look like luxury cars and that could carry a whole city with a crew of twenty men. It's true that new ships with smaller crews are much safer than the old ones with loads of people on board. First, the new ones are built with reinforced hulls, which reduces risks, and then crews are much better trained."
The IMO has taken a series of measures aimed at improving the security of ships, be it through the building of double hulls or the training of crews. It has led to the adoption of a convention on the training and certification of seafarers.
in black stains all summer. Specially on the feet. My uncle would wash us once in a while with petrol from his car. I still can remember the smell of it. And our swimming suits would only last one season, because my Mom could never wash off all the stains."
A stainless summer Montse Balbaroa, 22, studies in a law school in Madrid. She is spending her vacation at her uncle's near Llanes, a few kilometers from Santander in Spain.
"There certainly is much less tar on the beach than a few years ago. I remember as a child, I used to be covered
The IMO has adopted a number of measures aimed at preventing marine pollution from ship collisions but also from polluting operations such as the cleaning of tanks or machines at sea.
The IMO in brief
Founded in 1948, the IMO:
• Works towards improving maritime safety;
• Fights marine pollution;
• Is setting up a compensation system for people incurring financial losses linked to marine pollution; • Has established an international system for distress calls and searches and rescue operations.International Maritime Organization (IMO)
4 Albert Embankment
London SE1 7SR
United Kingdom
Tel.: (44-171) 735 7611
Website: http://www.imo.org
E-mail: info@imo.org
