Safe & Secure Seas for All - 42nd Shared Awareness Meeting

Our Information Fusion Centre (IFC) co-organised the 42nd Shared Awareness Meeting (SAM) with the Asian Shipowners' Association (ASA) on 14 Nov 2022.

This is the first time that IFC partnered with ASA to organise the SAM. Representatives from navies, coastguards and shipping communities in Singapore and the region participated this meeting through both virtual means as well as in-person at SAFRA Toa Payoh.

Both Deputy Head IFC and Head Shipping Engagement Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Daniel Ng (left) and ASA Secretary General Mr Yuichi Sonoda (right) opened the 42nd SAM with their respective welcome speeches. They both acknowledged the need for organisations to collaborate in their response towards maritime security (MARSEC) threats, and thanked the participants for taking the time to attend the meeting.

IFC's Australia International Liaison Officer LCDR Timothy Laird kick-started the series of MARSEC-related presentations with an update on IFC's Area of Interest. He highlighted an observation that there has been an increase in Thefts, Robbery, and Piracy at Sea (TRAPS) incidents with most of them occurring in the Phillip Channel and the eastbound land of the Traffic Separation Scheme in the Singapore Strait. Of note, there has also been increase in incidents involving tugs and barges. LCDR Laird also stated that the IFC will work with Indonesian authorities to step up enforcement efforts.

Front row (L to R): Mr Vijayan Manogara (Principal Consultant - Industrial Cybersecurity Accelerator), CDR Carlos Dall'Orto (Peru ILO, IFC), LCDR Timothy Laird (Australia ILO, IFC), CDR Stéphan Litzler (France and EU ILO, IFC), LCDR Nelson McMillan (UK ILO, IFC), CDR Olivier Trullemans (Maritime Trade Officer, European Maritime Awareness in the Strait of Hormuz), CDR Angela Salih Naval (Philippines ILO, IFC), and Mr Wong Kai Cheong (Senior Technical Manager, INTERTANKO)

Back row (L to R): Mr Elfian Harun (Regional Manager Southeast Asia & Environment Manager at INTERTANKO), Mr Yuichi Sonoda (ASA Secretary General), and LTC Daniel Ng (Dy HIFC and Head Shipping Engagement) 

[Not pictured: CAPT Jesús A. Menacho Piérola (Chief of Staff at Coastguards Operations Command, Maritime Authority of Peru), who co-presented on the Latin America MARSEC Update]

Since 2009, the IFC has been a 24/7 regional MARSEC centre that facilitates information-sharing and collaboration between its partners to enhance MARSEC. IFC is currently supported by ILOs from 20 countries who serve alongside personnel from the Republic of Singapore Navy. IFC regularly organises the SAM with key partners to provide MARSEC updates to strengthen mutual understanding and cooperation amongst their stakeholders so that we may achieve safe and secure seas for all.

We trust that the 42nd SAM participants had an insightful and meaningful time. More information can be found on IFC's website: http://www.ifc.org.sg/

Photos courtesy of Adam Wee (IFC).