Maritime and Coastguard Agency
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is a UK executive agency working to prevent the loss of lives at sea and is responsible for implementing British and International maritime law and safety policy.
This involves coordinating search and rescue (SAR) at sea through Her Majesty's Coastguard (HMCG), ensuring that ships meet international and UK safety standards, monitoring and preventing coastal water pollution and testing and issuing Merchant Navy Certificates of Competency (licenses) for ships' officers and crew to STCW requirements. The organisation is led by Sir Alan Massey, its Chief Executive, who took up post in July 2010.[1]
The MCA has three distinct "outward facing" elements - provision of search and rescue and prevention activity through Her Majesty's Coastguard, port and flag state control of shipping through a network of Marine Offices and the development of international standards and policy for shipping through the International Maritime Organisation.
The MCA has now established an Automatic Identification System (AIS) network around the UK coast, for real-time tracking and monitoring of shipping movements from the shore.
Its motto is "Safer Lives, Safer Ships, Cleaner Seas".
[edit] See also
- Royal National Lifeboat Institution
- Her Majesty's Coastguard
- Code of safe working practices
- British Merchant Navy
- Merchant Navy
[edit] External links
- Maritime and Coastguard Agency official site
[edit] References
- ^ Organisation Chart [1], Department for Transport. Retrieved on 2010-08-11.
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