10 October 2008
Singapore Maritime Week 2008, Singapore's flagship maritime event driven by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), kicked off this morning with a flash of more than 2,000 sea legs at East Coast Park.
This morning, Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Raymond Lim, flagged off the curtain-raiser, which is the inaugural Singapore Nautical Run. The charity event attracted over 1,000 participants from the maritime community, raising S$333,000 for The President's Challenge and The Straits Times Pocket Money Fund.
"The Singapore Nautical Run brings the maritime community together for a social cause. As the opening event, the Run offers a fresh take, and celebrates the coming-of-age of the Singapore Maritime Week,"said BG (NS) Tay Lim Heng, MPA's Chief Executive.
Indeed, Singapore Maritime Week 2008 (10-19 October) has grown in size and significance since it started two years ago. What began as a week-long clustering of business activities has now developed into a comprehensive range of programmes which includes international conferences, seminars, and dialogues on topical issues; social activities for business networking; community events; and exhibitions for the general public.
"This year's Singapore Maritime Week is expected to attract over 6,000 participants, up from 2,900 in 2006, and 4,500 in 2007," BG (NS) Tay added. "Involving movers and shakers of the international maritime community, it is reflective of the attraction and vibrancy of Singapore as an international maritime centre."
Participants of Singapore Maritime Week 2008's conferences and dialogues can look forward to serious discussions and lively dialogues on current issues facing the maritime community. The 2nd Singapore Maritime Lecture (16 October) will feature International Maritime Organization Secretary-General Mr Efthimios E Mitropoulos sharing his insights on shipping and the issue of climate change. Elsewhere, the 15th Singapore International Bunkering Conference (SIBCON 2008, 15-17 October) will provide a platform for stakeholders to discuss the environmental challenges faced by the marine fuel industry. And, to put words into action, there will be a Joint Oil Spill Exercise led by MPA after the conference. In line with MPA's strong commitment to the protection of the marine environment, JOSE 2008 will test and ensure the country's effective and swift response to oil spill incidents.
MPA will also be putting up an exhibition "From Lighthouses to Electronic Charts" (17-19 October), which gives the public an opportunity to learn about Singapore's maritime and hydrographic heritage. This three-day, free exhibition at VivoCity showcases how the maritime sector has progressed in aids to navigation and nautical charting.
The lineup of the Singapore Maritime Week 2008, which revolves mainly around the theme of shipping and the maritime community's environmental and social credentials, includes the following:
The Inaugural Singapore Nautical Run, 10 Oct (Launch event)
Flagged off by Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Raymond Lim, Singapore Nautical Run on 10 October sees the whole maritime community coming together for a social cause. It is part of MPA's continuous efforts to give back to the community. Previous community service projects by MPA include a charity golf event and gala dinner in 2003 for Dover Park Hospice.
Official Reopening of Singapore Mariners' Club Apartments and SMW 2008
Hamper Presentation, 13 Oct
A home away from home for seafarers, the Singapore Mariners Club Apartments and the Maritime House, which have just been renovated, will officially reopen on 13 October. At the reopening, Guest-of-Honour Minister Lim Swee Say, NTUC Secretary-General, will also be handing out hampers to members of the shipping community.
MPA has spent S$5 million to upgrade both facilities. At the crossroads of seaborne trade, Singapore is the congregating point for the maritime community.
The Singapore Mariners' Club, housing the apartments and the Maritime House, is located at 120 Cantonment Road. It functions as a one-stop service centre to meet seafarers' needs in port. The provision of such a facility reaffirms Singapore's standing as a caring member of the international shipping community.
The hampers to be handed out by Minister Lim Swee Say are part of the annual hamper distribution organised by MPA for the seafarer community, to recognise their important role in global seaborne trade. This year, 600 hampers will be given out to ships that call at our port during the Singapore Maritime Week.
Aside from the annual hamper distribution, MPA also organises sporting and recreational-related activities for seafarers throughout the year, such as the International Sports Week for Seafarers (May 2008). This annual, week-long event, during which seafarers gather for friendly competition in sports activities, promotes goodwill among seafarers of different nationalities and backgrounds.
Beyond these, MPA administers an educational grant for seamen, long service retirement awards, group insurance schemes, and a special relief fund.
See Annex 2 for more details on Singapore Mariners' Club Apartments and other facilities as well as MPA's seafarer welfare efforts.
15th Singapore International Bunkering Conference (SIBCON), 15-17 Oct
Themed "Powering Global Shipping-The Marine Fuels Challenge," SIBCON 2008 is expected to draw over 800 participants, and will feature, as speakers, industry luminaries such as Isabella Loh, CEO, Shell Marine Products, and Michael Bandy, Chairman & CEO, Chemoil Energy Limited. The conference will cover topics including challenges facing marine and fuel industries, and the ensuing responses to these challenges. It will be officiated by Guest-of-Honour Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Raymond Lim, who will deliver the keynote address.
As Singapore continues its growth as a major bunkering port, MPA will be launching new industry growth and bunker quality assurance initiatives, the SS600 and BunkerNet. Both initiatives are part of our commitment to grow the bunker sector through an effective quality assurance system, and to leverage infocomm technology to further enhance operational efficiencies.
Note: The joint release on SS600 to be issued by SPRING Singapore and MPA on 15 October will offer more details.
2nd Singapore Maritime Lecture, 16 Oct
Tapping the success of last year's inaugural Singapore Maritime Lecture featuring Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, the 2nd Singapore Maritime Lecture will have International Maritime Organization's Secretary-General, Mr Efthimios E Mitropoulos, offering his views on shipping and the issue of climate change.
The Singapore Maritime Lecture is a prestigious annual lecture series which features prominent personalities, including industry leaders and government policy-makers, sharing their perspectives and insights on important maritime-related issues.
Note: International Maritime Organization is the United Nations specialised agency for shipping.
Joint Oil Spill Exercise (JOSE) 08, 17 Oct
To demonstrate Singapore's readiness to deal with oil spills effectively and efficiently at all times, MPA will be conducting a multi-agency Joint Oil Spill Exercise - JOSE 2008. The exercise, located at sea about 2.8 kilometres (or 1.5 nautical miles) from Raffles Lighthouse, will involve about 16 anti-pollution craft, including a dispersant spraying aircraft.
About 100 participants from MPA, Shell Eastern Petroleum Pte Ltd, Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), Police Coast Guard (PCG), Agri-Food Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA), National Environment Agency (NEA), National Parks Board, oil spill response companies, and six oil terminals will be involved in this full-scale oil spill exercise.
MPA, as the lead agency responding to marine incidents, makes committed efforts to protect the environment. This is of utmost importance as we continue to develop Singapore as a major shipping and petrochemical hub. Working with other agencies and the industry, MPA has also drawn up comprehensive contingency plans that are tested and validated through regular exercises. This helps to ensure our ability to respond effectively to oil and chemical spills from ships, should prevention fail. JOSE 2008 will demonstrate MPA's response to marine incidents, underpinned by close cooperation and effective partnerships with all stakeholders.
Note: The release to be issued by MPA on 17 October will offer more details on JOSE 2008.
From Lighthouses to Electronic Charts - An Exhibition (17-19 Oct 08)
To provide the public an opportunity to learn about Singapore's maritime and hydrographic heritage, MPA will be holding a three-day, free exhibition "From Lighthouses to Electronic Charts" at VivoCity from Friday to Sunday, 17-19 October. The exhibition traces Singapore's contribution to navigational safety in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, and provides a glimpse of nautical charts and aids to navigation used from the 19th to 21st century.
MPA works closely with the other littoral states, Malaysia and Indonesia, and the international maritime community to maintain navigational safety in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore. The Cooperative Mechanism established last year is central to ensuring and enhancing navigational safety in the Straits. It provides a framework for the littoral States, viz. Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, to cooperate with Straits-users to enhance navigational safety and environmental protection in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, as provided for by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The exhibits which the public can look forward to include images and models of lighthouses, navigation lanterns, sextants, and beacon models. The exhibition also showcases some of the technology used by MPA, such as the multi-beam sonar system and electronic chart display and information system (ECDIS).
At the same time, stamp collectors can look forward to a series of stamps featuring various aids to navigation spanning the 19th to 21st century. Limited sets are available for sale at the exhibition.
End of release
Annex 1: Singapore Maritime Week 2008 lineup and facts and figures
Annex 2: Details on Singapore Mariners' Club Apartments, other facilities and MPA's seafarer welfare efforts
Annex 3: Details on "From Lighthouses to Electronic Charts - An Exhibition"
Annex 4: Growth of the Singapore maritime industry
Annexes
About the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA)
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) was established on 2 February 1996, with the mission to develop Singapore as a premier global hub port and international maritime centre (IMC), and to advance and safeguard Singapore's strategic maritime interests. MPA is the driving force behind Singapore's port and maritime development, taking on the roles of Port Authority, Port Regulator, Port Planner, IMC Champion, and National Maritime Representative. MPA partners the industry and other agencies to enhance safety, security and environmental protection in our port waters, facilitate port operations and growth, expand the cluster of maritime ancillary services, and promote maritime R&D and manpower development.
About the Port of Singapore
The port of Singapore comprises a number of facilities and terminals that handle a wide range of cargo transported in different forms, including containers as well as conventional and bulk cargo. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) is responsible for the overall development and growth of the port of Singapore, which includes terminal operators, such as PSA Corporation and Jurong Port Pte Ltd.
About Singapore Maritime Week
Singapore Maritime Week is the leading annual maritime event in Singapore. Driven by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), it is a gathering of the international maritime community in Singapore for a week of international conferences, dialogues, exhibitions and social events in celebration of all things maritime. The range of activities and events organised by MPA, industry and research and educational institutions, as well as the cosmopolitan atmosphere and profile of participants, reflect the vibrancy and diversity of Singapore as a major international maritime centre. Singapore Maritime Week is fast becoming the "must-attend" event in the hearts and minds of the maritime community. The 3rd Singapore Maritime Week, which kicked off on 10 October with the inaugural Singapore Nautical Run, will end on 19 October 2008.
