The San Francisco Bar Pilots would like to thank the National Transportation Safety Board and its staff for their thorough investigation that resulted in findings regarding the circumstances and causes of the November 7, 2007 allision of the Cosco Busan with the Oakland-San Francisco Bay Bridge. The San Francisco Bar Pilots actively participated in the investigation and review of this incident and agrees with those findings.
It has been more than a year since this accident and during this time our association has conducted an intensive review of policies and practices, looking for changes and improvements that might keep another such incident from happening again.
For more than 150 years, the San Francisco Bar Pilots have provided a vital economic service by helping to navigate ships into and out of Northern California waterways. San Francisco Bay is our home and where we do our work. Protecting the environment of the Bay through the safe, secure passage of shipping traffic is our highest priority every day.
In response to the incident involving the Cosco Busan, the San Francisco Bar Pilots have participated with the regulatory authorities in the development ofvessel movement restrictions applicable during periods of heavy fog. We supported new regulations that mandate the use of personal navigation devices. The pilots are currently training on the new navigation software and full implementation is expected by July 1st. In 2008, our association sponsored legislation in cooperation with State Senator Leland Yee that strengthens oversight of bar pilot performance and medical and fitness reviews of our members.
Today, we are encouraged to see that San Francisco Bay has largely recovered from the effects of the Cosco Busan fuel spill. But the lessons learned from this tragic event will remain foremost in our minds for many years to come.
As a group of highly skilled maritime professionals, the San Francisco Bar Pilots maintain one of the highest safety records of any such group in the world. Our members undergo years of training before they are qualified to become a bar pilot. We have rededicated ourselves to providing safe, skilled service for the public benefit and for the economic vitality of California.