Shipping firms pledge to share burden of Malacca Straits security

Nov 24, 2008, 3:10 GMT

Kuala Lumpur - Shipping firms and users of the Malacca Straits on Monday renewed their pledge of sharing the responsibility of maintaining vessel safety at the busy waterway.

With the volume of traffic expected to rise from 70,718 last year, to an estimated 120,000 vessels by 2015, security and protection of marine life at the Straits would have to be maintained by all users, said Yohi Sasakawa, chairman of the Japanese privately-owned Nippon Foundation, which funds security efforts at the Straits.

'Keeping the Straits open and efficient is crucial for the common benefits of the global community,' Sasakawa said at a conference of shipping firms and government marine agencies in Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur.

'As more ships pass through, the burden of this responsibility is becoming too great to be borne by the littoral states alone,' he said.

The littoral states - Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore - are currently shouldering the main responsibility of maintaining the safety of the straits through joint naval operations.

'It is too late to act once a serious accident occurs. Timely intervention today will prevent the possibility of a disaster tomorrow,' Sasakawa said in his opening speech.

Earlier, head of the International Chamber of Shipping Spyros Polemis, reiterated the shipping industry's commitment in playing a role in enhancing navigational safety and environmental protection in the Straits.

'The ultimate beneficiaries of a safe and efficient passage of ships through the Straits are the countries whose imports and exports depend on this vital trade route,' said Polemis.

The Kuala Lumpur conference aims to explore new joint projects and mechanisms, aside from allowing government maritime agencies and shipping representatives to exchange ideas, said organizers.

The littoral states have long urged users of the Malacca Straits, one of the world's busiest waterways, to offer greater assistance towards maintaining security, in terms of technical training and exchange of information as well as through funding.

The Straits used to be notorious for pirate activity, but increased cooperation between the littoral states in recent years has significantly reduced the number of attacks on seafarers.