Following recommendations from the Chamber of Diving and Watersports (CDWS), the Egyptian Minster of Tourism has issued a decree stating that all safari boats operating in remote areas must carry on board an approved diver-tracking system. Remote areas are currently defined by the CDWS as the Brothers Islands and any site further south.
The decree has been issued in a bid to further increase diver safaty & help prevent cases of lost divers in remote and current-exposed areas, such as the southern most dive sites of the Egyptian Red Sea. Such systems are already being used by some safari boat operators in these areas as an extra safety measure.
All liveaboard safari boats have until end June 2010 to implement the new system.
For those of a technical bent the tracking device that meets the following criteria may be used:
- those approved by the NTRA (National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority): www.ntra.gov.eg
- those tested and approved by CDWS
To date only the SeaSafe system has completed the approval process, with two other products currently undergoing a series of tests. The results of the latest approvals will be announced to CDWS members once completed.
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