Event Emphasising Safer Seas
The event was created on a multidisciplinary basis, at the crossroads of scientific, technical, legal and institutional skills and specializations, taking advantage of the expertise of operators and seafaring professionals. As the worthy successor of the first symposium organised in Brest in 1998 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Amoco Cadiz disaster off the coast of Brittany, Safer Seas has amply proved its value since it was officially launched in 2002.
The quality and diversity of our partners and the stakeholders mobilised for the occasion make Safer Seas a unique opportunity to :
- grasp the scope of European and international policies implemented.
- focus on technological innovations and opportunities designed to serve the cause of safer and cleaner seas.
- measure the ground covered and the new challenges which must be dealt with respect to changes and developments in the fields of economy and shipping.
- meet and talk with key players and international experts.
Safer Seas is supported by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), European Parliament, European Commission, European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), European Space Agency, Ministry of Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and the Sea, Secretariat General of the Sea, the network of local and regional authorities, port authorities, shipowners and seagoing personnel, industrial firms and maritime clusters from various regions worldwide.
The event includes international conferences and symposiums, a trade show intended for institutional representatives, entrepreneurs and researchers from France and abroad, and poster sessions. Tours are also proposed by some of the main stakeholders on the theme present in Brest (Atlantic Maritime Prefecture, French Navy, CETMEF, SHOM, METEO FRANCE, Ifremer, CEDRE, Ecole Navale (Naval academy), UBO University of western Brittany and other research bodies). The conference has received the support of numerous international and intergovernmental organisations (United Nations agencies, European Space Agency, networks of cities, regions, ports, clusters and scientists), marking the international mobilization rallying to the Safer Seas slogan "for safer and cleaner seas".
With increased observational capabilities, scientists have highlighted oceanographic (modifications in ocean currents, acidification of the ocean), climate (melting of ice, rising sea level), meteorological (cyclones), seismic (tsunamis) and environmental (erosion, overfishing of resources and harming biodiversity) changes, whose links, causes and developments are still very poorly known. These new stakes highlight how important the ocean is, as a major component of the climate's equilibrium and as a resource to be protected.
Shipping and offshore exploitation activities are exploring and moving into new zones. The maritime community must seize these new opportunities for development while ensuring that the marine environment is protected.
The stakes in terms of observation and knowledge about the marine environment, navigational aids, planning and monitoring of coastal and maritime areas, training and professionalisation will be reviewed. Conferences and round tables will outline the ship of the future (a cleaner, more economical and safer vessel), talk about opportunities and hazards inherent to the new sea routes in perspective and even imagine the port of tomorrow and interactions between sea and shore. Finally, Safer Seas 2011 will devote a strand to the sensitive issues of maritime security and to exchanging feed-back and experience between different parts of the globe.
