HELPING HAND

摘要

For seafarers unfortunate enough to find themselves getting into difficulty off sub-Saharan Africa, Search and Rescue (SAR) has often had to be managed by maritime rescue co-ordination centres (MRCCs) in Europe. Just one example of this was the successful management by the Norwegian RCC in Stavanger of the search and rescue operation following the fire on board the passenger ship Achille Lauro, on 30 November 1994. The ship eventually sank on 2 December. Subsequent actions by the International Maritime Organization led directly to the 2000 SAR and Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) Conference in Florence. And following discussions that took place at the conference, the IMO carried out an assessment mission to eastern Africa, to determine the specific requirements for setting up new rescue coordination centres in Mombassa, Seychelles and Zanzibar.