6 months after taking office, the engineer Frérel Normil, Director General of Maritime and Navigation Service of Haiti (SEMANAH), recently presented the current situation of this institution, as well as several measures that will be put in place by the end of the year.
Upon arrival, the engineer Normil, has established administrative procedures and an organization that has lacked the institution. A maritime code is in preparation [code that never existed for 30 years of existence of SEMANAH !]. The new Director also intends to enforce the powers of SEMANAH, by ensuring the registration and periodic inspection of ships, supervision of construction of ships and of the and surveillance of operations in territorial waters with the help of the Coast Guard to provide a more safe and efficient navigation.
10 of 14 coastal lighthouses have been restored 4 only worked, it was six months]. The objective before the end of 2012, is to make the markup of the Bay of Port-au-Prince by putting all the lighthouses in operation and by reinstalling the port lights that assist boats to dock at ports safely.
In the longer term, the SEMANAH intends to establish a monitoring center and of coastal risk management and create a maritime training center for Haitians, so that they may be able to prepare the boats and equipment related to the maritime service.
On the other hand, Mr. Gerard Métayer Cabinet member of the Directorate, indicated that two additional tide gauges one in the Gulf of Gonâve and the other in Jacmel will be installed by August in order to control the movements of the sea and warn people in case of major natural events, in order to avoid loss of human life. [The first tide gauge was installed in Cap Haitien in December 2011].
