In July 2024 IFAN CEO Catherine Mulvihill and Development Management Francesca Pradelli, together with MENAS Bahrain General Manager Mahdi Al Mosawi, attended the World Marine Aids to Navigation Day’s celebration organized by IALA and hosted by Italy in the beautiful city of Genoa.
The Ligurian city was presented with “The Lighthouse of the Year” Award for the “Lanterna”, the highest lighthouse in the Mediterranean and the most recognizable symbol of the City.
IFAN has proudly supported the work of the IALA World Wide Academy since its establishment, and will get even more involved in the mission of enhancing safety of life at sea and protecting the marine environment through the provision of Aids to Navigation worldwide. This is further enhanced by the recent inclusion of IFAN’s CEO to the Academy’s Board of Directors.
IFAN has also been a huge supporter of UNESCO and IALA’s initiative to provide Ocean literacy training for Marine Aids to Navigation Managers. The initiative highlights the significance of a multidisciplinary approach in addressing the challenges set by the UN Ocean Decade, particularly Challenges 9 and 10: to provide skills, knowledge, and technology for all, and to change humanity’s relationship with the Ocean. The training modules will be integrated into IALA’s courses for AtoN managers, exploring topics such as navigational risk management and marine conservation, as well as how Ocean Literacy can be incorporated into the everyday work of AtoN managers. By equipping AtoN managers with a deeper understanding of Ocean science principles, and therefore a greater grasp of ocean literacy, the initiative aims to enhance their capacity to navigate the complexities of maritime safety and environmental stewardship.