Australia hosts forum for Pacific maritime safety and sustainability.

This week, the annual Asia Pacific Heads of Maritime Safety Agencies (APHoMSA) forum is being held in Australia with the aim of promoting a safe, secure and sustainable maritime industry and a clean marine environment in the Pacific region. The APHoMSA connects maritime leaders from countries located along the Pacific Ocean to develop shared solutions for priorities such as maritime safety, search and rescue and increasing female participation in the maritime industry. Australia is represented by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) and participates in the forum as both a Pacific region member state and the permanent APHoMSA secretariat.

With approximately 30 maritime states participating in the forum, CEO of AMSA, Mick Kinley explains that the Pacific region shares significant challenges and that the forum’s work will lead to better outcomes. Kinley says the forum will be focusing not only on increasing safety on the water, and optimising search and rescue capability across the Pacific region, but also on actions to position the maritime industry for a sustainable and equitable future.

“The region shares a high dependence on the maritime industry for secure supply chains. Many member states are also island nations that face the existential threat of rising sea levels. The global maritime industry is also facing a huge worker shortage, and the Pacific region has championed globally the importance of increasing the participation of women in maritime to address this,” Kinley said.

More than 100 delegates will be represented at the Sydney forum, including the International Maritime Organization. The APHoMSA forum will continue to facilitate maritime leaders from the Pacific region to come together and share ideas and solutions for the common challenges they face.

The APHoMSA forum is crucial in bringing together maritime leaders from the Pacific region, where the maritime industry plays a vital role in securing supply chains and supporting the economies of island nations. With the threat of rising sea levels and a worker shortage faced by the industry, the forum’s work is essential in ensuring a safe, secure and sustainable maritime industry in the Pacific region.

Source .