Interferry conference looks promising

TO MY regret, I will not be in Vancouver in early October. That is not only because it would be a nice time to visit that lovely Canadian city but also because it will be hosting Interferry's 39th annual conference.

The global ferry organisation has a knack of homing in on the most relevant issues, and has been working hard for several years to improve the safety of mainly small domestic ferries in developing countries.

Ironically, safety issues will take centre stage in Vancouver on Oct 4-8 because of a terrible accident on a relatively large ferry in a technologically and economically advanced country. Interferry has been in dialogue with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for some time about assisting in efforts to improve domestic ferry safety and has been involved in practical projects. These and other cooperative safety initiatives will feature in a wide-ranging conference agenda addressing the industry's major regulatory, commercial and technical challenges.