Towards an explanation of why onboard fires happen: The case of an engine room fire on the cruise ship “Le Boreal”

As the cruise ship industry enjoys continuous growth and penetration into new markets, good safety records must be maintained to achieve business objectives. Unfortunately, serious incidents and accidents reoccur on modern cruise ships and hence a better understanding of why this continues to happen is needed. This paper contributes towards a better understanding of underlying causal factors behind onboard fires, focusing on consequential engine room fires in particular. By analysing a recent fire incident on an almost new cruise ship built to the latest standards, we reveal potential deficiencies in maritime safety control and suggest how they can be rectified. The incident analysis was guided by systemic method CAST, which enables to explore a complex socio-technical system responsible for safety control. The analysis provides a different, more comprehensive explanation of, and response to, the incident from that in the official accident investigation report. Given the systemic nature of suggested causal scenarios, they are capable to explain and preclude other incidents. From a practical point of view, the findings would allow developing and maintaining robust safety management systems, which are currently required onboard.     

Maritime safety for fishing boat operations and avoidable hijacking in Taiwan

Taiwanese fishing boats have been hijacked many times this year. Trouble at sea can usually be attributed to communication problems, inappropriate management and an unfair salary system. The majority of boats hijacked are high sea (long-line) fishing boats. Although fishery authorities ask the fishing boats to set up vessel monitoring systems (VMSs), this precaution has not been sufficient. There is a further need for improved management by the fishing boat owner and for an improved employment policy for seamen. The issue of maritime security is not new, but it remains a major concern and continues to be a threat to Taiwan and other countries. To date, there have been many cases of hijacking in the South China Sea. This paper analyzes the reasons for the hijackings and provides potential strategies to prevent future incidents.     

Towards a ‘new form of governance’ in science-policy relations in the European Maritime Policy

This article seeks to identify the key principles that should guide the definition of the mandate and institutional structure for acquiring scientific advice in support of the European Maritime Policy. The EU has stated that, as concerns the Maritime Policy, the relations between science and policy ought to reflect a ‘new form of governance’. Far from being an easy task, however, the EU has observed that there are problems of credibility and legitimacy in the relations between science and society (including policymakers), which first need to be overcome. Against this background, the article draws on some of the newest conceptual and empirical research on science-policy relations, which has sought to analyse and ultimately provide frameworks for overcoming such challenges. On this basis, the article investigates the principles that need to be applied to constitute a ‘new form of governance’ as a means of paving the way toward a more credible and legitimate use of scientific data, information and knowledge within policymaking and implementation processes.     

海-气界面热通量算法的研究及在中国近海的应用

对计算海-气界面湍流热通量的Bulk算法的一些参数进行了改进。使用西沙实测资料、GSSTF2资料和NCEP/NCAR再分析资料以及改进后的算法,计算了中国近海地区的感热通量、潜热通量。计算结果与西沙实测资料、长年代的GSSTF2资料和NCEP/NCAR再分析资料进行比较验证,证明改进后的方法精度较高,基本可以保证湍流热通量的平均标准偏差在10W/m2左右,与多年的月平均做比较,相对偏差为25%左右;同时,不仅首次将计算热通量的空间尺度精确到0·1°×0·1°,而且基本模拟出了南海季风暴发期间热通量变化的主要特点以及中国近海热通量随季节、纬度和海岸地形的变化特征。     

海洋气候资料数据集及其质量控制

详细介绍了全球海洋气候资料数据集的处理过程及其初步的质量控制方法。     

The analysis of gales over the “Maritime Silk Road” with remote sensing data

21世纪海上丝绸之路战略是中国“一带一路倡议”的重要组成部分。海上丝绸之路海域海洋环境的认知和调查是必不可少的,可以为航海、海洋工程、防灾减灾等领域提供科学依据。本文使用高分辨率多平台交叉定标风产品（CCMP）分析海上丝绸之路海域的大风特性。分析了大风天气的年平均速度、空间分布,以及风速和极端风速的频率和趋势。结果表明,在夏季,相对较高的大风场主要分布在阿拉伯海、索马里海、印度支那半岛海域和孟加拉湾海域。索马里海的大风频率超过90%。总体而言,南海大部分区域和北印度洋,大风天逐年增加,增加趋势在秋冬季节尤为明显。     

"海上丝绸之路"沿岸国家海洋综合风险分析与量化评估——以菲律宾为例

在"21世纪海上丝绸之路"重大战略构想的背景下,结合东盟国家对海上丝绸之路的重要作用。本文从海洋经济和海洋环境的角度对东盟国家存在的海洋综合风险进行评估分析,这对我国加强对东盟国家的认识,规避来自海洋方面的风险,更好地与其进行合作具有重要意义。主要针对东盟四国构建了评价海洋综合风险的指标体系;在此基础上,提出了基于改进的投影寻踪方法的海洋综合风险评估模型,以东盟四国中的菲律宾作为代表开展实验验证,最终得到菲律宾的海洋综合风险等级,并依据评级结果对我国与菲律宾的合作提供辅助建议。     

海洋工程施工围堰用海方式界定问题分析与探讨

文章从工程与工作实践出发,对填海造地工程、跨海桥梁、水利工程等海洋工程施工围堰用海方式界定问题进行了分析与探讨。针对施工围堰与项目申请用海方式不一致的情况,提出了分阶段确权的解决方法。期望为海域管理和海域使用动态监视监测工作提供有益参考。     

The effects of the M/V Sea Prince accident on maritime safety management in Korea

The Sea Prince accident was the first VLCC accident in Korea and a shock to the general public and government. Before the accident, any oil-spill management plan, such as National contingency plan (NCP) and regional contingency plans (RCPs), was not available and the resources for oil spills were lacking for the Sea Prince accident. About 5000 tons of oil spilled, polluting large areas of southern coastal waters, damaging the fisheries, including aquaculture. After the Sea Prince accident, Korea's government established various alternatives for dealing with oil spills, such as the NCP, RCPs, Typhoon Refuge Management Plan, and resources for oil-spill response. However, port safety management in emergency situations such as typhoons has not been solved.     

Maritime Europe and EU enlargement. A geopolitical perspective

The 2004 enlargement of the European Union (EU), as well as the further enlargements planned from 2007 onwards (Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia and Turkey), entail changes of a geo-political nature that not only imply an increase in size (a rise in the number of States, new boundaries), but, more especially, also involve a shift in the EU's maritime status, with its projection towards the Atlantic now being checked by a swing towards continental Europe and its inland seas. In view of the new political map being drawn up, two questions beg to be asked: to what extent is Europe's maritime condition being strengthened; and, does the new maritime Europe constitute an opportunity, or does it aggravate the already-existing problems and threats?