The 1266m quay offers two 320m-long General Cargo berths, two 300m-long liquid bulk berths and a depth of 18m.

“The new facility is able to handle a wide range of vessels, ranging from naval ships, to vessels handling limestone, cement, livestock, project cargo and other dry bulk commodities as Salalah continues to grow as a key center of trade and logistics for the region” said Port of Salalah CEO David Gledhill.

The new terminal was built by the Government of Oman at a cost of 55 million OMR (USD143 million). The Project includes support  structures such as power Substations, a fire pump house, a Prayer Hall, a canteen, and administrative offices. Liquid bulk cargoes are an increasingly important commodity for Omani industry and trade; “A dedicated pipe corridor links the new liquid bulk terminal directly with one of our customers operating within the port, and in the future, an extension will
connect with the Salalah Free Zone where new customers are setting up their plants,” said Port of Salalah Deputy CEO Ahmed Akaak.

The Port of Salalah is operated by APM Terminals as part of the APM Terminals Global Terminal Network, and in which APM Terminals holds a 30% share, handling 3.03 million TEU in 2014, along with 10.3 million tons of bulk cargo.

The Declaration and Commitments cover a raft of issues from information sharing and detection, practical measures to stop the transportation of illegal wildlife products and a common determination to tackle the illegal trade, wherever it may be.

The United for Wildlife Taskforce is a collaboration between key partners from the transport industry, international bodies and conservation organisations which was convened by HRH The Duke of Cambridge and is committed to focusing increased attention on efforts to combat the illegal wildlife trade as one of the most pressing conservation issues of our time.

HE Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman of DP World, said: “Ports are gateways to world trade and as pillars of economies they play a vital role in enabling commerce to thrive for the benefit of all. Yet traffickers in illegal wildlife products can also use transport connectivity to profit from their activity.

“That’s why we all need to work together to tackle the issue and only by partnership can we succeed for the long term. Promoting greater awareness and vigilance within the maritime sector, port operators, customs organisations, customers and suppliers, encouraging greater cooperation is key. We owe it to the world, our partners, our communities and to the magnificent wildlife that shares this planet with us.”

In October, DP World hosted a tour of Jebel Ali Port by the Taskforce members visiting Dubai to discuss issues around the illegal wildlife trade. The visit included a briefing by Dubai Customs and DP World management on how Dubai authorities work together at the 9th largest port in the world.

Since that time, further insights on the workings of Dubai Customs at Jebel Ali Port have been given providing a detailed insight into security measures and monitoring in a bid to share and implement best practice globally. The company is also writing to customers, global port operators, its 36,000 strong workforce around the world to highlight the agreement and to underline the need for co-operation in the transport and logistics sector.

Taskforce members led by the Rt Hon the Lord Hague of Richmond include DP World; World Customs Organisation (WCO); Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS); Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES); International Air Transport Association (IATA); International Maritime Organisation (IMO); World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF); Wildlife Conservation Society; Wildlife Conservation Association; Emirates Airlines; DLA Piper; Kenya Airways; IATA; United Nations Development Programme; A.P. Moller Maersk; Maersk Line; COSCO Container Lines; Cruise Line International and DHL.

Lerwick is a major commercial port in Britain, strategically situated at the crossroads of the North Sea and North-East Atlantic. Handling more than 5,000 vessel arrivals, totalling over 12,000,000 gross tonnes, annually, the deep-water port’s users include fishing, oil and gas support, cargo, sailing, ferries and cruises.

The new VMS will be based on the high-end Navi-Harbour software solution from Transas. Hardware equipment scope consists of Class A AIS Transponders, Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine Vision Master radars, a Jotron VHF Communication System, Gill Meteorological sensors, general IT hardware platform and an APC Power Backup System. This will be installed across four sites covering the port’s area: the main port operations building and three remote stations (Rova Head, Maryfield and Kirkabister, monitoring the northern approaches, inner harbour and southern approaches, respectively).

As part of the project, Port Control, located in Albert Building, will be fully renovated and Transas will closely collaborate with the Authority to design a new layout for the service within this building. Transas has contracted local support from H Williamson & Sons for installation and ongoing maintenance.

As part of its comprehensive customer support program, Transas will provide the client with Operator Training Course and Maintenance Service Plan.

The Port Authority’s Deputy Harbourmaster, Captain Alexander Simpson, said: “The new system will modernise Lerwick Harbour’s monitoring system, improving real-time information available to the Controllers handling shipping movements and the navigational assistance provided by Port Control. The investment is another important step in our ongoing development programme which is adding to the port’s capacity and competitiveness.”

The project, costing around £450,000, including the Transas contract, telecommunications and civil works, is scheduled to be fully completed and delivered by May 2016.