Seatrade-Maritime: Contributions needed for Malacca Strait Aids to Navigation Fund
Published by Seatrade-Maritime
In its 19th year the Co-operative Mechanism for the Straits of Malacca and Singapore between the littoral states Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia is being held up as model for managing maritime choke points.
Tuesday saw delegates from 125 countries and organisations gathering in Singapore for the 17th Co-operation Forum, which is part of the Co-operative Mechanism, with an aim of strengthening cooperation under the framework.
Since the Co-operative Mechanism was established in 2007 a total of 15 Straits projects have been initiated and the international maritime community has contributed around $26 million cumulatively to the Aids to Navigation Fund to support the provision and maintenance of navigational aids in the Strait.
The Straits are one of the world’s busiest waterways and last year saw a record 102,525 transits according to figures from the Malaysian Marine Department compiled by the Nippon Maritime Center. Around 10% of the traffic in the Strait comprises VLCCs of over 150,000 gt and deep draught Ultra Large Container Vessels (ULCV). The 500-mile-long Straits present considerable navigational challenges and narrow to just 1.7 miles at one point.
In a video address to the forum IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said, “I also encourage User States, industry partners and all relevant stakeholders to continue supporting the Co-operative Mechanism, including by making voluntary contributions to the Aids to Navigation Fund.
“By investing in the Co-operative Mechanism, we also invest in the continued safety, security and sustainability of one of the world’s most important waterways.”
While the Aids to Navigation Fund has raised some $26 million cumulatively over its 19-year-long existence it is understood voluntary contributions have fallen off as the years have gone. While the fund has significant reserves from which it earns interest current contribution levels has resulted in a prioritising of work related to navigational aids in the increasingly congested waterway.
A series of 26 user statements by user states and other organisations at the opening of the forum on Tuesday were long on broad, passionate pledges to the cooperative mechanism but short on mention of specific financial contributions.
Two of the largest sources of contributions to the Aids to Navigation Fund have come from China and Japan.
Giving China’s user statement the country’s delegate at the Forum said, “China has continuously contributed to the cooperative mechanism through various means”. China has contributed $4.57 million to the Aids to Navigation Fund to date.
Japan has also made a major contribution via The Nippon Foundation. “Since the launch of the Co-operative Mechanism, The Nippon Foundation has contributed $7.3 million and fulfilled one-third of its original pledge of the Aids to Navigation Fund,” according to the Nippon Maritime Center.
The foundation also funded the construction of aids to navigation maintenance vessels for the Malaysia and Indonesia which are currently operational.
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