Sea Watch and Response Overview

WHAT WE DO

SAMSA’s Centre for Sea Watch and Response (CSWR) is located in Plattekloof, Cape Town (See directions).

The CSWR is the focal point in the arena of maritime domain awareness (MDA). Its function is to monitor shipping to ensure safety of navigation and protection of the marine environment so as to protect South Africa’s maritime region.

The CSWR’s is responsible for ensuring safety of life and property at sea and the protection of the marine environment, which is the mandate of SAMSA as contained in the SAMSA Act .

CSWR core functions are:

Carry out Search and Rescue (SAR) functions & responsibilities Search and Rescue
Implement systems for surveillance of the maritime domain – vessels safety, vessel security, oil pollution prevention, detection and combating
Maintain MDA(Marine Domain Awareness)
Manage Maritime Communication system for SAR requirements and radio communication with shipping
Monitor coastal and offshore maritime activities
Regulate coastal and inland waterways Aids to Navigation (AtoN), including Vessel Traffic Services (VTS)
Consultation with the SA Hydrographer with regard to the annual hydrographic programme

In executing this responsibility the Centre has divided its operations into three areas; namely Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC), Intervention and Navigation (see structure).

Focus Areas

Intervention

The Intervention section is also being developed and capacitated to respond to situations developing at sea. This is where interaction with vessels at sea and organisations ashore are executed; through radio communication, tasking of the Emergency Towing Vessel (ETV), initiating the national contingency plan for specific situations, calling on defence and other resources to assist.

MRCC

The MRCC is fully functional and operates 24/7 with the focus primarily of the safety of life at sea and complies with the requirements of the DoT’s South African Search and Rescue (SASAR) Act. This entails interaction with the various government and non-government entities involved with maritime rescue at sea.(SAR Maritime Region )

Navigation

The Navigation section is to ensure the safety of navigation in South African waters through enhancing our MDA and regulation to ensure compliance with international conventions and agreements. It covers the regulation of Aids to Navigation (AtoN) coastal and inland waterways [read more], including Vessel Traffic Services (VTS), terrestrial and satellite Automatic Identification System (AIS), eNavigation (eNAV), Long range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) and oversight of Hydrography.