The Sea, January/February 2010

Issue 203 jan/feb 2010

Full City officers can return home

Los artículos en español aparecen en las páginas 6y7 Статьи на русском языке приводятся на стр. 6 и 7

IMO bravery awards page 3 Your right to mental health care page 6 New group to promote quality page 8

IMO’s logo for the Year of the Seafarer (left), and (above) some of the people the year celebrates (Photo: John Attenborough)

Paying tribute to seafarers’ unique contribution THE International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has designated 2010 as “The Year of the Seafarer” to enable tribute to be paid to the world’s seafarers “for their unique contribution to society and in recognition of the risks they shoulder in

The Sea is published by The Mission to Seafarers

Editor: Gillian Ennis News: David Hughes It is distributed free of charge to seafarers through chaplains and seafarers’ centres. However, if you want to be sure of getting it regularly, send us £3.50 or $5 for post and packing and we will mail it to you for a year (six issues).

It is available from: Kathy Baldwin The Sea, The Mission to Seafarers, St Michael Paternoster Royal, College Hill, London EC4R 2RL. Tel: +44 20 7248 5202 Fax: +44 20 7248 4761 Email: pr@missiontoseafarers.org Website: www.missiontoseafarers.org

ongoing Go to Sea! campaign to attract new entrants to the shipping industry.

Most maritime organisations will be supporting the initiative, including The Mission to Seafarers. See P4-5

ITF throws down gauntlet as number of attacks surge

Pirate-infested seas ‘not fit for seafarers’ A

UK registered charity no: 212432 Scottish charity register no: SC039211

the execution of their duties in an often hostile environment”.

The theme will be celebrated throughout the year and also on World Maritime Day. It is intended to complement IMO’s

TTACKS by Somali pirates on merchant ships and fishing vessels have surged again after a temporary lull during the moonson season, and are occurring ever deeper into the Indian Ocean.

Once again, about 10 merchant ships and at least 250 seafarers are being held

by Somali gangs. The rise in attacks prompted the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) to “throw down the gauntlet” to those flag states and shipowners who have not taken action to fight Somali piracy, to act before the threat made it “virtually impossible for seafarers to pass through the ever-widening danger area”.

In a motion adopted by its fair practices committee the ITF said that “save in exceptional circumstances”, ships should not transit the affected area. “The risk of attack is now so great that putting seafarers in harm’s

way amounts to a breach of the shipowner’s duty of care,” it said.

A few days after the ITF issued its statement, a pirate gang hijacked a VLCC, the Greek-flag Maran Centaurus, some 600 nautical miles north east of the Seychelles; that is to say way out in the Indian Ocean, far from the now heavily patrolled Gulf of Aden. It was the first Greekflag vessel to be hijacked.

In an acknowledgement of the practical difficulties involved, the ITF described its motion as a “statement of intent that flag states and shipowners have to assess the risks and act definitively to combat them, or risk finding themselves outside the law”.

ITF maritime co-ordinator Steve Cotton said that there were countries actively fighting piracy and owners training and supporting their crews to resist it. “Then there are others who are shirking

responsibility and as good as accepting its steadily growing menace, which has brought us to the point where one of the world’s great trading routes is now almost too dangerous to pass through.”

He added that the ITF statement reflected “the frustration of all those who work at sea at the dire situation we’ve reached”. He described it as one where pirates acted virtually unmolested and, even if intercepted, with virtual immunity from arrest.

“It calls into question the very legality of continuing to send ships through much of the Indian Ocean. It is therefore imperative that not only must protective escorts be used, but that flag states immediately decide on the protective measures that they must recommend for the ships that are flying their flag and that those ships’ operators comply with them.”

Mr Cotton attacked the open registers for not doing

enough. “We, and many others, also want to see the end of what’s virtually an open secret in shipping – that many of the world’s largest ship registers have provided not one vessel to patrol an ocean that can only be made safe by an increase in the number of warships needed to aggressively patrol and police it. I am not aware of a single flag of convenience country that is acting in this way to protect the ships that are supposedly their responsibility.”

The International Maritime Employers’ Committee (IMEC), which represents the employers of many seafarers on open register ships, responded by saying that the safety of all seafarers was a top consideration for its members, and it shared the belief that seafarers carrying out their normal duties should not be exposed to the risk of piracy.

Continued on P2

A NORWEGIAN appeal court has ruled that the Full City’s master, Zong Aming, and chief officer Qilanng Lu can have their passports returned on payment of a bail of NOK 1m ($178,000) each. This will enable them to return home to China to await a further court hearing in Norway next spring. The decision earlier of a lower court not to grant bail to the officers caused widespread concern as did the invoking of charges normally used in cases of deliberate pollution.

Shipmanagers’ organisation InterManager and the International Transport Workers’ Federation have applauded the release of the two Chinese officers detained in Norway following the oil spill incident involving the bulker Full City which ran aground after dragging its anchor.

Defence lawyers argued that the two men’s alleged negligence did not warrant pre-trial detention and claimed they had suffered stress while detained in Norway.

Manpower study to be updated in 2010 SHIPPING bodies Bimco and the International Shipping Federation are to launch a 2010 update of their manpower study. It was first conducted in 1990 and is said to be the most comprehensive worldwide assessment of the global supply of and demand for merchant seafarers. The 2010 study will cover two main areas: the present worldwide supply and demand situation for seafarers, and the likely future supply and demand balance.

“Now more than ever,” say the two organisations, “the current economic difficulties facing the industry and the increasing pressures being placed on seafarers such as piracy and criminalisation make it timely to conduct a survey to identify what needs to be put in place for the future to secure a healthy pool of seafarers in the short, medium and long term.”

2 the sea jan/feb 10

Families of crew held hostage stage protests

Alarm at bulker sinkings off India

THE families of the 24 Ukrainian seafarers on board the Ariana, who have been held hostage

by Somali pirates since last May, have organised protest marches in Odessa to highlight the crew’s plight. The Greek-owned, Maltese-flag general cargo ship was hijacked north west of the Seychelles in May and taken to Hobyo.

The pirates, who are seeking a ransom, are reported to have been threatening to kill the crew when the fuel supplies on board run out.

A report in November that the vessel had been released was later denied. One of the protest’s organisers, Elena Davydova, told the Nautilus Telegraph that they were weary of indifference.

“The situation is critical,” she said.

IMB figures reveal piracy violence is worse

Increase in attacks and use of firearms T HE number of pirate attacks globally in the first nine months of 2009 was more than for the whole of 2008. There was also a massive increase in the use of firearms.

A total of 306 incidents were reported to the International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) Piracy Reporting Centre in the first nine months of 2009. The total number of attacks for the whole of 2008 was 293. Worryingly, the total number of incidents in which guns were used rose by more than 200 per cent compared to the corresponding period in 2008.

The IMB said the increase in attacks was directly attributable to heightened piracy activity off the Somali coast, where 47 incidents were reported compared to just 12 for the same period of the previous year, and in

the Gulf of Aden, which had 100 incidents compared to 51 for the same period of the previous year.

Attacks in the third quarter actually showed a marked decline, with 63 incidents reported compared to the first and second quarters of 2009, which recorded 103 and 140 incidents respectively. This decrease was almost entirely attributable to the monsoon season, which made it difficult for the Somali gangs to operate due to rough seas. Once the monsoon was over attacks and successful hijackings increased again dramatically.

In the first nine months of 2009, pirates boarded 114 vessels, hijacked 34 and fired on 88. Pirates murdered six seafarers, eight were reported missing and a further 12 were kidnapped in addition to the 661 crew members held hostage on their ships.

There was, however, a marked decrease in the pirates’ success rate, from one in 6.4 attacks in the first nine months of 2008 to one in nine attacks in 2009.

“The naval vessels operating off the coast of Somalia continue to play a critical role in containing the piracy threat,” said IMB director Captain Pottengal Mukundan. “Enhanced security measures by vessels have also made it difficult for pirates to succeed in their attacks.”

While the IMB’s third quarter report showed that Somali pirates had been less active due to the monsoon, it highlighted that they had extended their reach, threatening not only the Gulf of Aden and the east coast of Somalia, but also the southern region of the Red Sea, the Bab el Mandab straits and the east coast of Oman.

IMO says thank you to navies DURING the International Maritime Organisation’s bravery awards ceremony, held in November, the UN agency’s secretarygeneral, Efthimios Mitropoulos, presented certificates for exceptional services rendered to shipping and mankind to the commanding officers and ships’ companies of warships that have helped to suppress piracy off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden.

He thanked them “for their dedication, their courage, their commitment and for the sacrifices they make”.

The ships were from Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, India, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands, Portugal, South Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the UK and the US.

Tougher rules of engagement call

Three abducted

CONCERNED at the spread of piracy far out into the Indian Ocean, International Maritime Bureau (IMB) director Pottengal Mukundan has called for naval forces to take tougher action, especially against the mother ships used to mount such long range attacks.

“Firm action against mother ships is the key element in deterrence in these open sea areas where there are fewer options available,” Captain Mukundan told The Sea. “The IMB wants rules of engagement for naval units to follow

THE master, chief mate, and chief engineer of the tug Salvmar-II were abducted in Asian waters in November after their vessel was boarded by nine robbers with high-powered firearms while it was taking shelter off Zamboanga Del Norte, Philippines. The gang also stole equipment and some provisions. By early December the fate of the three men was still unknown.

In October eight incidents of armed robbery against ships were reported by the Regional Co-operation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia Information Sharing Centre, which monitors piracy in Asian waters. Six were actual incidents while two were attempted attacks, two fewer than in October 2008.

UN Security Council Resolution 1851, which calls upon states that are able to do so, to deploy naval vessels to the area and to seize vessels and equipment that are being used for pirate attacks.”

The various navies are, in fact, having some success. In late November ten suspected pirates were arrested following an attack on a Spanish fishing vessel 175 miles east of Victoria, Seychelles. The EU Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) says the fishing vessel’s “embarked security team” fired warning shots, after which

ITF anger as attacks surge Continued from P1 But it also said it believed that a certain level of pragmatism needed to be shown in any discussions as to the future transit of shipping through the waters surrounding Somalia and extending into the Indian Ocean. Options, like sailing around the Cape of Good Hope, would be expensive and “may simply not be practical”.

IMEC chairman Ian Sherwood expressed the employers’ frustration at the continued attacks, especially off Somalia. “We have reacted with the best of intentions to protect our seafarers.

However, it is becoming clear that the only way to bring lasting safety to these particular waters is by direct intervention from national governments through co-ordination and co-operation on an international scale.”

the pirates broke off their attack.

In a follow-up operation, EUNAVFOR units and the Seychelles Coast Guard made the arrests and took the men to the Seychelles.

The use of firearms by onboard personnel appears to be growing. The fishing vessel’s security team were armed civilians but in the case of two recent attacks on French vessels members of the country’s armed forces were deployed and fired at pirates attempting to board.

TWO bulk carrier losses off the Indian coast have raised concerns about the safety of wet iron ore cargoes and the standard of vessel being employed in this trade. There have been numerous incidents and warnings concerning iron ore loaded in India. If the water content is too high it is liable to liquefy and make the vessel unstable.

After the September sinking of the 1977built, Mongolian-flagged 38,000 dwt bulker Black Rose, it was alleged that the vessel was sailing using forged safety documents. The ship’s mate died in the accident.

Indian police have filed charges against the ship’s owner and manager regarding its insurance certificates.

Earlier, in July, the Asian Forest went down off Mangalore after developing a heavy list. All crew members survived the accident but were promptly arrested.

They were still being held under “hotel arrest” at the end of October but hopes were rising that they were about to be freed.

LNG ship deliveries delayed JAPANESE shipping group Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) has agreed delayed delivery times for two LNG carriers built by Hyundai Heavy Industries. The newbuildings, said to be worth US$205m each, have been placed on “extended delivery”.

The 177,000 cu m Abdelkader and Ben Badis are now to join the MOL fleet in the first and fourth quarters of 2010, in both cases a year after completion. It is estimated that more than 25 gas carriers, out of a total fleet of around 330 vessels, are idle at present.

Chief officer murdered off Benin

Indian welfare initiative

CALLS for action over piracy in West African waters have followed the murder in November of Oleksiy Frolin, chief officer of the Liberianflag, German-owned tanker Cancale Star off Cotonou, Benin.

Tanker owners’ association Intertanko said it appreciated the huge commitment and dedication of naval forces to date in the Gulf of Aden and off Somalia, and of the countries bordering the Singapore Straits to combat piracy, but action also needed to be taken off West Africa.

Four other crew members were injured in the attack. The gang

INDIAN seafarers and their families stand to benefit from two new welfare schemes in 2010, thanks to an initiative by an International Transport Workers’ Federation-affiliated seafarers’ union. The two schemes, initiated by the National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI), will provide financial help and assistance to seafarers and their families, starting

took cash from the ship’s safe before attempting to flee. However, one pirate was overpowered by the crew and handed over to the Benin authorities.

The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) also said in its latest report that Nigeria remained another area of high concern. “While only 20 attacks were officially reported to the IMB in 2009, information received from external sources indicates that at least 50 per cent of attacks on vessels, mostly related to the oil industry, have gone unreported.” Of the 20 incidents reported, it said, eight were in the waters around Lagos.

on 1 January 2010. One scheme will give ratings the opportunity to become officers with the help of interest-free loans of up to Rs250,000 (US$5,363); the other will make available scholarships for children from seafarers’ families, including those of retired seafarers.

“This initiative,” said NUSI general secretary Abdulgani Serang, “is intended to ease the shortage of officers by promoting and encouraging ratings, and to give children – in particular daughters of seafarers – the opportunity to pursue higher studies.”

Win in US pollution case GREEK-based ship operator Kassian Maritime Navigation Agency has won a court battle in the US to be released from a probation order. In 2007 the company was sentenced to pay $1.3m in fines and costs and was also given three years’ probation for pollution offences. While on probation Kassian had to implement a rigorous environmental protection policy on all of its ships. When sentencing, the court ruled that the probation period could be reduced to two years if compliance was adequate by then.

When the twoyear mark approached Department of Justice and US Coast Guard officials refused to allow an early end to the probation period despite favourable assessments by two courtapproved private inspectors. Kassian then took the case back to court and won an early termination of the probation order. This outcome could encourage other companies in similar situations to take the same course of action.

New IMO Council, but old names RECENT voting for places on the 40-member Council of the International Maritime Organisation resulted in only one change in the line-up. Belgium replaced New Zealand, which did not stand this time.

Liberia stood for election as one of the ten states in category A – for those with the largest interest in providing international shipping services – but was unsuccessful.

There were 26 hopefuls for 20 places in category C – for those countries with special interests in maritime transport or navigation. The unsuccessful applicants were the Cook Islands, Iran, Kuwait, the Marshall Islands, Pakistan and the UAE.

jan/feb 10 the sea 3

Support for emission cuts

IMO honours men and women for acts of courage at sea

Awards for swimmer and yacht couple for bravery T

HE 2009 International Maritime Organisation awards for exceptional bravery at sea have been presented to a professional rescue swimmer who, in Arctic conditions, single-handedly rescued eight crew members of a foundered vessel in the Bering Sea, and to two amateur sailors who rescued three people from a wrecked yacht in very heavy weather off a remote South Pacific coral reef.

Commending all the nominees at the award ceremony, secretary-general Efthimios Mitropoulos said that the event had provided the opportunity “to honour and pay tribute to courageous men and women, all of whom have displayed heroism, valour, courage and dedication under life-threatening conditions prevailing at the time of their remarkable acts”.

The professional rescue swimmer, US Coast Guard Aviation Survival Technician Second Class Abram Heller (top left), single-handedly rescued eight crew members of the foundered F/V Alaska Ranger. Having plunged into the water to rescue survivors, he then gave up his place in the rescue helicopter to enable rescued crew members to be taken to safety and waited on a liferaft for over an hour with three further seafarers whom he had pulled into it.

Maurice and Sophie Conti (top right) were sailing their yacht in the South Pacific with their young family when they rescued the crew of another yacht, Timella, which had struck a reef. The Contis made contact with authorities in New

Zealand and Fiji but, as no help was available, they exposed themselves to considerable risk to rescue the yacht’s crew of three.

In addition to the bravery awards, certificates were also presented to the following “highly commended” nominees or their representatives: The master and crew of the vessel Xin Ou Zhou for rescuing 15 crew members of the grounded fishing vessel Zhe ling yu yun 101, during Typhoon Jangmi; Lt César Osvaldo Lara Basto of the Mexican navy who single-handedly put out a fire in the engineroom of the naval tug ARM Yaqui, saving the lives of 34 crew members; Cha Sang Geun, master of the products tanker STX Ace 7

crew members alive in the water until rescued after the vessel had sunk.

The IMO secretary general also sent letters of commendation to: Nabil Abdelaziz (posthumously), able seaman on the tugboat Skikda who lost his life helping to save the 17 crew members of the motor vessel Sophia off Algeria; A Brazilian navy AS350 Squirrel helicopter crew for rescuing an injured fisherman from his vessel in very heavy weather; Zeng Zuoqing, master of the Chinese rescue tug Nanhaijiu 101, for towing the stricken bulk carrier Asia East, with 27 crew members on board, away from oncoming typhoon Changmi;

THE bulker Fedra aground off Gibraltar (Photo: Reuters) for rescuing 15 crew members from the sunken vessel Binh Dinh River; Captain Bobby Noble and Tejay England, crew members of the Canadian Coast Guard auxiliary vessel Lynette Marie, for keeping the remaining two

The crew of the Chinese patrol ship Hai Xun 1903 for rescuing 33 fishermen from fishing rafts during tropical storm Kammuri; Seventeen Italian Coast Guard officers and ratings for rescuing 17 migrants, including

children, following the capsize of their small vessel in heavy weather; Philippine Coast Guard auxiliaries Lt Cdr Vanessa Anne Garon and Ensign Maria Alexandra Garon, for participating in several dive operations to recover bodies from the capsized ferry Princess of the Stars; Kim Shin Ho, South Korean master of the container ship KMTC Port Kelang, for rescuing four surviving crew members from the vessels Yinson Power 1 and Yinson Power 2, in stormy weather; US pilot Jason Bosley who, while travelling as a passenger on board the ferry Cape Point, took control of the vessel, at night and in heavy weather, when its master collapsed, and later died of a heart attack, saving the lives of 60 passengers and one further crew member; US pilots Reed Southerland and Matthew Bailey, for rescuing four crew members of the fishing vessel Bass Tracker after the vessel had capsized in rough seas; The members of the Titan Salvage Team, for rescuing 25 crew members and one rescue swimmer from the grounded bulker Fedra (left) off Gibraltar, after a helicopter rescue had to be aborted. They brought a shore crane to a cliff, and rigged and operated a man-basket to lift the seafarers to safety over a 12-hour period; and Chinese rescue swimmer Jun Wang, of Beihai No1 Rescue Flying Service, for rescuing four crew members of the container ship Xing Mingfa 17 from icy waters after their vessel had capsized.

Panamanian court rules in favour of abandoned crew SEAFARERS on board Panamanian-flag ships may in future be able to use the country’s courts to settle disputes with owners. This follows a case involving 17 abandoned Turkish seafarers, which was taken to a Panamanian court where it was agreed that their vessel should be sold and their wages paid from the proceeds.

The crew of the Panamanian-flag Mevlut Dov were abandoned in Port Cristobal in Panama in late 2008 after their ship broke down on passage from

Rio de Janeiro in Brazil to the Peruvian port of El Callao. The crew, who were owed back wages going back to November 2008, were left on board for months in poorly ventilated cabins, and survived on food provided by the ITF inspectorate in Panama and ITF-affiliated Panamanian unions.

Thanks to the intervention of ITF inspector Luis Fruto and lawyer Olmedo Arrocha the matter was taken to a Panamanian maritime court with the result that

the seafarers won a claim for back wages totalling about US$160,000.

“The new Panamanian government of President Ricardo Martinelli and the current administration of the Panama Maritime Authority want to co-operate to ensure that Panamanian-flagged ships respect the labour rights of seafarers,” said Mr Fruto. In addition, he said, the authority had agreed to requests that the seafarers’ welfare committee and the ITF be allowed free entry into Panama’s ports.

THE international shipowners’ body, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), issued a strong statement in support of global measures being adopted to reduce shipping’s CO2 emissions significantly in the final run-up to the United Nations’ climate change conference in Copenhagen in December.

The ICS said that the European Union was seeking agreement for a very ambitious reduction of 20 per cent in emissions by the global shipping sector by 2020 from a 2005 baseline. Aviation, which is currently some 30 times less carbon efficient than shipping, was being asked by the EU to cut its emissions by only 10 per cent. Nevertheless, the ICS said: “The international shipping industry is committed to achieving whatever global target may be set for shipping by governments, provided that the same standards will apply to all ships trading internationally.”

The ICS stressed that there was consensus among the global shipping industry and most of the world’s transport ministries that the most effective means of achieving this would be to give the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) a mandate to finalise the comprehensive package of measures which it had already developed. It said that IMO would be best placed to apply these to all ships.

New energy efficiency guide INTERTANKO has published a new guide for a Tanker Energy Efficiency Management Plan (TEEMP). The tanker owner’s body said that it saw the need to move quickly to develop the TEEMP from the International Maritime Organisation’s outline ship energy efficiency management plan and to move forward on a practical day-to-day basis. The guide includes advice on voyage planning, optimising machinery, hull resistance management, cargo handling and the control of volatile organic compounds released from the cargo.

Owner gives up detained vessel SHIPOWNER B Navi has abandoned its 38,000dwt bulker B Atlantic to the Venezuelan authorities two years after it was detained when Venezuelan police divers found

129 kilos of cocaine taped to its hull, shipping newspaper Tradewinds reports.

The move has raised hopes that the master, Volodymyr Ustymenko, and security officer Yuri Datchenko, who remain in detention on criminal charges, may soon be allowed to leave Venezuela.

It is far from clear, however, that the pair will be released, according to the International Transport Workers’ Federation.

“We’ve tried to assist, but sadly so far no real progress has been made,” it said. The two men are being kept under house arrest in an apartment.

According to TradeWinds, B Navi said the detention of the ship was illegal but it eventually proved too costly to keep up the legal fight with the authorities.

Enclosed space warning THE UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has again warned about the dangers posed by enclosed spaces following an incident on the Norwegian chemical tanker Jo Eik. The chief officer and an able seaman were overcome as they entered an area of the main deck which contained released cargo vapours from recently discharged crude sulphate turpentine. Fortunately they were rescued and made a full recovery.

Among numerous procedural shortcomings, it had not been recognised that some areas of the main deck of the Jo Eik needed to be treated as enclosed spaces and so the appropriate safety precautions were not taken. The MAIB also noted a complacent attitude to the need for respiratory protection during cargo operations, and once more warned against would-be rescuers entering enclosed spaces without taking necessary precautions.

Freed master seeks compensation THE Croatian master of the reefer Coral Sea, Kristo Laptalo, says he plans to seek compensation from the Greek government for wrongful imprisonment. He and the ship’s mate and bosun were accused of smuggling cocaine in the ship’s cargo of bananas.

The other two men, who, like him, had been kept in custody for over a year, were acquitted and freed. Captain Laptalo was sentenced to 14 years in prison but then released in December 2008 as a result of international pressure. He has always insisted that he was innocent.

jan/feb 10 the sea 5

4 the sea jan/feb 10

MICHAEL GREY

NEWS

Singapore Strait can cope with more traffic THE Singapore Strait has sufficient capacity to accommodate a significant increase in maritime trade, according to a study commissioned by the Maritime and Port Authority of

Singapore (MPA) and undertaken by Singapore-based SimPlus.

The study, Carriage Capacity of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, assessed the capacity of the straits, based on 2007 data

of actual ship reports and radar information from the MPA’s Port Operations Control Centre (pictured). Using a computer simulation model, the capacity was evaluated, based on the efficiency and safety of navigation within the Straits.

Computer simulation was used because of its greater rigour compared to other methods of traffic modelling.

The preliminary finding is that there is still substantial room for vessel traffic growth in the Straits without affecting either efficiency or navigational safety. The results were shared with the MPA’s counterparts in Indonesia and Malaysia at a meeting in Singapore in October, which was also attended by a number of user states and the International Maritime Organisation. Photo: MPA

New guidance on safer container packing NEW guidance for shippers and container stuffers concerning the safe transport of containers by sea has been published by the International Chamber of Shipping and the World Shipping Council.

The two organisations say the prime responsibility for the

safe transport of containers by sea rests with containership operators, but they highlight the importance of the other parties involved playing their part.

The guidelines emphasise the responsibilities of those involved with the correct

packing, labelling and weighing of cargoes when they are stuffed into containers. All these activities have a direct bearing on the safety of ships and the reduction of risks to the lives of ships’ crews and other personnel in the transport chain.

Recession could have lasting effects on trade, and speed A PREDICTION that global trade volumes will probably not recover to pre-recession levels until 2012 has been made by UK-based transport consultant MDS Transmodal. It also expects a shift in the pattern of trade volumes away from the east to west routes and towards west to east and intra-Asia.

Similarly, speaking at a recent conference, Nigel Gardiner of Drewry Shipping Consultants said that demand for ships would remain weak in 2010 and that when recovery came it was likely to be modest in most sectors. “Over time, markets will correct – but it will be a painful process.”

In the same vein the Hong Kong Shipowners’ Association’s managing director, Arthur Bowring, pointed to a European Commission assessment that ruled out any long term return to the sort of demand growth from western consumers that shipping, especially container shipping, had depended on during the good years. That, he pointed out, had implications for the container trades.

He questioned whether the very large containerships now coming into service would be

the most effective for a lower growth rate scenario. Increasing intra-Asian trade would, he said, probably favour smaller vessels on medium and short distance services.

Prominent UK-based shippers’ advocate Andrew Traill, managing partner of the Shippers’ Voice website (www.shippersvoice.com) said that MDS Transmodal’s predictions “bring into question the type, number and size of ships required; and also their frequency, speed and ports of call”.

Dr Traill has been highly critical of the liner shipping companies and was a strong opponent of the liner conference (rate-fixing) system which was banned by the European Union a couple of years ago. He is now fiercely opposed to any state aid to help liner shipping companies survive the recession.

“If we keep propping up the old system with state aid without forcing a fundamental change in practice and behaviour from the lines, what chance have we to meet the challenges of the next five or ten years with the right business and investment decisions?”

He argued that shipping lines

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made bad decisions before and should not be helped by the taxpayer to make them again.

“The economic crisis came faster and more deeply than most had thought possible, but it does not change the fact that there were some poor decisions made without paying attention to market fundamentals.”

He claimed that while everyone agrees there are too many cargoships at the moment, shippers seeking to move goods can’t get the capacity they need.

“The shipping lines are trying to maintain rates by reducing the number of services and ships they make available on any individual trade route. So even if shippers can find the capacity they need, the rates they have to pay are artificially high.”

Lines are also reacting to the higher fuel costs by reducing their speeds and increasing transit times. French operator CMA CGM has just taken delivery of its biggest ever containership, the 13,300 teu CMA CGM Christophe Colomb, which has been designed to allow operation at a “super ecospeed” of 14 to 15 knots.

It seems that slow steaming may be here to stay. The head of classification society Germanischer Lloyd, Dr Hermann Klein, told a recent press briefing that the optimum speed for container ships was much lower than the current 25 or 26 knots achieved by the big vessels.

According to Dr Klein, depending on the number of vessels on a trade, the optimal speed could be as low as 10 knots and he thought that between 12 and 14 knots would become the norm for container vessels, except possibly some much faster ones offering expensive “express” services.

The Year of the Seafarer The next twelve months will be a just recognition of an essential workforce, says Michael Grey, and at the end of it, the test of its success will be how many more people appreciate what seafarers do

I

T is always good to be appreciated for your contribution to society at large.

Seafarers probably wonder whether anything they do is noticed by the public, who think that bananas come from supermarkets and petrol from garages without the friendly intervention of reefer ships or tankers respectively. Seafarers know that their mission in feeding and fuelling the world is essential, and that there is scarcely a person on earth whose life is not touched by the work done by ships. But does anyone else know this?

So it is good that the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), the maritime world’s principal regulator, has declared 2010 to be the “Year of the Seafarer”. It was the idea of secretary-general Efthimios Mitropoulos, who began his career as a merchant mariner and persuaded the IMO Council that such recognition was overdue. It also meshes nicely with another IMO campaign to persuade more people to go to sea, and with a lot of other IMO work on the human element front.

It is hoped that during this twelve-month period

more than 150 flag state members of IMO will do their bit to emphasise the importance of seafaring and the seafarer to our modern life, and why the one and a quarter million people who make their living on the sea should be appreciated more.

It is about raising the profile of an essential workforce that spends too much of its time “over the horizon” and thus invisible. And as part of this campaign, the image and general awareness of merchant shipping will hopefully be enhanced.

The initiative, which most maritime organisations have promised to support, also forces people to confront the way in which they regard and treat seafarers when they encounter them. Perhaps the trouble is that not enough people ever actually meet them now ships no longer tie up in city centres, and tend to be in port for such a short time. Chaplains and Mission to Seafarers volunteers, who meet seafarers all the time, are well aware that these small communities of international travellers are delightful people, who are well worth getting to know. But to the wider world, they are largely unseen.

If the Year of the Seafarer

IMO’s logo for The Year of the Seafarer (left), and (above) some of the people the year celebrates (Photo: Crispin Hughes) is to be worthwhile, it will encourage people ashore to consider something of seafarers’ lives, and how they are made infinitely worse by often unreasonable regulations. Most of us who have been seafarers believe, for instance, that shore leave, when the needs of the ship permit, is an absolute right and not some privilege grudgingly offered by the

authorities. Certainly, security is a major concern these days, but nobody has yet seen their security menaced by merchant seafarers. And yet there are still places which make it extraordinarily difficult for seafarers to get ashore. There are even places where the authorities, or the terminal managers, or officials, make it almost impossible for people with a legitimate

reason to visit seafarers on their ships, such as port chaplains, to get aboard. If the Year of the Seafarer is to mean anything, it must mean some readjustment of such unfriendly attitudes.

Hopefully (a word I have already used too often), this special year will also see some close attention paid to the way in which seafarers increasingly find themselves

facing criminal charges after accidents involving their ships. If people ashore understood ships and seafarers rather better than they do, they would realise that ships don’t handle like cars; they operate in a hazardous and often wild maritime medium (the sea) and just occasionally accidents do happen. It does not seem to be the mark of a civilised society to throw

shipwrecked survivors into prison, or to charge with criminal negligence people who have employed the most enormous skill and application to minimise the effects of a marine disaster. There should be more emphasis on appreciating, rather than deprecating, what seafarers do for a living and less emphasis on blaming them for things that go wrong.

The Year of the Seafarer is a pretty topical choice for the IMO’s celebration. While much of the organisation’s past work has revolved around structure and equipment, there is an increasing emphasis on the importance of the “human element” in the three IMO pillars of marine safety, environmental protection and security. We are also short of seafarers and need more of them. And when you think about it, there is nothing that is done with ships and the sea that does not depend on dedicated, well-trained and motivated seafarers.

And hopefully (that word again), 2010 will also see the IMO’s sister organisation, the International Labour Organisation, ratifying the all-important Maritime Labour Convention, which will see the so-called “seafarers’ bill of rights” come into effect a year later.

Nobody who knows ships and seafarers can be in any doubt that the Year of the Seafarer is anything other than a just recognition of an essential maritime workforce.

The test, when this celebratory year draws to its close, will be about the difference it has made, and how many more people appreciate what seafarers do.

The Mission to Seafarers’ special plans We want to use the year to celebrate seafarers’ stories and achievements, says The Revd Tom Heffer, the Mission’s secretary general

T

HE Year of the Seafarer, which has been instigated by the International Maritime Organisation, offers all of us the chance to thank the world’s seafarers for the extraordinary efforts they make in keeping the world’s economies moving.

The theme, which is to be celebrated throughout the year and will form a major part of the World Maritime Day celebrations, has been selected so the shipping industry can pay tribute to its hidden workforce, without whom trade would simply collapse. At The Mission to Seafarers, we intend to use this theme to educate the wider public about the unique hazards which the world’s 1.5 million seafarers face on a daily basis, from day-to-day port security pressures and isolation to the everincreasing threat of pirate attacks.

This is a time of great challenge within the industry as the global recession continues to affect many

aspects of its work. As the shipping industry continues to weather the present global slump, it is timely to remind ourselves that the men and women who crew the merchant fleet are perhaps the hardest hit within the maritime community during a downturn. This is why supporting seafarers during the Year of the Seafarer campaign is the right and proper thing to do. The society which I lead has already seen an upsurge in the numbers of seafarers asking us for assistance.

From professional advice about their terms of employment to being a confidential line of support, chaplains around the world are ready and waiting to help seafarers in any way they can.

Of course, a society with a history as long as ours, doesn’t need a particular year or campaign to demonstrate our care and concern for seafarers. We have been providing support to merchant

THE Mission will be looking out for great pictures. See the next issue for details of its Year of the Seafarer photograph competition – Life@Sea. mariners since 1856. At the Mission, we see the campaign as one that can do many things to help the industry.

Firstly, we intend to use the year as a way of saying thank you to the men and women who courageously go to sea to earn their living. We want to celebrate their stories and achievements as well as highlight the many difficulties that can get in their way. We also intend to use the year to educate the public about

seafaring, and the work we do in helping crews all over the world.

For too long seafarers have been hidden from public view.

Turnaround times and the location of many ports have contributed significantly to this problem. All too often the only people seafarers meet when in port are officials of their company and a chaplain or ship visitor from The Mission to Seafarers.

We want to change the way people

think about the shipping industry and to make sure that consumers understand that the goods they wish to purchase have travelled many hundreds of miles before reaching their shelves.

We also want to make sure that seafarers themselves have an opportunity to take part in the campaign. To this end, The Mission to Seafarers will be launching a photography competition which will highlight the lives of seafarers. Over the next few months, we will be looking for the best pictures which demonstrate what seafarers face. In the next issue of The Sea we will be launching the Life@Sea competition which we hope seafarers all over the world will want to take part in. We will be asking them to take a photo of wherever they are on a particular day. This could be at sea, in port, at home with their loved ones or even in a seafarers’ centre. Make sure you don’t miss the next issue for details on how to take part and what prizes will be on offer.

In 2009, The Mission to Seafarers launched two new ministries in Suape and Belem, both in Brazil.

The opening of these important centres is in line with a global review which we have been carrying

out. As shipping patterns shift and change so, too, has the Mission as we strive to offer the best possible services to seafarers visiting the ports in which we work. We also launched the Mission’s roaming SIM card, which has been received by seafarers with much enthusiasm. I am thrilled that so many people are benefiting from this new service, which allows seafarers to use their own mobile phones to call home without incurring excessive roaming charges. It is another step forward as the industry and the Mission come together to provide the best possible care for people who need it. As we stand on the threshold of this New Year, I hope that we will be able to continue finding innovative ways to help seafarers, as well as making sure that our chaplains and ship visitors are available at some of the world’s busiest ports.

The Year of the Seafarer campaign is a fantastic way for all of us to spread the word about just how important the industry is to the world. It also provides a unique opportunity for the world’s governments to demonstrate their commitment to seafarers by ratifying the Maritime Labour Convention as well as by doing

more to protect crews working on routes which are increasingly affected by piracy. I have watched with horror the alarming rise in the number of attacks, and over the coming months we will be making sure the industry and governments know our views on this subject.

Over the years we have helped many families who have been affected by pirate attacks on their loved ones. Our chaplains have also spent time with seafarers who have been held hostage after their ships were hijacked while crossing the Indian Ocean. I want to make it clear to readers of The Sea that The Mission to Seafarers is committed to standing with you in the fight against piracy. If you feel our chaplains and staff can help you or your families in times of crisis then speak to the chaplain at your next port of call.

Seafarers are the unsung heroes of our world. They keep our economies moving, provide many of our daily essentials and support the world in ways which all too often we forget. As we embark on the Year of the Seafarer, I hope and pray that each of us will remember the important work they do and support each other in this initiative.

6 the sea jan/feb 10

JUSTICE MATTERS  BY DOUGLAS STEVENSON

Seafarers’ rights to mental health care MENTAL health care has become very effective in treating a wide range of psychological or emotional issues. Mental health is as much a medical care issue as any other illness or injury, and it is not a function of any moral flaw or weakness.

Despite the effectiveness of mental health services, many people do not take advantage of them.

To illustrate, the traumatic effects of a pirate attack on a merchant vessel can produce both physical and mental injuries. Imagine two seafarers injured during a pirate attack on their ship. One suffers a broken arm after being struck by a pirate. The other suffers an emotional injury,

experiencing frequent and disturbing memories of the attack, trouble sleeping, irritability, outbursts of anger, and difficulty concentrating. Both seafarers were injured in the pirate attack.

The one with the broken arm will certainly seek and receive medical care. The other is likely to remain untreated.

There should be no financial obstacle to the seafarer getting mental health care. One of a seafarer’s most treasured and enduring rights is the right to free medical care for any injury or illness incurred while employed on a ship. The illness or injury does not even have to be caused by the employment. As long as

the illness or injury occurs during the term of employment, the shipowner must provide free medical care to the seafarer up to the point of maximum cure. After the point of maximum cure is reached, the shipowner must continue to provide medical care if employment on the ship caused the condition. Similarly, the shipowner must also provide medical care to a seafarer for an injury or illnesses caused by the employment that does not emerge until after the seafarer has signed off.

These traditional seafarers’ rights to medical care are enshrined in regulation 4.2 of the International Labour Organisation’s Maritime Labour Convention

2006. The MLC 2006 is expected to come into force in 2012. Neither traditional maritime law nor the MLC 2006 specifically addresses mental health care, but court decisions over the past 50 years make it very clear that a seafarer’s right to free medical care includes a right to free mental health care.

A greater obstacle to seafarers seeking mental health care is the stigma of receiving the care. Seafarers may fear being labelled as a person with a mental illness and all of its associated stereotypes. They worry that they might lose their job because employers might not understand the injury or the succes of its treatment. Likewise, flag authorities might

make uninformed decisions on a seafarer’s medical fitness to work on a ship.

Seeking mental health care can also have consequences for a seafarer’s social acceptance and self-esteem.

Some psychological conditions, like physical injuries, can render a seafarer unfit for shipboard employment. But seafarers with some psychiatric illness, like those with some physical illness or injury, can be restored to fully fit for duty status through appropriate treatment.

Much more work is required to address the stigmas associated with mental health care. Conditions such as leprosy, tuberculosis, cancer and AIDS used to carry

El derecho de los marineros a recibir asistencia sanitaria para su salud mental EL tratam iento psicológico y psiquiátrico es ahora muy eficaz para la resolución de una amplia gama de problemas psicológicos y emocionales. Debemos dejar bien claro que la salud mental es una cuestión de asistencia sanitaria, lo mismo que cualquier otra enfermedad o lesión, y no tiene nada que ver con una lacra moral o con una debilidad. Sin embargo, a pesar de la eficacia de la asistencia sanitaria en el campo emocional, muchas personas no recurren a ella.

El traumático impacto de una incursión pirata en un barco mercante, por ejemplo, puede provocar lesiones de carácter tanto físico como mental. Imaginad a dos marineros que sufren una incursión pirata en su barco.

A uno de ellos le rompen un brazo. El otro sufre un trastorno emocional, se ve frecuentemente invadido por recuerdos angustiosos de la incursión, no puede conciliar el sueño, se siente irritable, sufre explosiones de furia y no logra concentrarse. Ambos

marineros resultaron heridos durante el ataque: uno, el del brazo roto, sin duda recibirá asistencia médica. Al otro, sin embargo, lo más probable es que nadie lo trate.

En teoría, no tiene por qué haber problemas de carácter financiero para que el marinero reciba tratamiento psicológico o psiquiátrico. Uno de los derechos más preciados y más arraigados de los marineros es el derecho a recibir tratamiento médico gratuito por cualquier lesión o enfermedad sufrida durante su empleo en un barco.

Y ello se aplica también a lesiones o enfermedades que no sean resultado del desempeño de su labor.

Mientras se manifiesten durante el plazo de vigencia de su contrato, el armador debe proporcionar cobertura sanitaria al marinero hasta que alcance el más alto grado de recuperación que su dolencia permita. Una vez alcanzado este punto, el armador está obligado a continuar proporcionando cobertura sanitaria si la lesión

o enfermedad es de carácter laboral. Del mismo modo, el armador está obligado también a proporcionar cobertura sanitaria al marinero en el caso de que la lesión o enfermedad no se manifieste hasta después de finalizado el contrato.

El derecho tradicional del marinero a la asistencia sanitaria se recoge en la norma 4.2 del Convenio sobre el Trabajo Marítimo (CTM) 2006 de la Organización Internacional del Trabajo.

Está previsto que el CTM 2006 entre en vigor en 2012.

Ni la legislación marítima tradicional ni el CTM 2006 hacen mención específica del tratamiento psicológico y psiquiátrico, pero la jurisprudencia deja muy claro que está incluida en el derecho del marinero a recibir asistencia médica gratuita.

Pero el mayor obstáculo para los marineros que necesitan asistencia psicológica no es ése, sino el estigma que lleva asociado.

Los marineros temen que los etiqueten como enfermos mentales, con todos los

Право моряков на охрану психического здоровья Медицинская помощь по восстановлению психического здоровья показала себя весьма эффективной в случаях лечения широкого спектра психологических и эмоциональных проблем. Психическое здоровье является такой же проблемой здравоохранения, как и любое другое заболевание или травма, и не является показателем какого-либо морального недостатка или слабости. Но, несмотря на эффективность услуг по оказанию психологической помощи, многие люди не прибегают к ним. К примеру, травмирующее воздействие пиратского нападения на торговое судно может привести как к физическим, так и к моральным травмам. Представьте двух моряков, пострадавших во время пиратского нападения на их судно. У одного сломана рука после удара, нанесенного пиратом. Другой перенес моральную травму, его беспокоят частые неприятные воспоминания о нападении, он испытывает трудности с засыпанием, раздражительность, взрывы гнева и проблемы с концентрацией внимания. Оба моряка получили травму во время пиратского нападения. Тот, у которого сломана рука, обязательно обратиться за медицинской помощью и получит ее. Второй, скорее всего, останется без лечения. Не должно существовать никаких финансовых препятствий к получению

моряками помощи в восстановлении психического здоровья. Одним из наиболее оберегаемых и длительно существующих прав моряков является право на бесплатную медицинскую помощь в случае любой болезни или травмы, полученной во время службы на судне. Болезнь или травма не обязательно должны быть причиненными вследствие выполнения работы. При условии, что болезнь или травма имела место во время срока найма, владелец судна обязан предоставить медицинскую помощь моряку до достижения им максимального излечения. После того, как достигнуто максимальное излечение, владелец судна обязан продолжать предоставление медицинской помощи, если на состояние здоровья повлияла именно занятость на судне. Также владелец корабля должен предоставлять медицинское обслуживание моряку по причине увечья или болезни, полученной вследствие занятости на судне, которая не проявилась до того, как моряк уволился со службы. Это традиционное право моряков на получение медицинской помощи закреплено в правиле 4.2 Конвенции о труде в морском судоходстве 2006 года Международной Организации Труда. Ожидается, что эта конвенция вступит в силу в 2012 году. Ни традиционные законы мореходства, ни Конвенция 2006 года не уделяют

estereotipos que ello acarrea.

Les preocupa perder su trabajo porque temen que sus patronos no comprendan su dolencia o no entiendan su curación. Esto se extiende también a las autoridades del mar, que podrían tomar decisiones sobre la capacidad de un marinero para embarcarse sin contar con la información suficiente. Por último, buscar tratamiento psicológico o psiquiátrico puede tener consecuencias negativas sobre el encaje social y la autoestima del marino.

Al igual que las lesiones físicas, algunos problemas emocionales pueden incapacitar a un marinero para el trabajo a bordo. Pero un marinero con un problema de salud mental puede recuperarse completamente y volver a estar capacitado para embarcarse si recibe el tratamiento adecuado, igual que si su dolencia fuera de carácter físico.

Aún queda mucho trabajo por hacer en lo referente al estigma de la salud mental

специального внимания охране психического здоровья, однако судебные решения за последние 50 лет четко дают понять, что право моряков на получение бесплатной медицинской помощи включает в себя право на бесплатное восстановление психического здоровья. Гораздо большим препятствием к обращению моряков за психологической помощью является стигма, сопряженная с получением такой помощи. Моряки опасаются быть заклейменными как имеющие психическое заболевание со всеми сопутствующими стереотипами. Они боятся возможной потери работы вследствие того, что работодатель не понимает их травмы или успеха ее лечения. Да и органы власти государства флага могут принять, не основанные на достаточной информации, решения в отношении пригодности моряков к работе на судне по состоянию здоровья. Обращение за психологической помощью может повлиять также на признание моряка обществом и его самооценку. Некоторые психологические состояния, также как и физические увечья, могут сделать моряка непригодным к работе на судне. Однако моряки с определенными психическими заболеваниями, равно как и с физическими болезнями и травмами, могут восстановиться до полной пригодности к исполнению служебных обязанностей после получения соответствующего лечения. Более серьезная работа требуется для преодоления предвзятости в отношении медицинской помощи в восстановлении психического здоровья. К таким Продолжение на стр. 7

y el tratamiento psicológico y psiquiátrico. En el pasado, el estigma social de ciertas enfermedades, como la lepra, la tuberculosis, el cáncer o el SIDA era mucho mayor, pero la labor de concienciación, una mayor comprensión de la enfermedad y la mejora de los tratamientos lo han reducido significativamente.

La asistencia especializada puede curar a las personas

much greater stigmas than they do now. Where there is better understanding and improved treatments of diseases, social stigmas have diminished. Mental health care can restore people affected by emotional problems to rich and productive lives. Shipowners, as well as flag authorities, must become more familiar with mental health conditions and treatment in order to provide seafarers with appropriate care, and restore them to productive lives and employment.The stigmas that keep psychologically injured seafarers from effective care must be fought so that seafarers can benefit from available mental health care. que sufren problemas emocionales y devolverlas a una vida plena, rica y productiva. Los armadores, así como las autoridades marítimas, deben familiarizarse con las dolencias y las enfermedades mentales y sus tratamientos, con el fin de proporcionar a los marineros la asistencia adecuada para que vuelvan a vivir con plenitud y a trabajar normalmente. Debemos también combatir el estigma asociado con el tratamiento psicológico y psiquiátrico, para que los marineros puedan beneficiarse plenamente de él.

jan/feb 10 the sea 7

FOCUS ON FAITH  BY ANDREW HUCKETT

Getting the message across WE are living in an age of advanced technology: an age when new and faster means of communication are being continually developed. We have progressed from the days of a man with a cleft stick into a highly sophisticated communicative society. At the push of a button we can converse with a person on the other side of the world.

With the push of a button we can also admit the realities and horror of war and disaster into our own homes, and with that same button we can block them out. It is an advancement which affects us all.

When I was a young chaplain back in the early 1970s, international telephone calls needed to be booked through an operator, if seafarers were fortunate enough to have a telephone in their homes. It took time

to make the connection which was always eagerly awaited by those wanting to speak to their families across the world.

Today communication is much easier and more or less instant thanks to satellites, internet links, and mobile phones. The most common request I receive when I am ship visiting today is for SIM cards, topups and telephone cards, and the most asked question is whether the seafarers’ centre has internet and wi-fi facilities.

Communication is an activity we all partake in. We do this by means of speech, by touch, by using our eyes and ears.

Communication is an act of “imparting” information.

But to be effective, it has to be two-way. To be able to communicate properly requires a receptive receiver

and the ability to convey what we mean so it is understood correctly.

This is particularly important in relation to the use of words. We often assume that the words we use have a defined meaning which will be understood by everyone within the language group. However, language is always evolving, and over a period of time the meaning of words can change. A lot depends on the context in which words are used as to how they will be understood. This is particularly the case with the English language in that it has a lot of words that mean different things depending on how they are used.

So the difficulty for those who have English as their second language is knowing and understanding what they are saying, and

how it is being understood by the person to whom they are speaking. Likewise, are they understanding correctly what the other person is saying to them? In multinational crews where English is the working language misunderstandings can occur, especially when neither party admits that they do not understand what is being said.

Communication is important, not only between individuals, but between communities, cultures and faith groups.

This also applies to people of faith who seek to communicate with their God through prayer and worship. Communication is at its best when it brings greater knowledge and understanding through being truly a two-way process.

Hacer que el mensaje llegue VIVIMOS en una época de tecnología avanzada.

Una época en la que constantemente se desarrollan métodos de comunicación nuevos y cada vez más rápidos.

Hemos pasado de los días del zahorí con su vara a una sociedad de la comunicación extremadamente sofisticada.

Con tan solo pulsar un botón podemos conversar con una persona que se encuentra en el otro extremo del mundo.

Con tan solo pulsar un botón, los horrores de la guerra y las catástrofes naturales penetran en nuestra sala de estar. Y nos basta con volver a pulsar ese mismo botón para ignorarlos.

Son avances que nos afectan a todos.

A principios de la década de los setenta, cuando yo era un joven capellán, para poder hacer una llamada internacional había que reservarla con anterioridad a través de una telefonista, y eso suponiendo que el destinatario tuviese teléfono en casa. Establecer la conexión llevaba tiempo y los marineros esperaban con impaciencia que llegase el momento de hablar con los suyos.

Hoy en día, las comunicaciones son mucho más fáciles, además de ser

más o menos instantáneas, gracias a los satélites, Internet y la telefonía móvil. Ahora, lo que más me piden cuando visito un barco son tarjetas SIM, recargas para el teléfono móvil y tarjetas telefónicas y la pregunta que me hacen con más frecuencia es si el hogar del marinero tiene Internet y Wi-Fi. La comunicación es una actividad de la que todos participamos, a través de la palabra, del tacto, de la vista y del oído. La comunicación es el acto de transmitir información. Pero para que la comunicación sea eficaz, tiene que ser bidireccional.

Para poder comunicar eficazmente Se necesita un destinatario receptivo y la capacidad de transmitir lo que deseamos comunicar de forma que sea comprendido correctamente.

Esto es de especial importancia en lo que al uso de las palabras se refiere. Con frecuencia utilizamos las palabras como si poseyesen un significado claramente definido que todo el mundo que habla la misma lengua puede comprender. Sin embargo, el idioma no deja de evolucionar y el significado de las palabras cambia con el tiempo. Cómo se entienden las palabras depende en gran medida del contexto en que se usan, especialmente en el caso del inglés, que tiene muchas palabras con significados múltiples, dependientes de su uso.

Por eso, la dificultad para las personas cuya lengua materna no es el inglés es saber y comprender qué dicen y cómo lo está entendiendo su interlocutor.

Y, del mismo modo, si están entendiendo correctamente lo que la otra persona les dice a ellos. En el caso de tripulaciones internacionales que usan el inglés como idioma de trabajo, pueden producirse malentendidos, sobre todo cuando ninguna de las partes reconoce que no entiende qué se está diciendo.

La comunicación es importante, no solo entre individuos, sino también entre comunidades, culturas y grupos religiosos. Esto se aplica también a las personas de fe que buscan comunicarse con su Dios a través de las plegarias y el culto. La comunicación es tanto mejor cuanto más verdaderamente bidireccional es el proceso y es entonces también cuando mayores beneficios, en forma de conocimientos y comprensión, aporta.

Как добиться взаимопонимания Мы живем в век развитых технологий, в век, когда постоянно разрабатываются все более новые и быстрые средства коммуникации. Мы прогрессировали от человека с раздвоенной палкой до исключительно продвинутого

Право моряков на охрану психического здоровья Продолжение со стр. 6

заболеваниям, как проказа, туберкулез, рак и СПИД раньше относились с большей предвзятостью, чем в настоящий момент. При условии существования более глубокого понимания и более успешного лечения заболеваний, социальные стигмы слабеют. Оказание психологической помощи может восстановить людей, страдающих эмоциональными проблемами, для полноценной и продуктивной жизни. Владельцы судов, а также органы власти государств флага должны стать более осведомленными в вопросах психических заболеваний и их лечения для обеспечения моряков соответствующей помощью, и восстановления их для продуктивной жизни и занятости. Необходимо бороться с предвзятостью, препятствующей получению эффективной медицинской помощи психически травмированными моряками, и сделать так, чтобы моряки смогли извлечь пользу из доступных им средств восстановления психического здоровья.

(современного, развитого) коммуникативного общества. Просто нажав кнопку, мы можем говорить с человеком, находящимся на другом конце мира. Простым нажатием кнопки мы также можем впустить в свои собственные дома реалии и ужасы войны и бедствий, и этой же кнопкой мы можем отгородиться от них. Это прогресс, который касается каждого из нас. В то время, когда я был юным капелланом в начале 70-х, международные телефонные звонки должны были заказываться через оператора, и то, если морякам крупно повезло (на их счастье), и у них дома был телефон. Для соединения, которого с нетерпением ожидали те, кто хотел поговорить со своими семьями в разных странах, требовалось время. Сегодня связь намного проще и более или менее

мгновенна (соединение незамедлительно) благодаря спутникам, связи через Интернет и мобильным телефонам. Наиболее частыми просьбами, с которыми обращаются ко мне теперь во время моих посещений кораблей, являются SIMкарты, пополнение счета и телефонные карточки, а наиболее часто задаваемым вопросом — имеется ли Интернет и wi-fi в центре моряков. Коммуникация — это вид деятельности, в котором мы все принимаем участие. Мы делаем это посредством речи, прикосновения, используя наши глаза и уши. Коммуникация — это действие по передаче информации. Но для того, чтобы она была (результативной, действенной) эффективной, необходима двусторонняя связь (двусторонность). Для общения

на должном уровне требуется восприимчивый адресат и умение передать то, что мы хотим сказать так, чтобы это было правильно понято. Это особенно важно в отношении выбора слов. Мы часто исходим (считаем само собой разумеющимся) из того, что употребляемые нами слова имеют определенное значение, которое будет понятно всем, принадлежащим к одной языковой группе. Однако язык постоянно развивается и со временем значение слов может изменяться. Многое в понимании слов зависит от контекста, в котором они употребляются. В частности это справедливо в отношении английского языка, в котором имеется большое количество слов, значение которых меняется в зависимости от того, как они использованы. Поэтому трудностью для тех, для кого английский не

является родным языком, является знание и понимание того, что они говорят, а также то, как это будет понято тем человеком, с которым они говорят. Равно как и правильное понимание того, что этот человек говорит им. В многонациональных командах (экипажах), в которых английский язык является рабочим, возможны случаи недопонимания, в особенности, если ни одна из сторон не признает то, что не понимает сказанного. Коммуникация важна не только между отдельными личностями, но и между сообществами, культурами и конфессиями. Это также распространяется на верующих людей, стремящихся обратиться к своему Богу посредством молитвы и поклонения. Коммуникация проявляет себя наилучшим образом, когда способствует лучшему пониманию и обретению знаний, являясь по-настоящему двусторонним процессом.

If you have any questions about your rights as a seafarer, or if you want more information or help, you can contact: Douglas B Stevenson, Center for Seafarers’ Rights, 241 Water Street, New York, NY 10032, USA. Tel: +1212 349 9090 Fax: +1212 349 8342

Email: csr@seamenschurch.org or

Canon Ken Peters, The Mission to Seafarers, St Michael Paternoster Royal, College Hill, London EC4R 2RL, UK. Tel: +44 20 7248 5202 Fax: +44 20 7248 4761 Email: justice@missiontoseafarers.org

8 the sea jan/feb 10

The largest, widest, tallest, most expensive...

THE Oasis of the Seas, the world’s largest and newest cruiseship, passes Dania Beach off the Florida coast as it heads for its home port in Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas is the largest, widest, tallest, most expensive cruiseship afloat, with a vast array of amusements and activities for the 6,296 passengers it can carry. It is 16 stories high, the length of four football pitches, and has a crew of 2,163.

(Photo: Reuters)

There are still ‘bottom feeders’ who cut costs by running substandard ships

New group formed to promote quality

P

ROMINENT shipping figure Clay Maitland has launched an Internet blog – www. claymaitland.com – which he hopes will “start a dialogue and debate in the shipping industry worldwide to stimulate support for my quality objectives”.

At a press briefing, Mr Maitland, who is best known as managing partner of International Registries Inc, which runs the Marshall Islands register, said he wanted to build support for action to create safer ships, cleaner seas and greater protection for the environment. “The achievement of these goals is vital during the current recession to prevent slippage in quality due to financial pressures.”

He was at pains to stress that he was acting entirely as an independent person and expressing his own views.

Three other well known industry figures are involved in the initiative: former Germanischer Lloyd head Hans Payer, The Sea columnist and former Lloyd’s List editor Michael Grey, and freelance journalist Neville Smith.

During the press briefing Mr Maitland stressed that he wanted to involve “upstream” players in the shipping chain,

such as insurers, charterers and bankers.

He said that the importance of ensuring high quality operations was now widely accepted throughout the

had thrown the company’s ships, 35 of them, out of its register a couple of years previously, but bankers had continued to back the company, which had been able to

Clay Maitland

Michael Grey

shipping industry. In that respect it was now a different world from 20 years ago. He warned, however, that there were still “bottom feeders” who cut costs by running substandard ships. He was particularly concerned about the role of the banks.

He cited the example of the collapse of the major New York-based company Eastwind, saying that banks had continued to lend to the company even though it had become clear it was having big quality issues. He pointed out that the Marshall Islands

re-flag elsewhere. The banks had taken a hit as a result.

Dr Payer warned of the consequences of cutting down on maintenance or on training. “Although we have made great progress in the past in improving shipping safety from the situation in the eighties and nineties, society will not tolerate any noticeable decline in ship safety and environmental protection performance now.

“We all have to be vigilant and alert to any indication of slackness developing in safety standards in shipping.”

Mr Grey said his greatest fear was of a catastrophic accident caused by a fatigued watchkeeper falling asleep on the bridge of a small tanker and it colliding with a big passenger ship at anchor. Writing in the new blog, he suggested considering the consequences for shipping if something like that happened and it was found out the industry had been warned about the problem of fatigue for years and done nothing about it.

“Owners are colluding in the practices, records are being improperly kept, or unashamedly ‘flogged’.

“We all know,” he said, “that these practices are dangerous, because the casualty investigators tell us so. We all know that instead of a little ship running up on a beach, or impaling herself on a rock, or striking a glancing blow, such an accident fictitiously recounted above is a distinct possibility. Only good fortune has so far prevented it.

But still any attempts to ban watch and watch operations, examine the manning of small, intensively-run ships, provoke instant objections from vested interests in the industry. Are we doing ourselves a favour? Or playing with fire?”

MOL’s future green ferry concept JAPAN’S Mitsui OSK Lines has completed the concept for the second in a series of “next-generation vessels”, ISHIN-II (left), which it says it would be technically possible to build in the near future. As with the first, a car carrier, the environment-friendly passenger ro-ro ferry uses technologies that have already been developed .

The ferry will use LNG as fuel to ensure a cleaner exhaust gas and a significant reduction in CO2 emissions. While in port it will use shore power and rechargeable batteries to avoid pollution from funnel emissions. It will have both diesel and electric propulsion machinery and a contra-rotating in-line propeller. Among several other technical innovations, the ship will have an air layer lubrication system installed to reduce drag.

Union’s concern about bogus job offers ANGLO-Dutch seafarers’ union Nautilus says it wants official investigations into concerns that a bogus crewing agency is trying to swindle seafarers. The union’s newspaper, the Nautilus Telegraph, says its call follows a case of an Indonesian officer who contacted a union official for advice.

The officer had emailed his CV to a purportedly UK-based company and promptly received a detailed emailed reply offering him a position as a second officer on a passenger ship with very generous pay and conditions. The snag was that the officer had to pay his own way to London and £230 (US$380) to a nominated “travel agent” for visas.

After investigating, Nautilus’s Tommy Molloy was sure the company was bogus. All of the telephone numbers were cell phones, and the name of the ship was non-existent. “It was a good job that this officer did not send the money,” Mr Molloy said.

“Rip-off companies like this rely on the fact that seafarers are desperate for jobs and will even borrow money to send them the fees.”

Mutiny claim by US master MOVES by the US “master” of a US-flag fishing vessel to bring charges of mutiny against three South Korean officers has brought to light a picture of routine abuse of crew members by officers.

The 187 gt Majestic Blue was switched from South Korean to US flag, apparently to benefit from access to fishing quotas.

Captain Doug Pine claims he was brought on only as a “paper captain” and that the previous master, who stayed on as “fishing master”, retained control.

He alleges systematic brutality by the Korean officers towards the other crew members, Filipinos and Indonesians. Moreover he claims Marpol pollution regulations were being routinely ignored.

The US Coast Guard says it is taking the allegations seriously.

Painkillers ‘missing’ on many ships MANY merchant ships are not carrying sufficient supplies of pain-killing drugs, a study by the University of Hamburg has found. Checks carried out over six months on vessels calling at Hamburg

showed that only 28 per cent met World Health Organisation guidelines on carrying morphine and 15 per cent had no drugs on board to treat severe pain. There was also widespread noncompliance with the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code, with 42 per cent of vessels carrying dangerous cargoes not having enough morphine on board and 30 per cent without any at all.

Christoph Sevenich, a member of the research team, said seafarers told him that the main reason was fear of prosecution in foreign ports. “One of the most worrying experiences of seafarers is that different nations do not accept morphine on board ships entering their port even if carrying it is mandatory under the national legislation of the flag state,” he told the Nautilus Telegraph.

Loran to go despite worries THE US Coast Guard has formally agreed that shutting down the Loran-C system will not adversely impact maritime navigation. This follows President Barack Obama’s decision to scrap Loran despite widespread concerns that the system is needed as a back-up to GPS. Many in the maritime world hoped that Loran-C would be developed into an eLoran system which would provide a worldwide fail-safe to GPS. The Coast Guard is expected to start planning the run-down of Loran-C, but a final decision depends on the Department of Homeland Security.

The move comes at a time of increasing doubts about the reliability of GPS. Earlier this year the US Government Accountability Office suggested that the likelihood of an accurate GPS being in service in 2017 was as low as 17 per cent.

Guide aimed at preventing deaths THE Nautical Institute has published two mooring guides as part of an initiative to promote the good practice that is “urgently needed to prevent deaths and injuries, particularly in trades such as dry bulk and containers”. Mooring and Anchoring Ships is published in two volumes: Principles, and Practice and Maintenance.

Karl Lumbers of the UK P&I Club said mooring-related claims were the seventh highest type of injury suffered by ships’ crews by both number and value. He described some of the injuries as “truly horrific”.