By Bernice Mahabier, Assistant Manager Nautical Affairs With the Maritime Authority Suriname

1. 17th Meso American-Caribbean Sea Hydrographic Commission Conference12 – 18 December 2016Brazil- BelemSurinameCountry Report By Bernice Mahabier, Assistant Manager Nautical Affairs With the Maritime Authority Suriname

2. Table of Contents • Introduction • Hydrographic Office Service • Surveys • New charts & updates • New publications & updates • MSI • C-55 • Capacity building • Oceanographic activities • Other activities • Main achievements during the year, • Main challenges and/or obstructions,

3. Hydrographic office

4. Survey Suriname river 2016 Survey for updating ENC SR402218 and 2218 /BA chart 2765 Re-surveys of these areas are required due to frequent change because of sediment deposit from migrating mud banks along the coast at the entrance of the main rivers. Surveys were conducted for monitoring the navigation channels of the rivers and the migration of mud banks along the coastline.

5. Survey Corantijn river 2016 • Survey for New edition ENC SR2228 and 2228 /BA chart 2766

6. Coastal Survey 2016 Survey of the western part along the coast SR302014 , national paper charts 2014- GB 2763 and INT4191

7. Additional surveys 2016 • Monitoring of specific areas • Survey of harbor for dredging or nautical depth determination. • Investigative surveys

8. New equipment • RTK system has been replaced with a new DGNSS system, which has the ability to obtain corrections from Omnistar and is used for surveys in remote areas. • Two GNSS -SPS855 receivers and one base station • One R8s-GNSS receiver

9. New charts & updates

10. New publications and updates • Tide table 2017 • List of Lights 2017 • The release of Shipping Notices for the nautical accessibility of ISPS certified ports and for all rivers .( minimum depth , average tidal rise Neap tide and Springtide, harbor and ship requirements)

11. Marine Safety Information Existing infrastructure for transmission Partial radio warnings for coastal area through VTC . NtM published in local papers and website, emailed to mariners. NtM submitted to the NAV Area coordinator Currently Drafting of a plan for infrastructure in accordance with GMDSS Master Plan Fase 1: VHF coverage Area A1 :currently VHF channel 16 communication for 20NM in approaches to ports Fase2: MF coverage Area A2

12. Marine Safety Information

13. C-55

14. C-55

15. C55

16. Capacity building Training received • IHO: MSI course Saint Lucia: 16- tot 18 aug • FOCAHIMECA project Mexico: Bathymetric Data Processing, MSDI, MSI • IALA Risk Assessment, Panama Workshops GEBCO Forum Monaco France Cartographic Forum in Thailand sponsored by the Nippon Foundation Required Internship/ training: • Tidal analysis • Side Scan Sonar image interpretation • Paper chart and ENC production • Multibeam data acquisition and processing

17. CB Support Training offered: • IALA manager level 1 training course – Form March – April 2017- Paramaribo Suriname

18. Bilateral projects with hydrographic component • Member of IC-ENC for ENC validation and distribution • MoU Suriname – UKHO- ENC and paper Chart production (replacing MoU with NLHO) • MoU Suriname – France-co-production of boundary chart In progress • MoU Suriname – Brazil DNH for capacity building • MoU MAS - University of Suriname • MoU MAS - Polytechnic College • MOU MAS- IALA- training center and membership

19. Oceanographic activities • Offshore seismic project and drilling along the coast of Suriname by the National State oil Company

20. National project with hydrographic component • Establishment of Suriname Maritime Academy in conjunction with IALA for training in Aids to Navigation • Drafting of Risk assessment project • Preparation IMO Audit for 2018 (IMSAS)

21. Other activities • National Working groups: • NationalClimate Outlook Forum (NCOF) • MAS participated in the National Post-deforestation 2000 – 2009 and 2000 – 2015 Land Use Land Cover Maps project organized by the Forest Cover Monitoring Unit of the Foundation for Forest Management and Production Control (SBB) as an initiative of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO). • Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA)+ Suriname Climate Change Adaptation project office and activities Government of Suriname, the European Union and the UNDP • Increase of existing information and knowledge related to the effects of climate variability and change, including the development of targeted data collection, analysis and dissemination in related sectors of water management, hydro and meteorological services. • Strengthening of human capacity and systems for management and conservation of Mangroves. Reducing the negative effects of human action on mangroves; supporting enabling conditions to stimulate mangrove regeneration; and adaptation in the agriculture subsector.

22. Other activities Participation in IHO Working Groups • MEIP      • MICC Geospatial studies • Climate change : WWF -Suriname establishing a national database for environment • Disaster prevention Climate change: Rehabilitation Mangroves for coastal protection along the coastline . The 2km with of mangroves surf as a natural protection against the sea and function as sediment traps

23. Main challenges and/or obstructions Obstructions/ Challenges • Set back in updating ENC and paper charts due to transition from NLHO to UKHO • Set back in implementing the MSI services due to delay in establishment of the National Coastguard • Delay in purchase of MB system

24. Conclusions Great efforts have been made to guarantee safe navigation in the Surinamese waters, but Suriname is aware of the challenges we have to face in the future.