Anchorage booms, more ship crew drills among ideas to keep S'pore waters safe

Veteran ship captains suggest ways to mitigate impact of incidents like oil spills

- Esther Loi

In the wake of the recent maritime incident here that released 400 tonnes of oil into the sea, some ship captains suggested measures that port authorities and ship crews can take to mitigate the impact of such incidents.

The Straits Times spoke to two current ship captains and a former captain, who have 10 to 30 years of sailing experience, on possible improvements to existing practices.

Captain A, 61, who has close to 30 years of experience, said a pre-emptive measure to contain oil spills would be placing containment booms around ships at anchorages – designated areas in harbours or ports where ships can drop anchor while waiting to berth. He requested anonymity due to company policy restricting crew members from speaking to the media.

His suggestion takes a cue from some ports in the US and Netherlands, which place these floating devices at anchorages to act as a barrier to trap oil within a certain area in the event of a spill.

ST has reached out to the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) for comment on its existing protocols, as well as potential adjustments to its measures. Port operator PSA Singapore redirected queries about the roll-out of pre-emptive containment booms to MPA.

Mandated by international maritime safety standards, ship crews need to participate in regular drills to practise responding to various emergencies, said Captain Sahwan Osman, a senior lecturer at Singapore Polytechnic’s Singapore Maritime Academy.