Page 15: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (February 2021)

“ We’re looking at a 90% drop in passenger and vehicle tra? c, but ferry operators (cont nue) providing lifeline and essent al services to the communit es they serve by moving cargo and precious goods while the rest of their ferries remain virtually empty. They are incurring huge losses to do the right thing.”

Mike Corrigan,

CEO, Interferry

Watch the full interview with Mike Corrigan on MR TV: bit.ly/3qXyGDi

Source: Interferry travel. One thing we’ve pushed the IMO for is to get involved in domestic ferry safety as it pertains to the developing world.

So each country is responsible for safety within its borders or boundaries. Countries like Canada, the U.S., the European

Union, Australia, New Zealand, have top-tier safety systems 45th Annual Interferry Conference Fast Facts (already) in place. We’re trying to get the rest of the world • What 45th Annual Interferry Conference there through domestic ferry safety initiatives, and the devel- • When October 2-6, 2021 oping world needs assistance in that. Interferry has provided • Where Santander, Spain that through some of our programs, but we pushed the IMO • Host Sponsor Brittany Ferries hard and now they’ve put on the agenda to develop model • Main Hotel Eurostars Real Hotel regulations that can be used to help developing countries get • Registration Opens on May 1, 2021. further up the safety curve much quicker. We are encouraged • Why The annual Interferry Conference is the longest run- by that, and we want to be a big part of that solution going ning international event devoted to the ferry industry, and has been held in venues around the world for more than forward.

45 years. Conference sessions address the latest topics of speci? c interest to the ferry industry including regulatory,

I’m not looking for you to play favorites, but when you look technical, operations and commercial issues for both large at operators in the developing world can you share some and small operators. examples of companies that you see “doing it right” in • https://interferryconference.com terms of training, education and safety?

Absolutely. I think the best example that I could provide would be Archipelago Philippine Ferries. Chet and Mary boats, if you can believe that. But Chet and Mary Ann have

Ann Pastrana, who are strong supporters of Interferry. In fact, rebuilt pretty much their entire ? eet to world-class standards,

Chet’s on our board of directors of Interferry. We’ve had a and they’ve put a world-class safety program in place too.

conference in Manila in 2016. Their training programs – not Interferry also has a project in the Philippines around safety only for a developing country but for a developed world – are called FerrySafe One. We want to take that learning and help second to none. They’ve done an outstanding job of a blended other countries like Bangladesh, Indonesia, and ultimately learning approach and really have raised the bar exponentially Africa, to get further up the safety curve as fast as possible on safety in the Asia-Paci? c region. They’ve done that in con- because it’s in everybody’s best interest. Interferry is the voice junction with rebuilding their ? eet too. I mean, there’s still of the ferry industry worldwide, and we need to do everything many ferries that operate in the Philippines that are wooden in our power to improve safety around the world.

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