Turkish Maritime Pilots’ Association (TUMPA)

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For centuries maritime shipping has been overwhelmingly the dominant form of transportation for global trade. In marine transportation vessels are always expected to complete their voyages safely and without delay. Safety concerns in narrow waterways and ports are accentuated by the continuing increase in marine traffic. The attendant growth in cargo volume has likewise increased the scale of the potential hazards to life, property and the environment that could result from just one catastrophic marine accident. Human error has been identified as the key causal factor in marine accidents with a ratio that varies from 75% to 96% and that is 85% in average. These are the facts that make pilots and pilotage services the most important elements of safety in narrow waterways and ports. Due to their training for a specific area and their experience gained during everyday operations, pilots bearing ocean-going master licenses can minimize human errors almost to zero level. A comparison of the accident statistics between two areas, one where pilotage is compulsory and one where it is optional, unequivocally supports this.