Analytical investigation of marine casualties at the Strait of Istanbul with SWOT-AHP method

The Strait of Istanbul is one of the most dangerous and busiest sea passages, according to its narrowness, sharp turns, currents, heavy traffic and many other important factors. Despite the latest precautions, marine incidents still occur, especially in narrow seaways. This study shows that a management tool that is specifically applied for reducing marine casualties and consequently enhancement of safety and ship management performance can be used to prevent accidents and casualties in maritime transportation. In this study, factors which affect marine casualties examined and determined with SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis method and weighting of the factors determined by using the AHP (analytic hierarchy process) method. With this approach, strategic action plans were developed for minimizing shipping casualties at the Strait of Istanbul, taking into account the weighting factors and previously happened accidents.