Oman issues marine safety, security regulations

The Directorate General of Marine Affairs at the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Oman is developing several marine regulations. The regulations are
within the Ministry’s purview to develop areas related to marine transport, navigation, safety and security and keep pace with the developments witnessed in these areas.
The coountry’s Director-General of Marine Affairs, Dr. Rashid bin Mohammed Al Kiyoumi said in a statement to the Oman News Agency (ONA) that work is underway to update the Omani Marine Law issued in 1981 and issue several regulations including the Marine Training and Education Institutions’ Licence, the Omani Vessel Secure Staffing Regulation, Marine Towing Vessels Operators’ Regulations and Marine Safety Equipment, in addition to the regulation on practicing maintenance works for Vessel Safety Equipment and Systems.
The directorate earlier issued several regulations including those on Marine Affairs Services Fees, Inspection Regulation and the Foreign Vessel Monitoring Regulation.
The statistics published by the directorate revealed that 217 vessels were inspected and entered in the database of Riyadh Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Pacific Ocean MoU for Vessel Inspection and Control during the first half of 2015. There were 59 vessels in violation as compared to 99 during the first half of 2014. The DGMA also issued 119 diplomatic permits for vessels to visit commercial ports in the Sultanate, 47 permits to visit the Port Sultan Qaboos and 72 to visit Salalah Port.
The statistics revealed that during the first half of 2015, the directorate issued 67 marine permits for foreign vessels to operate in the territorial seas of the Sultanate for not more than a year.
Statistics also pointed out that 27 marine warnings were issued in the first half of 2015 to avoid incidents in the Sultanate’s territorial waters.
The Marine Security Department conducted the required security checks on the Omani ports and their facilities. It also conducted the required inspection on vessels that call on Omani ports.
During the first half of 2015, the directorate issued 81 marine passport, 26 marine efficiency certificates, and 16 certificates for the secure staffing of Omani vessels, apart from 23 exemption certificates and two permits to operate ferry boats.
The were 901 vessel registration certificates issued, which included new registrations, annual renewals, inspection and mortgage, and release of mortgage, in addition to change of name or business, or change of the ship master.
The directorate will organise a training course on port security, next Sunday in collaboration with the International Marine Organisation.
The ten-day course, to be held at Salalah Development and Training Centre at the Salalah Port, aims to acclimatise participants with planning and execution of practical exercises, as well as the optimum way to check soundness of security procedures.