Maritime Experts Set A Course for UK's Hosting of World Marine Aids to Navigation Day 2025

24th June 2025

Jehan Ashmore

The UK capital is among the host locations for IALA’s annual celebration of maritime safety and innovation. Above, Afloat highlights in the Pool of London moored alongside the WW2 veteran HMS Belfast, is Northern Lighthouse Board’s aids to navigation tender NLB Pharos. Credit: Northern Lighthouse Board-facebook

Next week the UK will host IALA’s annual celebration of maritime safety and innovation, a three-day (30 June-2 July) event held in and around London.

Each year the International Organization for Marine Aids to Navigation (IALA) leads the celebrations for World Marine Aids to Navigation Day (WAtoN Day).

The aim of WAtoN Day is to promote awareness of the importance of marine aids to navigation and the role of IALA’s work to improve and harmonise standards worldwide for the efficiency of navigation and protection of the environment.

Trinity House and the Northern Lighthouse Board will be co-hosting WAtoN Day 2025 on behalf of the Department for Transport (DfT), the UK Government Department that represents the UK at IALA.

This is a particularly important year for IALA as it has just become an Inter-Governmental Organisation (see related Irish Lights story).

Physical aids to navigation in a digital future

An exciting programme of events starts on 30 June with a networking event for participants onboard one of the most modern vessels operating on the Thames.

On 1 July (World Marine Aids to Navigation Day), there will be two panel discussions where invited participants will be able to put questions to a panel of leading technology and maritime experts and a dinner where the guest speaker will be Sturla Henriksen, Special Advisor, Ocean, to the United Nations Global Compact.

The theme for the day’s discussions will be the role of physical aids to navigation in a digital future.

Special guests on the day will include HRH The Princess Royal and Mike Kane MP, Minister for Aviation, Maritime and Security. HRH The Princess Royal is the Patron of the Northern Lighthouse Board, and the Master of Trinity House.

On the following day, participants will visit the east coast operational base of Trinity House in the port town of Harwich, Essex for a technical and operational tour that will showcase the importance of marine aids to navigation (such as lighthouses and buoys). In addition, the work involved to support the safe transit through our waters for mariners of all kinds of vessel.

IALA’s Secretary-General, Francis Zachariae, is excited for the upcoming celebratory event: “I would like to thank the UK Government’s Department for Transport, Trinity House, and the Northern Lighthouse Board for hosting World Marine Aids to Navigation Day 2025. This event provides an invaluable opportunity to come together, exchange ideas, and strengthen our international ties.”

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About The Author

Jehan Ashmore

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Jehan Ashmore is a marine correspondent, researcher and photographer, specialising in Irish ports, shipping and the ferry sector serving the UK and directly to mainland Europe. Jehan also occasionally writes a column, 'Maritime' Dalkey for the (Dalkey Community Council Newsletter) in addition to contributing to UK marine periodicals.

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