Abstract

The provision of maritime SAR services is a very practical, rather than theoretical, issue concerning the comprehensive scope of matters including legal responsibilities under relevant international law, suitable SAR resources, communications arrangement, SAR personnel training, SAR management, etc. All these matters are highly sophisticated in themselves; as such the disparity of states’ practices regarding these matters is unavoidable.

A questionnaire was chosen as the method since interviews would have been difficult to conduct due to scheduling difficulties, and the distance between the thesis writer and different partners. Using a simple random sampling technique, a total of 100 personnel from the port of Kribi participated in the study. The excel file was imported and the data analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Among 100 personnel’s in the study, with regards to gender, we had 76 males and 24 females giving a total of 100 employees who were sampled. however, 70 and 22 respondents as the majority agreed and strongly agreed that there is no delay at the security post to respond due to the fast communication network.

Furthermore, 47 respondents agreed that all security guards do collaborate very well due to better coordination from the top level with 31 respondents who strongly agreed.

In addition, 69 and 18 respondents as the majority who agreed and strongly agreed that it reduces stress as movement is been schedule and only 3, 7 and 3 respondents who actually are neutral, disagreed and strongly disagreed with the stipulated fact respectively

However, it can be concluded that effective search and rescue operations with proper control of SAR communication networks before establishing will enhance better improvement on the human marine transport activities because there was a strong positive relationship between SAR communication networks with the overall output of human marine transport activities.

CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.1. Back Ground To The Study

The history of marine navigation since ancient times had always been accompanied by the frequent occurrence of shipwrecks. In the wake of accidents and disasters, the concept of a maritime safety system came gradually to the fore.

However, it was not reliable until the adoption of the first convention on the safety of life at sea (SOLAS, 1994) convention considered as the response of the international community to the sinking of the titanic where more than 1500 passengers and crew members died, that the notion of maritime safety system came into existence. The adoption of SOLAS was also a sign that human life at sea had a priority over property, as had often not been the case before.

In the beginning, the maritime safety system was composed of ships safety and the safety of distressed people only [1], which was more confirmed with onboard safety issues. With technological innovations, more and more elements, including maritime search and rescue (SAR), were introduced to maritime safety systems to cope with the increasing risk at sea, due to the greater size and number, size and faster speed of the vessel engaged in trade thus the higher frequency and the worsening consequences of shipwrecks.

During the relatively short period of time of evolution, SAR has matured as a comprehensive system, which is made up of the following components [2];

• Communication network throughout the SAR region (SRR) and collecting with external SAR services;
• A rescue coordination center (RCC) for the coordination of SAR services and one or more rescue sub-centers (RSCs) to support an RCC within its SRR, if necessary.
• SAR facilities, including SAR units (SRUs) with specialized equipment and trained personnel, as well as other resources which can be used to conduct SAR operations;
• On-scene coordinators (OSCs) assigned, as necessary, for coordinating the unseen activities of all participating facilities; and onboard vessels and at port areas.
• Support facilities that provide services in support of SAR operations.

Among these components, the RCC and/ or RSC is the hub to get other components working together to realize the SAR system’s objectives i.e to rescue the crew and persons from a ship in distress, and or to find and rescue shipwrecked persons in a short time as possible.

The RCC and/ or RSC also take overall responsibility for establishing, mentioning, and managing a state’s SAR system, including building up the SAR system’s capabilities to receive alerts and to coordinate and provide SAR services within the SRR.

The SAR system is important in the maritime safety system because the maritime SAR system has long been served as the last shackle of the maritime safety chain since it came into being (SOLARS 94), without which maritime activities are to be exposed to various dangers and lack a sense of safety as far as the maritime industry is concerned, the maritime activity is still very risky and the perils of the sea remains omnipresent, and cannot be routed out by man (IMO). It could be argued that no matter how the maritime industry tries its best to raise technological standards, an external means of protection or remedy is always necessary [3]. A series of sea accidents can be good examples to show the failures which the maritime industry itself cannot overcome.

The SAR system cannot be substituted due to its humanitarian characteristics (IMO 82). Measures adopted by the maritime industries to ensure maritime safety can be categorized as measures to reduce risk such as vessel traffic service (VTS) measures to reduce consequences, such as salvage and SAR, of which SAR services was theoretically used as one of the risk control options and was put into the cost and benefits environment [4]. No matter how expensive it is to provide SAR services in the KRIBI seaport, SAR services must be there, although the capabilities of an individual state’s SAR system can be low or high.

Now our days, the provision of SAR services in Kribi has evolved into not only an international humanitarian obligation which is entrained in the customary practices of navigations such as Good Samaritan and regulated in various international treaties, united nations convention on the laws of sea 1982 (UNCLOS 82) SOLAS 1974 and SAR 1979, also an important element of a safer and more secure environment for a state’s development for the economy of Cameroon particularly.

1.2. Statement Of The Problem

The search and rescue (SAR) at the Kribi Seaport has always been carried out under principles of the customary law of the sea obliging vessels and states to help persons whose ships are in distress at sea. The port being newly created, small in size and still at a starting point still has a lot to do as far as SAR is a concern.

The port is linked to the high sea which leads to constant pirate attacks and with limited expertise, lack of high-speed boats to follow up pirate attacks it becomes difficult to get hold of pirates during search and rescue missions. Furthermore, the port lacks good facilities for the maintenance of some of their boats which are not in conformity with the standards of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

Notwithstanding the International treaties which defines more detailed conditions and obligations to provide adequate SAR, the Kribi Seaport seems not to be in conformity with most of these conditions laid down by the IMO. Ship vessels, persons, and goods are thus exposing to pirate attacks. Thus, engaging the researcher to investigate the impact assessment of search and rescue operations on human marine transport activities.

General Research Question

What is the impact assessment of search and rescue operations on human marine transport activities?

Specifically, the researcher aimed at answering the questions:

1. How does communication throughout SAR regions influence human marine transport activities?
2. How does the SAR coordination Centre influence human marine transport activities?
3. How does a SAR facility influence human marine transport activities?

1.4. Objectives Of The Study

General Objectives

The study generally seeks to investigate the impact assessment of search and rescue operations on human marine transport activities.

Specific Objectives

1. To examine the impact of communication networks throughout the SAR region on human marine transport activities.
2. To investigate the impact of the SAR coordination Centre on human marine transport activities.
3. Assessing the impact of SAR facilities on human marine transport activities.