The Estonian Maritime Administration () was a

governmental agency A government agency or state agency, sometimes an appointed commission, is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government (bureaucracy) that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, s ...

that operated within the area of government of the

Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications () is a government ministry of Estonia. Its head office is in Tallinn.Home
" Ministry of Economic ...

. It was mainly tasked with implementing national economic policies and maritime safety in Estonian

territorial A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, belonging or connected to a particular country, person, or animal. In international politics, a territory is usually a geographic area which has not been granted the powers of self-government, ...

and navigable inland waters. In 2021, the organization was superseded by the

Estonian Transport Administration Estonian Transport Administration is a governmental agency that operates within the area of government of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications of Estonia. It is tasked with planning the mobility of people and water, air and land ...

History

1918 - 1940

On 13 November 1918, after the departure of German occupation forces, the

Estonian Provisional Government The Estonian Provisional Government () was formed on 24 February 1918, by the Salvation Committee appointed by '' Maapäev'', the Estonian Province Assembly. History Konstantin Päts' first provisional cabinet The Provisional Government was le ...

took over the Maritime Safety and Navigational Auxiliary Service and then formed the agency as part of the Command of Tallinn Port. A month later, the Command of Tallinn Port became the Ports Authority. On February 1, 1919, two new agencies were formed in addition to the Ports Authority - the Pilots, Lighthouses and Aids to Navigation Authority office and the Board of Waterways, Ports’ Dredging and Repair office. On March 1, 1920, the previously established agencies were united into a new agency - the General Authority of Maritime Issues - which was subordinate to the Ministry of Trade and Industry. On 22 May 1922, the General Authority of Maritime Issues was subordinated to the Ministry of Roads. On July 1, 1929, the agency was reformed into the Waterways Authority, which was tasked with organizing ship traffic at Estonian seas and inland waterways, preparing new development projects for ports and maintenance plans for waterways, and technical inspection and management of Estonian merchant fleet. The Waterways Authority was renamed the Waterways Department on 8 April 1938. On 31 December 1940, after the Soviets had annexed Estonia, the agency was dissolved and its resources were transferred to the

Estonian Shipping Company Eesti Merelaevandus or ESCO, also called Estonian Shipping Company was an Estonian shipping company that operated multipurpose dry cargo and container ships. Technical management of the ships is performed by First Baltic Shipmanagement. The com ...

and Hydrography Service of the Soviet Union Navy.

1990 - present

The decision to establish the Estonian Maritime Administration was made on December 1, 1989, and the agency was formed on 16 January 1990. The first statute of the Estonian Maritime Administration was approved on 29 April 1990, and the agency was tasked with preparing the Merchant Shipping Code, which was accepted on December 9, 1990. At the same time, the creation of the Estonian Ship Register began, which was approved on November 8, 1991. On 3 August 1993, an agreement was signed between Estonia and Russia for the transfer of hydrographic resources to Estonia, and on October 1, Estonia took over the responsibility of ensuring safe shipping in its waters. To fulfil its obligations, the icebreaker Tarmo was purchased in 1993. In the beginning, the main tasks of the organization included icebreaking, offering piloting services and fulfilling coast guard duties, like maritime rescue and

oil pollution An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially the marine ecosystem, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. The term is usually given to marine oil spills, where oil is released into ...

control. Between 1995 and 1996, those duties were transferred to other institutions. However, icebreaking duties were transferred back in 2000. On January 31, 1992, the Estonian Maritime Administration joined the

International Maritime Organization The International Maritime Organization (IMO; ; ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for regulating maritime transport. The IMO was established following agreement at a ...

. In January 1994, it joined the

International Association of Lighthouse Authorities The International Organization for Marine Aids to Navigation (IALA), previously known as International Association of Lighthouse Authorities, is an association founded in 1957 to collect and provide nautical expertise and advice. IALA is also kn ...

; in February 1997, the

International Hydrographic Organization The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) (French: ''Organisation Hydrographique Internationale'') is an intergovernmental organization representing hydrography. the IHO comprised 102 member states. A principal aim of the IHO is to ...

; and in March 2001, the

World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure The World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure (PIANC) is an international professional organisation founded in 1885. PIANC’s mission today is to provide expert guidance and technical advice on technical, economic and environment ...

. On July 1, 2005, Estonia became a signatory of the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control. The Estonian Maritime Administration was merged into the Transport Administration on 1 January 2021.

Pictures

File:Tarmo 1963 IMO 5352886 Tallinn 14 July 2013.JPG,

Icebreaker An icebreaker is a special-purpose ship or boat designed to move and navigate through ice-covered waters, and provide safe waterways for other boats and ships. Although the term usually refers to ice-breaking ships, it may also refer to smaller ...

Tarmo File:Jakob Prei 2012 Port Side Tallinn 15 July 2012.JPG, Hydrographic

research vessel A research vessel (RV or R/V) is a ship or boat designed, modified, or equipped to carry out research at sea. Research vessels carry out a number of roles. Some of these roles can be combined into a single vessel but others require a dedicated ...

Jakob Prei File:Sektori fighting against the Oil Pollution in Kopli Bay 24 May 2016.jpg, Sektori clearing oil pollution File:EVA 316 Port Side Tallinn 12 July 2013.JPG, multipurpose vessel EVA–316

References

External links

Official website

DiFooII:JAKOB PREI.mpg, Swath-Boot "JAKOB PREI" auf der Weser von Lemwerder nach Talinn, youtube.com
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Maritime Administration Maritime administrations, or flag state administrations, are the executive arms/state bodies of each government responsible for carrying out the shipping responsibilities of the state, and are tasked to administer national shipping and boating issu ...