Pratik Bijlani –
On August 9, the Directorate General of Shipping, Government of India, in collaboration with the Indian Register of Shipping (IRClass) and the Institute of Marine Engineers (India) hosted a pivotal seminar in Mumbai to address the critical issue of Underwater Radiated Noise (URN). The event brought together key individuals in the maritime industry, providing a forum for specialists to debate the impact of URN on marine life and brainstorm new solutions.
Underwater Radiated Noise is the sound produced by ships and other nautical activities that travels underwater and poses a severe hazard to marine life, particularly marine mammals. The main sources of URN are the ship’s propulsion systems, hull vibrations, and onboard machinery. These sounds can disturb marine creatures’ communication, navigation, and behaviour, resulting in bodily injury and even death.
The Chief Guest, Mr Shyam Jagannathan, IAS, Director General of Shipping, delivered a strong keynote presentation. Mr Jagannathan emphasised the role of technology in reducing global difficulties, saying, “While we are going through such difficult times, we also have tremendous amplification of intellectual capital. We have new technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and quantum computing, all of which can be used as powerful tools to, if not totally solve, then at least offset the scenarios I’ve stated.” His lecture emphasised the importance of using cutting-edge technologies to address environmental challenges, notably URN’s primary priority.
Following the keynote, Mr Arun Sharma, Executive Chairman of IRClass, shared his vision for the future of the marine industry. “Shipping today is actually sitting on very interesting times, what we call a cusp, where one is looking at shipping to be totally different from what it was in the past in the next 20 years,” Sharma stated, emphasising the upcoming transformation in maritime operations driven by technological advancements. He emphasised that, while the industry has traditionally concentrated on lowering costs per ton-mile of cargo, the future would see a move towards reducing CO2 emissions per ton-mile, demanding considerable changes in ship design and management.
The conference included a talk by Sevtap ÖZDOĞAN, Project Manager of IMO’s GloNoise effort, who attended online. She delivered a detailed summary of the GloNoise initiative, which aims to reduce URN from shipping on a global scale. ÖZDOĞAN praised India’s support for the IMO’s initiatives and detailed the project’s objectives, including raising awareness, building capacity, and fostering international policy discourse on URN reduction. Her lecture emphasised the significance of international cooperation in mitigating the environmental impact of maritime activities.
Mr Ajith Sukumaran, Chief Surveyor of DG Shipping, presented additional insights, emphasising the importance of a solution-oriented approach to environmental concerns and encouraging delegates to focus on practical solutions rather than becoming mired in the politics of climate change. His plea for a joint effort to discover effective answers to URN struck a chord with the audience, confirming the seminar’s collaborative atmosphere.
International delegates, including Ms. Norhasliza Mat Salleh from Malaysia, Ms. Miora Rabemiafara from Madagascar, and Ms. Nino Bagdavazde from Georgia, spoke about their countries’ perspectives on URN and emphasised the importance of global cooperation in addressing this issue.
The event culminated with the launch of MRC Pune’s URN Management on-board marine platforms, which is intended to help maritime professionals decrease underwater noise pollution. This endeavour, combined with the spirited discussions made at the seminar, represents a significant step forward in the joint fight to protect marine ecosystems from the negative effects of URN.
As the maritime industry navigates a period of fast technological change, the ideas and actions presented at this conference will be important in building a more sustainable and ecologically responsible future for global shipping.
Marex Media