As part of efforts to enhance security and make the Volta Lake and other inland water transportation sources safer for passengers, vessels and boats, the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) is embarking on a program, to fix Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) Transponders on vessels and boats that ply in land water ways especially the Volta Lake.
AIS is an automatic tracking system used on ships and by vessel traffic services for identifying and locating vessels by electronically exchanging data with other nearby vessels or ships, AIS base stations and satellites. Vessels fitted with AIS transceivers can be tracked by AIS base stations normally located along the coast lines or when out of range of terrestrial networks, through a growing number of satellites that are fitted with special AIS receivers which are capable of deconflicting a large number of signatures.
The transponders or transmitters on these vessels will produce responses when it receives a radio-frequency interrogation when on territorial waters. These efforts are to help enhance security on our waters and also make our waters more navigable and avoid water incidents which on many occasions can be avoided.
Over the years efforts to make Ghanaian waters a safer place has been met with some resistance, especially non compliance from private boat owners and operators. This has led to countless water incidents where lives have been lost. Aside life jackets that can be worn by passengers and frequent patrols by the marine police and navy as and when needed, vessels that move on inland water ways must be tracked and monitored so as to allow for control.
According to the GMA boss, Rev. Dr. Isaka Peter Azuma, different types of transponders will be fitted on the vessels. “AIS transponders A to be fitted on big vessels and transponders B to be fitted on small vessels” he said
These vessels and boats will be effectively monitored from the various control centres around the country-National (Accra), Eastern, Western and Navy Headquarters.
It will be recalled that five years ago, the parliament of Ghana approved a credit facility of £17million for the supply, installation and operation of a Vessel Traffic Management and Information System (VTMIS) to ensure the electronic surveillance and monitoring of our coast lines.
The system is expected to ensure effective monitoring of the country’s waters and check unlawful activities such as piracy. It is also expected that issues of illegal narcotics and drug trade as well as smuggling of weapons will be checked.
The VTMIS is equipped with meteorological sensors that provide real time information on weather conditions at the sea for coastal management purposes as well as enhance search and rescue operations.
Boat operations on coastal areas is very common and is very much patronised by indigenes who use that as their means of transporting their farm produce to nearby towns to sell and make some money. To see AIS transponders on these boats will be step in the right direction so as to curb the issues of water incidents.
As part of efforts to make our waters safe and navigable, the authority is collaborating with Ghana Atomic Energy Commission to build a low orbit satellites that will help improve the accuracy of information sent and received on our waters
