Message from the Secretary-General
Welcome to another edition of the IALA e-Bulletin. General Assembly As I write the Secretariat has been busy preparing for the First General Assembly of the organisation. This historic moment […]
Advancing the Safety, Security, and Efficiency of the Marine Transportation System
The Coast Guard Navigation Center (NAVCEN) is a command within the Marine Transportation Systems Management Directorate. It brings together a unique set of specialists and capabilities to data in support […]
The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO)
Annual Report and Accounts for 2023 to 2024 This report issued in July contains a performance review, outlining how the organisation has performed against its corporate plan; financial statements for […]
Cyber security in particular for critical infrastructure such as VTS
What started out as manually operated stand-alone lighthouses has now turned into an interdisciplinary field of engineering; modern vessel traffic services rely on highly complex distributed systems and a number […]
TERMA and 25 years on the VTS Committee
A reflection by Jens Christian Pedersen It has been an exciting, fruitful and inspiring journey with IALA and the VTS committee for 25 years. The IALA concept of bringing together […]
150th anniversary of Qingyu Lighthouse
The day of 23 September 2024 marked the sesquicentennial anniversary of Qingyu lighthouse, and a seminar entitled Protection of Historical Lighthouses and the Propaganda of AtoN Culture was held to […]
Shipping digitalization: Tuvalu
A national seminar in Funafuti, Tuvalu held from 11 to 13 November focused on how to support smooth, efficient shipping in the country, through maritime digitalization. IMO organized the seminar […]
uMhlanga Rocks Lighthouse at 70
On 24 November it was announced from Cape Town that one of South Africa’s most recognisable sites, uMhlanga Rocks Lighthouse, celebrated its seventieth anniversary. The Lighthouse was first lit by […]
Investing in aids to navigation services as demand rises
As port and infrastructure investment in the Middle East continues to grow, the need for reliable aids to navigation and supporting industry knowledge is greater than ever. Since 1911, Middle […]
Two new satellites added to the Galileo constellation
The European Galileo satellite navigation system Galileo keeps growing: a new pair of satellites has joined the constellation after flight on a Falcon 9 rocket, launched from the Kennedy Space […]
Message from the Secretary-General
Change of status After more than ten years of effort and four diplomatic conferences we were able to announce on 22 August that we had arrived at the change of […]
New safety messaging systems: VDES; the international MaDaMe project
The inspection ship Poul Løwenørn has been fitted with equipment that allows the vessel to receive and transmit data via VDES (VHF Data Exchange System) and LTE (Long-Term Evolution) networks. […]
GNSS Jamming and Spoofing: Navigating Challenges in the Baltic Sea
Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), including GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and Beidou, are essential positioning systems for today’s maritime navigation. However, GNSS systems are vulnerable to jamming and spoofing, which can […]
The Faroese Maritime Authority – Introduction
The Faroe Maritime Authority (FMA) has operated in its current capacity since 2002. Before this, maritime regulation in the Faroe Islands was under Danish jurisdiction and was managed by various […]
Lighthouse twinning arrangements
The Japan Coast Guard and the Northern Lighthouse Board reported at Council 80 at the end of June that they have been cooperating on a joint endeavour to establish a […]
150th Anniversary of Cabo Santa María Lighthouse
The date of 1 September marked the sesquicentennial anniversary of the Cabo Santa María Lighthouse, one of the 12 existing in Uruguay and which is part of the 450 aids […]
Authenticating AIS and VDES Keeping them safe for another generation of mariners
Over the last ~20 years, the internet became part of our daily lives; used to access bank accounts and pay our parking tickets. As we began to send more of […]
Expansion of the Philippine Vessel Traffic Management System
In a significant development for global maritime safety and security, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is set to expand its Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS) capabilities with the addition of […]
300th anniversary of Casquets Lighthouse
Casquets Lighthouse was built in 1724 upon the dangerous ‘Rocks called the Casketts’ off Alderney in the English Channel after shipowners petitioned the proprietor of the rocks. Trinity House granted […]
Great Fish Point Lighthouse at 126 years & World Marine Aids to Navigation Day 2024
The 126th anniversary of Great Fish Point Lighthouse, the Eastern Cape’s fifth oldest lighthouse was marked on 1 July. The occasion coincided with World Marine Aids to Navigation Day, which […]