Dear Readers, Welcome to the inaugural issue of the Safety at Sea quarterly newsletter. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) launched the Safety@Sea campaign in 2014 as part of an industry-wide initiative to raise awareness of safe practices at sea and to inculcate a strong safety culture within the maritime community. Since then, MPA has made significant efforts to build upon this safety culture. The National Maritime Safety at Sea Council was established in August 2015 to advise MPA in the strive to achieve and sustain an exemplary level of safety in the Port of Singapore and our shipping community. Since its establishment, the collective expertise of the National Maritime Safety at Sea Council (NMSSC) members have enabled a holistic overview on all matters relating to maritime safety in the Port of Singapore. The NMSSC has been actively assisting MPA in the planning and conduct of the annual Safety@Sea Week since 2017 to promote and sustain maritime safety initiatives. The NMSSC also served as the Judging Panel for the annual MPA Safety@Sea Awards to recognise exemplary conduct and practice. Other efforts at supporting the Safety@Sea Singapore initiative involved the review of projects proposed by the MPA-Industry Safety Working Groups. Safety onboard regional ferries is an important focus area, and the NMSSC together with MPA and the Association of Regional Ferry Operators conceptualised and produced the Passenger Ferry Safety video in May 2017. The establishment of a community of practice on ferry safety has also been an important initiative in our Safety@Sea Week activities. Looking forward, the NMSSC seeks to continue its emphasis on fostering the collaborative efforts between MPA and the maritime industry in promoting safety. The Safety@Sea Singapore initiative will be enhanced with a renewed focus on human behavioural science studies to assist in enhancing the adoption of safe work practices, and the utilisation of digital technology to improve situational awareness and to create a safer working environment. This brings me to the purpose of the safety e-bulletin. It will be an important feature in the coming one-stop digital platform (www.safetyatsea.sg) for the promotion of maritime safety initiatives and events, as well as serving as a repository of reference material on maritime safety. This issue will feature Singapore Shipping Association's Executive Director and NMSSC Deputy Chairman, Michael Phoon sharing his insights and views on maritime safety. We will also look at the VHF Data Exchange System and how it can significantly improve navigational safety by identifying traffic hotspots and collision risks. Meanwhile, Majestic Ferry's Alex Peng will share tips on how ferry passengers can help do their part in promoting safety at sea. We hope that the maritime community will find these articles useful and that these will promote feedback and meaningful discussion among members of the maritime community.