Australia celebrates World Maritime Day

AUSTRALIAN efforts to enhance navigational safety and reduce air emissions through optimised route planning make this year’s World Maritime Day relevant, Kaylene Dale says.

This year’s theme Our Ocean, Our Obligation, Our Opportunity, seeks to highlight the global mission to achieve a balance between reliance on the world's oceans and the critical need to safeguard them from human impacts.

Australian Maritime Safety Authority chief executive Kaylene Dale said shipping had a central role in striking the right balance.

"With 99% of Australia’s international trade transported by sea, shipping is our connection to the world,” Ms Dale said.

“We also have some of the most biodiverse marine ecosystems on the planet. We are committed to innovation that supports the sustainability of shipping, both environmentally and operationally.”

Ms Dale said Australia was proud to stand alongside the IMO and global partners in tackling the great challenges of our time.

“From tackling plastic pollution, preventing marine spills, and curbing greenhouse gas emissions, we are helping to shape a future where commerce and environmental stewardship go hand in hand," she said.

Australia is also deeply invested in global initiatives and innovations, including enhancing navigational safety with real-time data and reducing air emissions via optimised route planning.

Australia is accelerating maritime decarbonisation through a green and digital shipping corridor with Singapore and looking into the feasibility of a similar corridor with South Korea.

"At home, we are working across government and industry to accelerate the uptake of cleaner fuels and green technologies, improve ship’s waste recycling, and safely integrate offshore windfarms into our maritime environment,” she said.

"True sustainability also means caring for people. Seafarers are at the helm of this industry, and their wellbeing and safety must always come first. That’s why AMSA is unwavering in our commitment to uphold the Maritime Labour Convention and the Port State Control regime.”

This week, Australia has joined nations around the globe in lighting up landmarks in blue—from Australia House in London to lighthouses along the coast—as “a beacon of shared responsibility and commitment”.

Ports Victoria also issued a statement saying it was “proud to officially recognise the IMO World Maritime Day 2025”.

Deputy Harbour Master Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) Geelong and Regional, Peter Mason said by integrating real-time surveillance, communication and decision-support tools, VTS centres served as a cornerstone of maritime safety infrastructure.

“We support both routine operations and emergency responses to safeguard life at sea, plus the waterways we operate in,” he said.

“We have one planet, and our oceans serve as vital connectors for all humanity and the responsibility to safeguard these marine environments is a global one.”