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Cape Town - Minister of Transport Dipuo Peters says regardless of South Africa's coastal reputation for stormy waters, the sea route around the Cape is still the main waterway for oil transportation from the Middle East to Europe and North America.
An estimated 12 000 vessels pass around the country's coastline annually, of which a large number are laden tankers carrying in excess of 30 million dead-weight-Tonnage of crude oil.
Addressing the international maritime organisation assembly, Peters said the stormy conditions, as proven by thousands of shipwrecks over centuries, present regular challenges to vessels that often result in distress calls to the Cape Town based Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre.
The Rescue Centre received more than 500 distress signals from vessels off the South African coastline, some as far south as Antarctica, during the past
three years.
Chemicals
Various fully laden, large crude-oil carriers have been assisted to safety, their cargoes safely transferred by means of ship to ship transfers and after repairs the vessels could proceed with their journeys.
High winds and high seas are common in the region, raising the risk of ships accidentally spilling oil, chemicals, noxious liquid wastes and other hazardous substances.
Peters said currently slicks brought in from spills in the open ocean by coastal currents frequently spoil the country's beaches and damage coral reefs and discharges of contaminated ballast water from refineries add to the load.
It is estimated that over 30% of the world’s petroleum production of about 60 million barrels per day is transported through the waters of the West Indian Ocean region.
This means that more than 500 million tons of sea trade in crude oil passes near or through the coastal waters of the coastal states and the island states of the West Indian Ocean, in transit to markets in North America, Europe and Asia.
Women at sea
The heavy sea traffic in crude oil represents over 5 000 tanker voyages per year through the sensitive areas of the countries in the region.
Peters said the continuous discovery of mineral resources, including oil and gas in various parts of the continent, attested to the country's strategic importance going into the future. For this reason and many others, Africa needed true friends and partners all with a more transformed attitude than the experiences of the past.
The minister said South Africa was concerned about the condition of women out at sea either as able seafarers and or as cadets on board merchant vessels and called on the International Maritime Organisation not only to promote the removal of all gender barriers for entry into the industry, but also the creation of conducive climate for safe and secured participation of women seafarers in all aspects of shipping.
An estimated 12 000 vessels pass around the country's coastline annually, of which a large number are laden tankers carrying in excess of 30 million dead-weight-Tonnage of crude oil.
Addressing the international maritime organisation assembly, Peters said the stormy conditions, as proven by thousands of shipwrecks over centuries, present regular challenges to vessels that often result in distress calls to the Cape Town based Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre.
The Rescue Centre received more than 500 distress signals from vessels off the South African coastline, some as far south as Antarctica, during the past
three years.
Chemicals
Various fully laden, large crude-oil carriers have been assisted to safety, their cargoes safely transferred by means of ship to ship transfers and after repairs the vessels could proceed with their journeys.
High winds and high seas are common in the region, raising the risk of ships accidentally spilling oil, chemicals, noxious liquid wastes and other hazardous substances.
Peters said currently slicks brought in from spills in the open ocean by coastal currents frequently spoil the country's beaches and damage coral reefs and discharges of contaminated ballast water from refineries add to the load.
It is estimated that over 30% of the world’s petroleum production of about 60 million barrels per day is transported through the waters of the West Indian Ocean region.
This means that more than 500 million tons of sea trade in crude oil passes near or through the coastal waters of the coastal states and the island states of the West Indian Ocean, in transit to markets in North America, Europe and Asia.
Women at sea
The heavy sea traffic in crude oil represents over 5 000 tanker voyages per year through the sensitive areas of the countries in the region.
Peters said the continuous discovery of mineral resources, including oil and gas in various parts of the continent, attested to the country's strategic importance going into the future. For this reason and many others, Africa needed true friends and partners all with a more transformed attitude than the experiences of the past.
The minister said South Africa was concerned about the condition of women out at sea either as able seafarers and or as cadets on board merchant vessels and called on the International Maritime Organisation not only to promote the removal of all gender barriers for entry into the industry, but also the creation of conducive climate for safe and secured participation of women seafarers in all aspects of shipping.
