Lesson Learnt from QZ8501: Maritime Perspective

After several weeks, search and rescue operations had been finally able to locate and evacuate the ill-fated AirAsia QZ8501. The wreckage of the plane was found in the Karimata Strait off the coast of Borneo. Out of the 162 on board, only 48 of the passengers on the flight taking off from Juanda Airport in Surabaya, East Java, to Changi in Singapore have been found.

Like other plane crashes happened aroud the world, QZ8501 has also ended up at sea. In Indonesia alone, a number of airplane accidents with such characteric had taken place, i.e. Adam Air KI 574 that plunged into water off the Makassar Strait in 2007 and Lion Air JT904 which fiercely landed at sea near Ngurah Rai International Airport, Bali in 2013. Nothing so special with the fact that many aircraft finalize their troubled flights tragically at sea since the earth, as well as Indonesia, the world’s biggest archipelago country, is two-third covered by water.

But, something  is clear from the condition, that is the importance of maritime realm on human daily activities. This means, when it comes to accidents, especially those involved the aircraft and the vessel, maritime brain and muscle should be more relied on to deploy than other asset. States manage differently the involvement of their maritime establishment in maritime disaster. The maritime establishment traditionally include the navy and the coast guard.

However, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has created an international basis for conducting maritime search and rescue activities stipulated in the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue which was adopted 1979 and fully enforced in 1985.  In addition to that, the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group-INSARAG, a UN Organization, is set up to promote the exchange of information among SAR organizations and its duty is to render assistance as regulated by Article 98 of the UNCLOS.

Of course, there is still chance for the state members of IMO to rule their maritime SAR institution for their own national interest. In US, for example, maritime SAR is conducted by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and it is one of its oldest missions. According to the National Search and Rescue Plan, USCG is the federal agency responsible for maritime SAR operations in US and international waters. For inland SAR, the responsible party is the United States Air Force. Both agencies maintain rescue coordination centers/RCC to coordinate this effort.

In Japan, the arrangement is similar with that in the US. Jolted down in Law No. 102 of 1999, Article 2, “the Japan Coast Guard shall, for the purpose of ensuring safety and order at sea perform the duties concerning enforcement of laws and regulations at sea, maritime search and rescue...”. What about in Indonesia? 

In Indonesia, a couple of state agencies run maritime SAR operations like the National Police, Navy, Ministry of Transportation and others. All the agencies consequently manage their own maritime asset (patrol boats, helicopters, etc.). But, the main agency is charge with all SAR activities is the National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas). By Act No. 29/2014, the agency maintains, coordinates and controls search and rescue activities by the other parties.

Basarnas has also its own asset although below par. Therefore, in launching rescue mission the agency always “borrows” its sisters’ properties. To locate and and evacuate QZ8501, Basarnas has called in vessels and helicopters owned by the Navy, Air Force, National Police, and Transportation Ministry.

The agency has also submitted assistance request to the international community that responded by sending in their sophisticated asset specially designed for maritime SAR. What Basarnas has done is by no means unacceptable. It’s normal for a state SAR agency to ask assistance to its counterpart overseas. And, the SAR Convention is made availabe to facilitate this kind of cooperation.

What really matters to us as Indonesian is the fact that we have many agencies conducting the same task. Maybe they have excellent communication procedures among them to avoid overlapping in SAR mission. But, the asset they operate reflects that there is something wrong in our maritime management. With many agencies to be equipped with patrol boats and helicopters they will get ordinary one for sure. Without sophisticated features onboard like that operated by the parties involved in the searching of QZ8501.

Why do the government not streamline its maritime instutions in order to furnish them with adequate maritime SAR equipment? The way to do that is widely open. Pursuant to Act No. 17/2008, the government will establish Indonesia Coast Guard as a single agency with multimission, among other thing, maritime SAR. If the government is able to establish the agency this year, Indonesia will see a more sophisticated maritime SAR agency to be proud of. Hopefully.

Diterbitkan dalam majalah INDONESIA SHIPPING GAZETTE, edisi 19 Januari 2015