GHANAS OIL FIND: THE IMPLICATIONS FOR GHANAS MARITIME INDUSTRY'

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GHANAS OIL FIND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR GHANAS
MARITIME INDUSTRY.

• Presentation by Capt. Kofi Micah

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Outline

• GHANA MARITIME AUTHORITY (GMA)
• Maritime Security
• Maritime Safety
• Marine Environmental Pollution

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GHANA MARITIME AUTHORITY (GMA)
GMA was established by Act 630 and mandated to
regulate, monitor and co- ordinate activities in
the maritime industry. Among the objectives to
achieve this mandate are

• To ensure safety of navigation
• Fulfill Port and flag state responsibilities
• Co- ordinate search and rescue operations
• See to the training and certification of seamen
  as per international standards eg, STCW.
• Co- ordinate the prevention of marine pollution
  in collaboration with other public agencies.

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Expected Activities (Maritime Security, Safety
and Environment).
The production of oil will in no doubt attract a
lot of marine related economic activities within
our territorial waters, i.e.

• VLCC/ ULCCs operating as FSUs and for exports
• Shuttle tankers rendering bunker services to
  ships at anchorage and in port.
• Increased activities of Classification Societies
  and private surveyors.
• Ship repairs both inshore and offshore
• Boat services for shuttling authorized and
  unauthorized persons to and from anchorages and
  changing of crew.
• Shipchandling and supply of fresh water to ships
  at anchorage.

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Cont.

• These activities have both positive and negative
  impacts and call for measures to be put in place
  to ensure security, safety of personnel, cargo,
  ships and the marine environment.
• However, any measures we take should be seen to
  be encouraging positive practices so that we can
  maximize the opportunities these activities
  present.

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Security
Some of the specific security threats these
activities pose are

• Armed robbery and piracy
• Petty pilfering
• Smuggling of drugs, arms and human trafficking
• Terrorism( hostage taking, sabotage, and ethnic
  conflicts)

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Solutions

• Increased sea and coastal patrols by the Ghana
  Navy personnel.
• Ensure that all visiting ships and Ports
  Operators comply with the ISPS Code (security
  plans). GMA must check this through PSC
  inspections.
• Movements of ships to be monitored by AIS and
  radar by GPHA and GN. GMA is in the process of
  establishing VTMIS to cover our coast.
• Intelligence gathering on the activities of small
  crafts and canoes to be intensified. This will
  involve the GN, GPHA security, CEPS, BNI, NACOB,
  Immigration services, ship owners and fishermen
  associations.

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Cont.

• FSUs and bunkering working anchorages to be
  demarcated and provided for ships as a single
  landing place to facilitate security monitoring
  and patrols by GMA.
• Based on intelligence report, the GN should be
  boarding and landing specific ships to rummage
  for smuggled goods, arms, drugs and stowaways.
• Effective communication among all stakeholders to
  be established by the GN to facilitate security
  procedures.

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Maritime Safety

• Safety of Navigation -
• Collision and Grounding
• Damage to navigational aids
• Damage to submarines cables and pipelines, oil
  rigs, etc.
• 2) Demand for competent and well trained
  seafarers to man tankers for safe navigation and
  cargo operations.
• 3) Fire and explosion from wrong cargo
  operations.
• 4) Influx of substandard ships into our waters.
• 5) Demand for experienced marine surveyors for
  cargo and ships surveys.

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Cont.

• 6) Demand for well equipped workshops and
  experienced repair staff.
• 7) Demand for competent small boat operators
• 8) Demand for salvage operations.

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Solutions

• In sea areas where there is increased traffic due
  to shipping activities, VTMIS/ TSS are usually
  established to regulate and monitor the movements
  of traffic. This coupled with strict adherence to
  the COLREG 1972 minimize collisions and most of
  the dangers associated with navigation.
• AIS being part of VTMIS ensures the easy
  identification of ships and facilitates
  communication between ships to ships and shore to
  ships.

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Cont.

• Currently, the Ghana Navy and GPHA have
  established and are operating AIS to identify
  ships within its coverage area. GMA is meeting a
  Finnish Company on 15th February to discuss the
  establishment of a comprehensive VTMIS to cover
  the 300 nautical mines coast of Ghana. Once
  established with remote sensor sites apart from
  the three main control site (Tema, Accra,
  Takoradi), movement of vessels can be thoroughly
  monitored for safety of navigation, security and
  environment.

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Cont.

• Ships by themselves do not go aground, they are
  usually ran aground by either inexperienced or
  incompetent navigators, failure or lack of
  appropriate equipments, machinery and
  navigational aids.
• Likewisely, accidents from cargo operations
  leading to oil spills are caused by human factor.
  
• GMA and RMU are constantly collaborating to
  improve the standards of training and
  certification of seafarers to international
  levels.
• Plans are also underway to develop specialized
  training in safe tanker operations for officers
  and crew in anticipation for the demand of such
  seafarers.

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Cont.

• Port State Control Inspections commenced by GMA
  on ships ensure that visiting ships meet the
  required manning levels.
• GMA in collaboration with UKHO are ensuring that
  our waters are well charted and promulgated in
  both paper and electronic form.
• In future GMA will provide and maintain all the
  required navigational aids along our coast,
  however those within port limits should be the
  responsibility of GPHA.

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Cont.

• The problem of substandard ships can be minimized
  by strict implementation of both Port and Flag
  state control inspections by GMA inspectors.
• Through this regime, many vessels shall be
  inspected to ensure that they are well equipped
  with the required machinery and structurally
  sound, meeting SOLAS and other local
  requirements.
• The compliance of the ISM code shall ensure that
  the ships are operated safely to prevent
  accidents and pollution.

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Cont.

• GMAs Technical Division has developed a matrix
  in line with the practices of MCA to monitor the
  activities of Classification Societies and
  private surveyors.
• This is to ensure that the surveys of ships
  delegated to them by the Administration are
  properly done and certified.

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Cont.

• Private entrepreneurs are to be encouraged to
  invest in both onshore and offshore marine
  repairs, ship chandelling, boat service, etc.
• All private small boat operators must be trained
  and licensed by GMA and their crafts periodically
  surveyed for their condition.

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Marine Environmental Pollution
Causes

• Spills from accidents
• ship hull failures
• discharges from ships, garbage, sewage, smoke
  emissions
  from engine exhaust.
• Collision and grounding
• Spills from routine tanker operations
• cargo operations
• bunkering
• Spills from accidents and discharges from
  offshore platforms.
• Spills from scrapping of ships
• Terminal operations eg. TOR

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Oil Spill Impacts

• Marine environmental damage to marine shoreline
  ecosystems, birds, mammals, fishes, etc.
• Economic disruption of Tourism and recreational
  industry, i.e. Beach resort operators,
  restaurants and marinas, Ports and Harbour
  operations, Fishing industry, Salt production and
  Manufacturing industries.
• Damaged reputation as a nation.

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Solutions
Preventive
Pollution prevention is dealt with within the
framework of International Conventions such as

• MARPOL 73/78, Annex I- VI.
• London Convention 1996 on the Prevention of
  Marine Pollution by Dumping of waste and other
  matter.
• OPRC 1990.
• UNCLOS 1982, Part XII
• Other associated conventions such as CLC 1992 and
  Fund 1992 being pollution compensation regimes.

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Cont.

• Locally, GMA is currently preparing a National
  Marine Pollution Bill for enactment. It is
  expected that the passage of the Bill into law
  will address the gap in our legislative framework
  and enable us address adequately, marine
  pollution issues.
• Flag/ Port State Control Inspections of ships are
  to be strictly implemented by GMA inspectors as
  per the Abuja MOU and MARPOL 73/78 provisions.
• Ensure that ships comply with the ISM Code for
  Management and Operations of ships to prevent
  accidents and pollutions.

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RESPONSIVE

• The process leading to the enactment of the
  Marine Pollution Act in Ghana be speeded up, in
  order to empower officers of GMA to arrest,
  investigate and prosecute pollution offenders.
• All the relevant MARPOL Annexes must be ratified
  and transposed into our local laws.

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Cont.

• Appropriate training in Counter Pollution
  measures and oil spill fighting procedures to be
  offered to all stakeholders.
• A highly motivated 20-man volunteer team to be
  organized locally by OSRL and stationed in Tema
  and Takoradi Ports.
• The 20-man volunteer team shall lie dormant and
  only activated when there is a spillage. They
  shall contain and prevent the spill from
  spreading until the professionals are called in.
• They shall also continue with clean-ups after the
  main spillage has been dealt with.

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Cont.

• GMA to acquire a minimum stockpile of oil spill
  response equipment and maintained them at
  strategic locations along the coast in readiness
  to fight any pollution incident. Again OSRL can
  assist in this.
• A dedicated Marine Pollution Contingency Plan(CP)
  for Ghana must be developed to respond quickly
  and efficiently to any oil spill at sea.
• This CP must be compatible and linked to the
  reviewed National Contingency Plan.
• Clear lines of responsibility and authority must
  be spelt out to avoid confusion during oil spill
  operations and supervised by GMA.

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Cont.

• Regular training among stakeholders to be
  organized by GMA to sharpen the response
  preparedness of all units involved in the oil
  spill fighting and clean-ups.
• GMA must recruit two more officers, one to be
  stationed at Tema and Takoradi Port offices.
• These officers shall supervise all marine
  environmental issues including Counter Pollution
  and Spillage fighting.
• They shall maintain any pollution fighting
  equipment stockpile in their care and organize
  the 20-man volunteer oil spill fighting team at
  each port.

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Cont.

• GMA and for that matter the Ministry of Ports and
  Harbours must as a matter of necessity go into a
  bi-lateral agreement with OSRL of UK, to offer a
  consultancy service in the following
• Assist in developing a dedicated marine pollution
  contingency plan for GMA.
• Assist Ghana in case of major oil spillage
  considering the discovery of oil in the country.

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Cont.

• Establish a Marine Pollution Fund into which
  contributions may be made by Shipping Lines.
• This fund shall pay for the services of OSRL and
  sustain the 20-man volunteer team.
• All expenses reasonably incurred in pollution
  preventive measures and clean-ups can be
  retrieved from the IOPC Fund.

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• THANK YOU.