- Danish Maritime Safety Administration
-
Farvandsvæsenet 
Established March 28, 1973 Activated April 1, 1973 Director Svend Eskildsen Budget (2007) 255,8 Million DKK [1] Webpage www.frv.dk Employees 850 The Danish Maritime Safety Administration (DaMSA) (Danish: Farvandsvæsenet) is a department of the Danish Ministry of Defence with administration located in Christianshavn, Copenhagen. DaMSA operates throughout Denmark as part of the Danish Search and Rescue (SAR) organization that runs 21 rescue stations located along the coasts of Denmark.
Responsibilities of DaMSA include authorizing navigation systems and buoyage, resolving issues concerning wrecks and their salvage in Danish waters, and running the Danish Pilotage Service (Lodsvæsenet). DaMSA is the Centre for Operational Oceanography, which collects hydrographical and oceanographic data from all national waters, and makes charts and maps for use by the Military of Denmark and civilians. DaMSA is a full member of the North West Shelf Operational Oceanographic System.
Contents
History
Farvandsvæsenet is headquartered in Søkvæsthuset.
On April 1, 1973, Farvandsdirektoratet was established by merging the following organizations: Danish Lighthouse Service (Fyrvæsenet), Danish Pilotage Service (Lodsvæsenet), Danish Rescue Service (Redningsvæsenet) and the Royal Danish Nautical charts archive (Det Kongelige danske Søkortarkiv).
During the late 1970s and 1980s, the name Farvandsdirektoratet was changed to Farvandsvæsenet. Farvandsdirektoratet is still a used and accepted name.
In 1987, the Royal Danish Nautical charts archive was detached for merger with the National Survey and Cadastre of Denmark. All of these services have a long history on their own, reaching back to 1560.
On April 1, 2008, Farvandsvæsenet changed its English name from Royal Danish Administration of Navigation and Hydrography (RDANH) to Danish Maritime Safety Administration (DaMSA).[2]
Buildings
Farvandsvaesenet occupies the buildings named Søkvæsthuset and Bakkehuset. Bakkehuset is known for housing the Danish poet Johan Ludvig Heiberg.
Plaque on BakkehusetMission and tasks
The mission of the Danish Maritime Safety Administration is to assure the safety of navigation at sea in Danish, Faroese and Greenland waters. DaMSA achieves this mission through execution of the following tasks: Exercise jurisdiction and issue nautical publications; Provide aids to navigation; Provide coastal rescue; Provide pilotage; Conduct hydrographical surveys and provide oceanographic information. [3]
DaMSA is a member of the SeaDataNet European Directory of Marine Organizations, providing bathymetric measurements in Danish and Greenlandic waters. Five surveying ships are present working in Danish waters, all equipped with a shallow water multibeam system. Two surveying ships (one with multibeam) are stationed in Greenland with working area on the west coast. [4]
References
- ^ Statsregnskab for finansåret 2007, § 12 Forsvarsministeriet
- ^ Hydrographic National Report of Denmark, April 2008
- ^ "Danish Maritime Safety Administration". http://www.efficiensea.org/default.asp?Action=Details&Item=415. Retrieved 2009-07-27.
- ^ "SeaDataNet European Directory of Marine Organizations". http://seadatanet.maris2.nl/v_edmo/print.asp?check_n_code=465&page_size=10&page_count=3&screen=0&rs_found=41&key=27. Retrieved 2010-07-29.
External links
- Farvandsvæsenet home page
- History of Søkvæsthuset from Christianshavn Archives
Categories:- Danish government departments and agencies
- Hydrology organizations
- Oceanographic institutions
- Navigation
- Organizations established in 1973
- Maritime safety organizations
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