By: Thaimu Bai Sesay
Sierra Leone Maritime has on Monday 13 February 2023 in a conference informed members of the press and stakeholders on the visit of the UK Experts Team in Sierra Leone.
The Experts team comprised of, the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office (UKHO), the International Hydrographic Office (IHO), and the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA)
The Executive Director of Maritime Administration Sierra Leone, Paul Sobba Massaquoi, intimated that the UK Experts Team aimed at providing technical assessment to the Republic of Sierra Leone through the Ministry of Transport and Aviation and the Sierra Leone Maritime.
The Maritime Boss elucidated that the purpose of the visit was a kind of fact-finding mission facilitated by the UK High Commission in Sierra Leone to review systems for delivering marine aids to navigation service, and recommend means of improving the current system.
He added that the team would be conducting site visits to ascertaining baseline status regarding aids to navigation, and equally provides a roadmap for further possible technical assistance that would include capacity building.
Gerardine Delanoye representing IALA, one of the experts team explained that they would be providing professional and technical insights that would help on how to do the work of seabed mapping properly. She said they had a number of training courses they would have to offer and that the work would be done by Sierra Leoneans. She assured that at the end of the assessment a report of findings would be submitted.
David Parker representing IHO, also working for UKHO affirmed that they had been operating with over 48 different nations on seabed mapping. He said they had been working with countries all around the world including United Kingdom.
The technical manager of the Sierra Leone Maritime highlighted some of the challenges they had been experiencing over the years. He expressed that they would be taking the Experts to priority areas that mostly needed navigation. He assured to amicably work with the team of Experts in their technical assistance and assesment.
