Dear Readers, Welcome back to the third issue of our Safety at Sea e-Bulletin! August has been a busy but meaningful month as we organised the sixth annual Safety at Sea Week and the fourth International Safety@Sea Conference, playing host to 300 delegates from over 28 countries. I am really glad to be part of this successful week of sharing and learning from one another. For our third issue of Safety at Sea, we have decided to focus on ferry safety. We often take safety for granted when we travel on ferries and I would like to pay tribute to the men and women in the industry, who work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that ferry journeys are safe and comfortable for all passengers. The second Community of Practice Forum (CoP), which took place on 28 August during the International Safety@Sea Week, saw a lively discussion between maritime administrations in outlining successes and challenges faced in their home countries, and industry stakeholders who shared on new technologies and initiatives to enhance ferry safety. This is a unique platform that MPA has put together with its key objective of facilitating the sharing of knowledge and best practices to enhance safety standards. Read on to find out what went on at the 2nd CoP Forum on maritime safety. Empowering women in the maritime community is the theme for this year's World Maritime Day and we had invited four outstanding women in the maritime industry to share their views on safety and how they have strived to make their mark in the industry. We are also delighted to have Dr. Roberta Weisbrod, Executive Director of Worldwide Ferry Safety Association, pens her thoughts on how ferry safety can be greatly improved with the use of technology. She strongly believes that ferry safety is possible and shared Bangladesh as an example - from being one of the top three nations with ferry fatalities, they have cut the number to ZERO fatalities within three short years. To get a glimpse into the future of maritime, we have Daniel Zhang, Centre Director of Centre of Excellence in Maritime Safety (CEMS) at Singapore Polytechnic, to give us an inside look into how the next generation of seafarers are being equipped with the relevant skills to become future-ready seafarers. Last but not least, in time for the annual Kusu Island pilgrimage in October, we have prepared a simple safety guide while travelling in Singapore waters. Passengers also have a personal responsibility to have high safety awareness, and to make learning fun, we have a roving interactive kiosk for passengers which will be rotated among the three ferry terminals:

• Marina South Pier (29 September to 27 October)
• SCC HarbourFront (28 October to 27 November )
• Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal (28 November to 27 December)

Safety requires everyone to play his/her part, and I would encourage all to be mindful and remain alert when travelling. The bottom-line is best summarised by our Chief Executive, Ms Quah Lay Hoon, who said: "We can always replace cargoes, but we cannot replace the lives lost." Once again, safe travels everyone and happy reading! David Foo Editor Director (Ops-Tech Division)