The Sea, March/April 2010

Issue 204 mar/apr 2010

New body formed for maritime health

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

Get your camera out! pages 4-5 Today is a gift page 7 Lifeboats: shocking deficiencies page 8

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

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

THE new Videotel programme about entry into enclosed spaces is based on real case studies.

Programme launched to ‘make seafarers think’ AS concern increases over enclosed spaces deaths, training film specialist Videotel has launched a new programme, Accident Files: Entry into Enclosed Spaces.

Based on real case studies, the programme shows how five highly experienced seafarers lost their lives

and how another almost died when he tried to help an unconscious fellow crew member as quickly as possible without taking proper precautions.

Videotel says it hopes that the new programme will make seafarers think much more seriously before

entering enclosed spaces.

The company says it has made the film because “despite much effort being put into formulating training programmes and initiating legislation, experienced seafarers continue to die as a result of forgetting or ignoring the most basic of rules”.

Masters seek mandatory training and specialist equipment

Concern mounts over enclosed spaces deaths

L

ACK of training and appropriate equipment on board merchant vessels are behind the continuing deaths of seafarers in enclosed spaces, according to former master and marine consultant, Michael Lloyd.

Captain Lloyd told The Sea that he was frustrated by the lack of progress at the latest International Maritime Organisation (IMO) meeting on revising the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) convention. The subject of enclosed spaces training had been raised, but no papers

on the subject were presented or proposals made.

A different IMO subcommittee will now consider the issue in September.

The Bahamas has submitted a proposal to expand the requirement to have drills on all vessels, and not just tankers and gas carriers as at present, and increase the frequency to every month from once every two months.

Captain Lloyd points out that 76 per cent of the enclosed spaces deaths that have occurred since 1997 were on ships other than tankers or chemical carriers.

He says that on the

majority of dry cargo ships, those entering the tanks have to rely on fellow crew members, who have had no formal training, to rescue them, and that those directing the rescue will also have had no formal training in enclosed space rescue management.

While supporting the Bahamas initiative, Captain Lloyd points out that drills are not the same as training.

Seafarers, he says, first need instruction and certification in enclosed space awareness and rescue before they can be drilled in coping with emergencies. This is

the approach taken for both fire and boat drills, where fully trained personnel exercise skills they have learnt and been tested on.

He wants to see the same approach taken with enclosed spaces. But he warns of another problem: at present, he argues, drills cannot be safely undertaken in most enclosed spaces because the necessary equipment is not usually available.

For safe entry to enclosed spaces he says, specialist equipment, including oxygen meters, compressed air lines or breathing apparatus capable

of passing through small openings, resuscitators and appropriate stretchers should be mandatory on all ships.

Captain Lloyd and ten fellow master mariners have raised the issue of the need for mandatory training for rescue from enclosed spaces with the UK authorities.

They want to see an end to the situation in which UK regulations impose a duty on employers to provide training on entry and rescue procedures to all employees working in enclosed spaces, except for ships’ crews.

A NEW association has been launched which aims to represent and promote the health and medical interests of the world’s seafarers, port workers and cruise passengers, as well as improve shipboard hygiene.

The International Maritime Medical Association (IMMA) is a not-for-profit organisation that will work alongside, and draw on the medical expertise of, the International Maritime Health Association, an existing members’ association for maritime doctors and port clinics.

IMMA, which will be based in London, will not only represent the medical and health interests of the maritime sector globally, but will also act as a legislative watchdog and lobby for change as and where necessary.

Seafarers wanted who have experienced piracy THE Seamen’s Church Institute of New York (SCI) is conducting the first-ever research study into the effects of piracy on crews. As part of this it would like to speak to seafarers who have experienced piracy, including attacks, hostagetaking, or simply sailing through high-risk areas.

Anyone willing to participate should contact clinical researcher Michael Garfinkle, PhD at +1 212 349 9090 extension 240 or by email to mgarfinkle@ seamenschurch.org The privacy of all participants will be strictly protected.

The SCI has recently published Preliminary Guidelines: Post-Piracy Care for Seafarers, outlining preliminary strategies on caring for seafarers affected by piracy. It is available online at http://www. seamenschurch.org/ law-advocacy/piracytrauma-study and will be updated as the study continues.

More on piracy on P2, 4-5 & 6

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Increasing frequency and level of violence a serious concern, says IMB chief

Bad start to 2010 after jump in piracy last year L AST year was one of the worst for piracy for a long time, and 2010 already looks as if it could be as bad. Two ships were seized by Somali pirates on New Year’s day and there have been further attacks and three successful hijackings in the region since then.

In 2009, 406 incidents of piracy and armed robbery were reported to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) according to the agency’s latest annual report. In total, 153 vessels were boarded, 49 vessels were hijacked, there were 84 attempted attacks and 120 vessels were fired at. Eight seafarers were killed, 68 injured and 1,052 taken hostage. It was the third successive year that the number of reported incidents increased, with 239, 263 and 293 incidents in 2006, 2007 and 2008 respectively. The last time piracy incidents exceeded 400 was in 2003.

IMB director Captain Pottengal Mukundan said that the increases in the frequency and level of violence perpetrated against ships at sea and the people who work on them was a serious concern. “Our hope is that this escalating volume of piracy is met with a heightened response from the governments and their agencies best able to reduce and contain these risks to human life and property.”

Somali-based piracy accounted for more than half of all the acts of piracy reported in 2009, with 217 incidents, 47 vessels hijacked and 867 crew members taken hostage. However, the IMB pointed out that while the number of incidents had almost doubled, the number of successful hijackings was proportionately

less. This, it said, could be directly attributed to the increased presence and co-ordination of international navies in the area, along with heightened awareness and robust action by masters.

International navies played a critical role in the prevention of piracy off Somalia, said Captain Mukundan, and it was vital that they remained in the region.

Unfortunately, one consequence of the increased naval activity has been that pirates are venturing far out into the Indian Ocean in search of victims. This trend caused the Hellenic War Risks Club to extend its additional premium area (APA), where it charges higher insurance premiums, to cover a massive area of the Indian Ocean. From February last year the club’s APA was expanded 600 miles from the east coast of Somalia. But then one of

the club’s ships was attacked more than 1,000 nautical miles away, and two more than 700 miles into the Indian Ocean, with the result that from January 1 this year the club increased its APA to extend almost to Madagascar in the south and well beyond the Seychelles to the east.

Since the start of 2010 it has been business as usual for Somali pirates. The IMB told The Sea that, as of early February, nine vessels and 201 seafarers were being held.

Among recent vessel releases has been that of the Greek-flag VLCC Maran Centaurus in mid-January. Press reports said a record ransom, in excess of US$7m, was air-dropped to the vessel. Reports also said that fighting occurred among rival pirate gangs and that two pirates might have been killed.

IN 2009 49 vessels were hijacked, including the Hansa Stavanger, seen above being escorted to safety after being released (Photo: Reuters)

EU rules on low-sulphur fuel do apply now THE International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) says it has moved quickly to dispel apparent confusion surrounding implementation of the European Union directive requiring all ships to use low-sulphur fuel while at berth in EU ports.

From January 1, EU member states have been legally obliged take all necessary steps to ensure that ships at berth in EU ports do not use marine fuels with a sulphur content exceeding 0.1 per cent by mass. Although reports have been circulating in the industry that, because of the potential safety risks associated with the switch-over on ships with unmodified boilers, the deadline may have been put back, the IBIA stresses that such is not the case.

IBIA chief executive Ian Adams said ships were not exempt on the ground that the fuel change-over was unsafe because modifications had not been made to their boilers, or to the ships themselves. In such cases the expectation was not that the ship should engage in an unsafe practice, but simply that it would not berth.

Anti-piracy training for all Filipinos

Somalia is the hotspot but other Inquiry into waters are dangerous too

THE Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has brought in compulsory anti-piracy training for all Filipino seafarers joining ships in the international fleet, in response to the continuing piracy crisis off the Horn of Africa.

Since the beginning of February, manning agents have had to provide anti-piracy awareness training seminars at no cost to the seafarers. The move is something of a compromise, replacing an initial recommendation to ban all Filipino seafarers from vessels transiting the Gulf of Aden. Seafarers will be required to obtain a certificate from the POEA to show they have completed the training before being allowed to go to sea.

Philippine foreign affairs undersecretary Esteban Conejos said Somali pirates had kidnapped 470 Filipinos since 2006 and were still holding at least 74 aboard six ships.

SOMALI pirates may continue to attract the headlines, but piracy is also still a problem in other areas of the world. This was highlighted by the hijacking north of Tioman Island in the South China Sea in early February of the Singapore-flag tug Asta with 12 Indonesian crew on board.

The IMB stresses that some other African waters also remain very dangerous, with 28 incidents reported in Nigerian waters in 2009. Of these, 21 vessels were boarded, three were fired on, one was hijacked and there were three attempted attacks. One crew member was reported killed when robbers tried to escape after looting a vessel.

According to the IMB, the attacks in Nigerian waters were frequently

much more violent in nature than those in Somalia. The majority of them related to oil industry and fishing vessels and many went unreported. Sources suggest at least another 30 occurred in Nigeria in 2009.

For the second consecutive year, incidents in the Singapore Straits increased. Nine incidents were reported in 2009, as compared to six in 2008. Thirteen incidents were reported in the South China Sea, the highest number for five years: eleven ships were boarded, one was hijacked and there was one attempted attack.

Indonesia remained a bright spot with a year-on-year decline in the number of incidents. There were 15 in 2009, which were described as opportunistic in nature.

Current response insufficient, say owners PIRACY is now a threat to world trade and “simply unacceptable”, according to Spyros Polemis, president of the International Shipping Federation.

“Who would have thought that in the 21st century, merchant ships would be subject to repeated attacks by pirates both in the Gulf of Aden and over wider areas of the Indian Ocean, as well as increasingly off the west coast of Africa, and that at present, over 250 seafarers are being held hostage,” he said.

“Ships and seafarers of all flags and nationalities have been attacked, with those seafarers who are captured undergoing a considerable ordeal. These criminal activities, which challenge the rule of international law on the high seas, cannot be allowed to continue. They are simply unacceptable and the international community has a responsibility to do more.”

Mr Polemis accepted that the industry had to ensure that crews were properly

prepared for the risk of attack by implementing fully the industry best management practices, and also that crews were prepared for the consequences should they be captured. But he argued that it was mainly up to governments to solve the problem.

In a separate statement, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) said that the current international naval operation was insufficient to ensure the safety of merchant ships. There was growing concern that the international community was not actively seeking to eliminate piracy and was instead treating the current level of attacks as somehow “tolerable”.

In effect, it said, pirates were being given a message that their criminal activity carried very few risks in comparison to the millions of dollars that could be made from extorting ransom payments, with the result that the number of pirates was growing.

“Notwithstanding the unprecedented degree of co-operation between the wide array of warships providing protection to ships in the region – for which the shipping industry remains very appreciative – the current level of response is simply insufficient. It is vital that governments, at the very highest level, become far more engaged in finding a long term solution to the crisis.“ The ICS also said the shipping industry was seeking refinements to the existing military response. “All too often, small boats or skiffs that have conducted aborted attacks are allowed to proceed back to Somalia without military intervention. This gives the message that the military will not see hot pursuit operations through to their natural conclusion. Similarly, intercepted pirates are often released only to return to Somalia without being arrested and prosecuted. A more consistent and robust approach to enforcement is required,” the ICS said.

Christmas day tragedy THE dangers of fire at sea were underlined by the loss of the Greekflag bulk carrier Aegean Wind on Christmas day off Venezeula with the deaths of nine seafarers.

Venezuelan navy warships and other vessels rescued the remainder of the 24-strong crew, including five injured seafarers who were airlifted to hospital.

There is still no idea as to the cause of the blaze. According to reports, the ship had been inspected less than three months before the fire and had not been detained once over the previous decade. An investigation is now being carried out.

New ICSW welfare projects THE International Committee on Seafarers Welfare (ICSW) is planning a series of major new seafarers’ welfare projects in 2010.

David Dearsley, recently retired from the International Maritime Employers Committee, will chair a committee overseeing the projects,

which focus on four areas: promoting compliance with the ILO Maritime Labour Convention; the launch of a new online “toolkit” on best practice in promoting seafarers’ welfare; a new annual awards scheme recognising achievement in the area of seafarers’ health, welfare and wellbeing, and building on and promoting these initiatives within the impetus created by the designation of 2010 as the Year of the Seafarer.

The ICSW brings together employers, seafarers’ unions and government and international voluntary port welfare service providers such as The Mission to Seafarers.

Four jailed for fatal collision THE masters of the offshore support vessel Neftegaz-67 and the Panamanian flag bulk carrier Yao Hai, and two Hong Kong pilots have been jailed after being found guilty of endangering life at sea.

Eighteen of the Neftegaz-67’s Ukrainian crew died when the two ships collided in Hong Kong waters in March 2008.

The Neftegaz-67’s master Yuriy Kulemesin was jailed for three years and two months, the senior pilot on the Yao Hai, Tang Dock-wah, received three years while the bulker’s master, Liu Bo, and her junior pilot, Bruce Chun, got 30 months.

It emerged in court that neither vessel had taken action until less than two minutes before the collision. The judge described the failure of all defendants not to take action more quickly as “errors of judgement” that were “gross and negligent”.

Nuclear ships being reassessed LLOYD’S Register (LR) is exploring the possibility of the reintroduction of nuclear propulsion for merchant ships. The UK-based classification society says the steady increase in the price of fuel oil, and the probable introduction of either a carbon-emissions trading scheme or a related tax, now presents the possibility that nuclear propulsion could be more competitive. ”The technology is there to commence building nuclear ships.

The issues regarding their acceptability and the need for a cultural step change in shipping still need to be addressed so that society is comfortable any risk is being managed,” said LR’s John Carlton.

mar/apr 10 the sea 3

Call for inquiry into livestock carrier sinking FORTY-five seafarers died when the 34year-old, 14,823 dwt livestock carrier Danny F II sank in heavy weather in the eastern Mediterranean off Lebanon.

The Panamanian-flag ship was on passage from Uruguay to Tartous in Syria. There was a massive rescue operation involving British military helicopters, the Lebanese navy and three ships from the United Nations peacekeeping force and 38 survivors were recovered.

The loss puts the Panamanian registry in the spotlight at a time when it is trying hard to improve its image and the quality of its fleet. Port state control inspections over recent years had revealed a significant number of deficiencies, although the ship had not been detained.

The master and the electro-technical officer, who both lost their lives, were members of the seafarers’ union Nautilus

Warning given on outdated charts

RESCUE workers help a survivor from the Danny F II ashore in the Lebanese port of Tripoli. (Photo: Reuters) International. Its general secretary, Mark Dickinson, said that it was of the utmost importance that Panama conducted a full and public investigation into the loss of the ship.

“It is particularly imperative that efforts are made to establish whether any of the previously detected deficiencies might have contributed to the ship’s sinking,” he said.

Row about hours likely to continue up to the wire

New training standards set to be adopted in June A REVISED Standards of Training, Certification and Wa t c h k e e p i n g ( S T C W ) convention and code are expected to be adopted at an International Maritime Organisation (IMO) conference in Manila in June.

However, the row over the highly controversial hours of work and rest issue is set to continue until the last minute.

Much of the small print was agreed at an IMO subcommittee meeting in January. Its chairman, Rear Admiral Peter Brady, director general of the Maritime Authority of Jamaica, said that the revised rules would offer all relevant stakeholders the proper instruments with which to recruit, train and retain their sea-staff. “At

a time when the role of the seafarer is becoming even more respected, this can only be a good thing.”

However, the January meeting failed to reach a consensus on bringing together regulations governing seafarers’ hours of work and rest.

Allan Graveson of the seafarers’ union Nautilus said he was “bitterly disappointed” by the failure to reach agreement on harmonising STCW rules on watchkeepers’ hours of rest with the International Labour Organisation’s limits on working hours.

“The proposed alignment would have cut the maximum working week from 98 to 91 hours, yet there was an unholy alliance of blockers and stoppers from certain flag states and owners. In what other safety-critical

industry would there be opposition to a move to cut the working week to 91 hours?

There are still too many flag states that remain in denial on the issue.”

Nevertheless, Mr Graveson said he was particularly pleased that the new convention would at last bring in international training and certification for electro-technical officers. “Agreement was reached on a rating’s qualification and an officer’s certificate. However, we had also wanted to see a management level qualification but there was not quite a consensus on that.”

While many in the shipping industry will see the STCW revisions to be adopted at Manila as welcome progress, others see the current review as a partly missed

The danger of attaching weights to heaving lines BELGIAN tug company URS Towage & Salvage in Antwerp has highlighted what it says is a worrying practice of seafarers tying dangerous weights to heaving lines which they then throw to, or perhaps at, linesmen and tugs during mooring operations.

The warning has been taken up by the London P&I Club which says that as well as the serious safety risk, several ships have been fined for using dangerous heaving lines, and that port state control authorities have been urged to take a greater interest.

The traditional method of adding weight to the end of a heaving line is a round knot known as a “monkey’s fist”. According to the UK Code of Safe Working Practice for Merchant Seamen, vessels’ heaving lines should be constructed with a monkey’s fist at one end. To prevent personal injury, this should be made only with rope and should not contain added weighting material.

NEVER do this – you could kill someone.

opportunity. Mr Graveson was “gravely disappointed” that little progress had been made on professional development and refresher training.

He said that proposals for refresher training had been watered down and that there seemed to be a belief that training films and similar distance learning programmes were sufficient. He complained that at present the only mandatory refresher training was for medical knowledge, and then only for EU-registered ships.

At present, professional refresher courses are only required for officers who have not served at sea for a total of one year in the previous five nor been employed in a relevant shoreside post such as that of a nautical college lecturer.

Cautionary tale of seafarer’s appeal A US seafarer has lost an appeal against a court ruling that he was entitled to only US$1,800, instead of $3,000, in compensation for lost wages after being injured in an accident, in a case that highlights the dangers of carelessness and not telling the full truth in job applications.

Orlando Ramirez was a deckhand on the Ampol Recover y in 2006. He hurt his neck, back, shoulder, elbow, and wrist when he slipped on a wet rubber glove lying on the floor of the ship’s galley.

It emerged in court that the crew had been unloading groceries in the galley, which resulted in a deck cluttered with cardboard boxes.

Several minutes before he fell, Mr Ramirez had removed the glove and thrown it towards the rubbish bin but it landed on the deck.

Although the ship’s master noticed this he did nothing about it and Mr Ramirez then tripped on it.

At the trial, he admitted to a significant history of neck and back injuries that he had omitted from his job application.

The appeal court ruled the seafarer was only entitled to 60 per cent of the compensation he would have other wise received because he was partly to blame for the accident, and because he did not declare previous injuries when he was taken on by his employer.

THE use of out-of-date charts and other nautical publications is still a contributory cause of shipping accidents, according to the London P&I Club.

In the latest issue of its StopLoss Bulletin, the club points out that the International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea requires that all ships should carry adequate and upto-date charts, sailing directions, lists of lights, notices to mariners, tide tables, and all other nautical publications necessary for the intended voyage.

However, it says, from time to time it receives a report from a P&I ship inspector that the charts or other nautical publications on an entered ship are out of date. In a recent case, a telecommunications company alleged that a submarine cable had been damaged by a ship’s anchor. The ship had anchored directly over the cable but the bridge team had been completely unaware of the hazard beneath them as the ship had used an old chart which predated the laying of the cable.

In a second case a ship struck a hazardous wreck because the chart had not been properly corrected even though a correction showing the wreck had been issued some three years previously.

3,000th ship for Liberia THE Liberian flag fleet grew by 215 ships and 10.5m gt to a record 3,140 ships, and 97.2m gt in 2009.

During the year the 3,000th vessel was registered under the Liberian flag and an agreement between the Liberian Bureau of Maritime Affairs and US-based managing company Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry, covering the management of the registry, was extended for a further ten years.

Cadet ship sought by shipmanager SHIPMANAGER AngloEastern chief executive Peter Cremers has offered management free of charge to any owner who can provide a vessel capable of accommodating 20 or more cadets.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Anglo-Eastern Maritime Academy at Karjat near Mumbai, India, he urged shipowners to provide more places for cadets.

He said he felt the emphasis on training and cadets was becoming more of an industry trend as owners were realising that the shortage of quality officers would not be going away in the near future. Consequently, any investment in this area should be seen as a longterm strategy.

Mr Cremers said that Anglo-Eastern had invested US$8million of its own funds in creating the new maritime academy, which last year enrolled its first batch of 120 students in a first-year nautical science course.

A one-year graduate mechanical engineering course to convert mechanical engineers into marine engineers is set to commence with 40 students.

Inquiry call into prison death ONE of three Kenyan crew members of Taiwanese fishing vessel Tawariq-4 held in a Tanzanian prison has reportedly died. The circumstances of his death are unclear. The fishing vessel was arrested in March last year for allegedly fishing illegally in Tanzanian waters.

As well as the Kenyans, there are 17 Chinese, five Vietnamese, eight Filipinos and five Indonesians in jail.

Kenyan-based seafarers’ rights activist Andrew Mwangura called for an investigation into the death. Court proceedings in the case are apparently proceeding only slowly, though there have been three hearings so far.

Mission to Seafarers Dar es Salaam chaplain Lole Timayo has visited the jail, taking clothes and other essentials to the men. He is now seeking permission to arrange for a doctor to see the seafarers.

Marshall Islands fleet third largest THE Marshall Islands has overtaken Bahamas to become the world’s third largest open registry in terms of tonnage, with more than 52.3 million gross tonnage and 2,102 registered vessels, according to Clarkson Research Services’ publication World Fleet Monitor.

Clarkson also said the Marshall Islands was the fastest growing of the top four flags last year.

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4 the sea mar/apr 10

MICHAEL GREY

NEWS

Shipping industry takes Hebei Spirit case to IMO ELEVEN international shipping industry organisations have submitted a technical paper to the International Maritime Organisation refuting all the grounds on which the South Korean Supreme Court found the master and mate of the VLCC Hebei Spirit guilty of criminal negligence.

Although the two men were initially acquitted of any responsibility for South Korea’s largest oil spill, the prosecution then appealed and they were found guilty and jailed.

They were ultimately released by the Supreme Court but their convictions still stand, which is why the industry organisations continue to pursue the matter.

The paper argues that after the Hebei Spirit was hit by a barge, the two officers both acted correctly according to good practice, but were still penalised for their professional and correct actions.

The paper being submitted

jointly by the eleven organisations, which include Bimco, the International Chamber of Shipping, the International Shipping Federation, Intermanager and Intertanko, is for consideration at May’s meeting of IMO’s marine environmental protection committee.

The Korean authorities based their condemnation of the officers’ actions on three main points: they took soundings before doing anything else, they then injected inert gas into the cargo tanks, and finally they did not use the cargo pumps at full power to transfer oil to undamaged tanks and thus list the vessel to minimise further outflow of oil. Effectively the Korean criticism of the officers is that they wasted time when they should have acted to reduce the volume of the spill.

The shipping industry paper demonstrates in some depth that on each of these points the officers followed best practice,

including IMO guidelines. As for transferring cargo quickly and achieving a list, the paper says that the officers were having to transfer cargo into tanks that were already almost full – a process that takes much longer than if empty cargo tanks are used to receive the transferred cargo. “Consequently,” the paper says, “to a person unfamiliar with tanker operations this could be mistakenly perceived as an unnecessarily slow response.” The paper also highlights the problems associated with trying to list a vessel after a rupture of cargo tanks.

While it is not clear where the continuing efforts on the Hebei Spirit case will lead, the industry bodies appear determined not to let the matter drop. In the paper they invite IMO to “note the comments expressed in this paper and comment as appropriate”. A separate paper is also likely to be put before IMO’s legal subcommittee.

Abandoned seafarers’ case resolved THREE seafarers who were abandoned in a Danish port, who had their passports confiscated by the master of their vessel, and who were close to being deported for being in Denmark illegally, have learned that all charges against them have been dropped and they will be assisted to return home.

The three men, two Ghanaians and one Russian (right), were abandoned on board the St Vincent-flagged Cormorant in Frederiksværk in December. They were owed four months’ back wages and were left without food, water or electricity. Local charities came to their aid.

According to the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), the men had been promised employment on board the vessel by the master, but were instead imprisoned on board and their passports, as well as other personal belongings, were confiscated.

The union stepped in to help the men, and other industry organisations took up their case, prompting action from Danish authorities.

ITF inspector Morten Bach said that had the authorities in Denmark not relented, the seafarers would have been hit

with at least a year’s ban from passing through Danish territory, giving them an EU-wide criminal record. “This was utterly unacceptable and that message has been driven home to the Danish authorities, who, I’m glad to say, have now acted to take that message on board.”

Making the best of Copenhagen failure FOLLOWING December’s inconclusive UN climate change conference, International Maritime Organisation (IMO) secretary-general Efthimios Mitropoulos talked up what he saw as the positive aspects.

He said that despite lack of progress at the conference, the

international maritime community stood ready to build on the momentum created in Copenhagen by contributing further to the objectives set through the 2005 IMO action plan, namely the putting in place of a comprehensive regulatory regime aimed at limiting

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or reducing greenhouse gas emissions from ships.

There would, he said, be more time to make real progress so IMO could present concrete results at the next conference as evidence of its commitment to play its part in efforts to stem climate change and global warming The International Chamber of Shipping, however, expressed disappointment that the text of the Copenhagen Accord was silent on the treatment of international shipping in the delivery of further CO2 emission reductions, to which “the industry remains firmly committed”.

It said Copenhagen had failed to agree a clear mandate for IMO on how to build on the considerable work it had already undertaken to reduce shipping’s emissions on a global basis.

Wanted – witnesses for the prosecution of pirates Over a 100 suspected pirates are locked up in Kenya pending trial. But if they are to be successfully tried, and the guilty punished, as a deterrent to others, seafarers will be needed to give evidence, says Michael Grey

A

S a “survivor” of an attack by pirates in the Indian Ocean, you would probably be pretty pleased if you learned that the gang which had been terrorising you and your shipmates had been caught by a patrolling warship. But your pleasure would possibly evaporate if you then learned that the “pirates” who had thrown their arms into the sea as the navy boarding party approached them had merely been released. It is not unusual, and such pirates caught far out in the Indian Ocean have even managed to persuade their captors that their “health and safety” required them to be supplied with some fuel, or food. And even when the pirates had been caught red handed, this does not always qualify them for a fast trip to jail. On several occasions, the arresting warship, having sunk the pirate craft, has merely put the criminals ashore safely on their home coast, leaving them free to re-arm and re-offend.

It is far from a satisfactory

situation, which has led to calls for the arming of merchant ships and for ships to boycott areas vulnerable to these attacks. There is, however, some “good-ish” news, to the effect that the authorities have actually managed to capture rather more than 100 suspected pirates and lock them up in Kenya, pending trial.

It is an unusual arrangement, with the government of Kenya, as it were, standing in for the prosecuting authority in these alleged crimes committed on the high seas against seafarers from many nations, sailing in ships flying all sorts of different flags. The Kenyan authorities, by making available their facilities to hold and try pirates, are working at the urgent request of the international maritime community. It is hoped that a procedure might be developed which can work effectively to deter pirates from their offshore crimes, bringing them to justice through a fair trial and, if found guilty, sentencing them to punishment that can show their pirate friends that there is a downside

to their illegal activities.

Kenya is a country where there is a proper rule of law, and it has been made clear that the trials of pirates must be according to its justice system, which requires proper rules of evidence and cross-examination. And while navies may well have systems that can require their own witnesses to travel to Kenya to give evidence against pirates, it could be rather harder for merchant mariners to make the journey in time for a trial. As seafarers, they could, obviously, be back at sea anywhere on the world’s oceans and to make them available would require time. Even tracking down seafarers who have been pirate victims could be difficult, as they are people who move between ships and change employers.

The shipping organisation Bimco has set out the practical difficulties faced by potential witnesses from commercial shipping, and emphasised to the naval legal authorities, and to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), that the maximum amount

FRENCH navy forces intercepting a suspected pirate craft off the coast of Somalia last year.

(Photo: Reuters/ECPAD-SIRPA Marine-French Ministry of Defence) of notice must be given to seafarers that their presence might be requested. There is no problem about travel and accommodation costs,

because these will be borne by the UNODC/EUNAVFOR, with Bimco offering to act as a conduit for this arrangement.

Hopefully, a practical

procedure will be developed to contact and communicate with owners and managers, masters and witnesses from the time that the prosecution identifies

the need for witnesses.

As a former victim of a pirate attack, perhaps somebody who has languished in some Somali anchorage for months on end while ransoms have been negotiated, would you give evidence against your captors? It might be tempting to put it all down to experience, to get your life back in order and hope to forget the frightening time you endured at the hands of these unpredictable gunmen.

But it is really quite important that criminal pirates are not released because of lack of evidence and sent triumphantly home to resume their life of piracy. In a manner of speaking, it is the process, as much as the pirates, that will be on trial, and the international community, the shipping industry and indeed seafarers everywhere, who will be hoping for a positive result from these trials. Witnesses will be vital if these people are to be successfully prosecuted, and punished, with their sentences serving as a deterrent to others and an encouragement to the naval forces that their mission gets a positive result.

It might seem a lot to ask, if you have been frightened out of your wits by heavily armed thugs, and possibly traumatised by the experience, to face these people in court, but the service you will be doing cannot be overestimated. Perhaps one day the warships on patrol will have their own law officers on board, which will simplify the collection of evidence against these people who, for whatever reasons, continue to terrorise the sea lanes of some of the busiest shipping routes on earth.

But until this day comes, it is absolutely vital that the system to try pirates in Kenya is shown to work, and that pirates finally learn that bad things can actually happen to them if they are captured.

So public-spirited witnesses will be wanted. There might then be a small hope that attacks on merchant shipping will cease and that peaceful seafarers can undertake their voyages without this fear that every small craft sighted in the western Indian Ocean means an imminent attack.

The Mission’s Life@Sea photographic competition

T

HEY say a picture is worth a thousand words and that’s just what The Mission to Seafarers is hoping for with its 2010 photographic competition Life@Sea. To celebrate the International Maritime Organisation-designated Year of the Seafarer, the Mission, the international organisation which cares for crews in 230 ports around the world, has decided to launch a competition to tell the extraordinary story of the men and women who make their living on the high seas.

“One of the Mission’s aims this year is to use the Year of the Seafarer as a way to educate the public about the highs and lows of a career at sea,” says Ben Bailey, media and campaign executive at The Mission to Seafarers.

“Many of the events to promote the year are being held on dry land, and so we wanted to find a way for seafarers to celebrate a year which is for them, and to give them a chance to tell their

YOU could take a picture in a port like this one, or the perfect photo may be of your shipmates in the mess enjoying each others’ company, or in a seafarers’ centre. It is up to you.

Photo: Colin Brown story. I hope that as many Sea readers as possible will feel able to take part in what will be a wonderful way to share their lives with the public who, by and large, do not understand the importance of seafarers to

their everyday lives.”

The terms of the competition have recently been finalised and, rather than request pictures from seafarers on a specific day as we originally planned, the Mission

has widened its search for the perfect photo.

“One aim of the competition is to show life on board a vessel when it’s out of sight,” says Ben. “Because of the location of many ports

and strict security controls, the wider public does not fully understand the importance of shipping. We want the competition to shed some light on what it’s like to spend months away from family and friends and to demonstrate all the emotions such a life at sea brings.

“The life of a seafarer is often romanticised in the minds of those who remain firmly on dry land. We hope that the competition will change that and show the different ways seafarers live their lives. So the perfect photo may be of the crew in the mess room enjoying each others’ company. It could be in port working, or heading to a local seafarers’ centre to use the telephone or computer. It could even be the rough conditions that ships sail through to reach their destination. There really is no end to the variety of what constitutes a life at sea and so all entries will be considered.”

The competition will run until Thursday September 30 and one overall winner

will win a top-of-the-range digital SLR camera and ten runners up will each receive a Mission to Seafarers’ SIM card complete with top-up.

“We are extremely fortunate to be receiving the help of several companies to support this competition, including Peninsula Petroleum, the main sponsors,” says Ben. “It is a testament to the value they place on seafarers and their importance within the maritime industry, and The Mission to Seafarers is very thankful to them for taking part.

“We’re also pleased that the judging panel is to be chaired by internationally respected marine photographer Lord Greenway. He, along with his fellow judges, is looking forward to seeing what entries we receive.”

Another part of the competition, says Ben, is that the pictures will be used to help raise the profile of seafarers and the Mission.

“It’s really important to us that these photos are seen by as many people as possible

and I am currently talking to several galleries to see if we can stage an exhibition later in the year to showcase the winners’ entries. We will also be hosting an event at the House of Lords in London in October to spread the message to politicians and some of the industry’s most important decision-makers that seafarers are important .”

Throughout the year, The

Sea will be featuring some of the entries the Mission has received to inspire and encourage those who haven’t yet sent in entries.

“You don’t have to be an expert to take part,” says Ben. “Sometimes the best pictures are taken on the spur of the moment and without any thought. So get clicking, and send your entry in to The Mission to Seafarers!”

How to take part n All entries should be emailed as an attachment. The picture can be in black and white or colour and should be no bigger than 2MB in size. n Send the email to: lifeatsea@missiontoseafarers.org including your name, address, email and details of the photograph, including where it was taken and what title you have given it. Make sure you enter “Life@Sea competition” in the email’s subject field. n Entries must arrive by Thursday September 30. They will then be considered by a judging panel and the winner and runners up will be notified. n The judging panel’s decision is final. n Details of the Life@Sea competition will be posted in Mission to Seafarers’ centres and online at www.missiontoseafarers.org

6 the sea mar/apr 10

JUSTICE MATTERS  BY DOUGLAS STEVENSON

Pirate ransoms THROUGHOUT history pirates have captured crews and passengers for ransom.

Julius Caesar was held hostage by pirates for a ransom in 75 BC. From the 11th to the middle of the 19th century, Barbary pirates regularly captured ships and enslaved their crews for high ransoms. In the past seven years more than 3,000 seafarers have been captured and held hostage by Somali pirates.

According to International Maritime Bureau records, in 2009 Somali pirates attacked 217 ships.

They hijacked 47 ships and took 867 seafarers hostage.

The Somali pirates steal seafarers’ personal property,

ships’ equipment and cargo, but their main criminal objective is to capture ships and crews for ransoms. Their ransom demands have been steadily growing. In 2008, the average ransom paid to Somali pirates to release a ship and its crew was estimated at US$1 million to $2 million. In January, 2010, a record $5.5 - $7 million ransom was paid to Somali pirates to release the Maran Centaurus. (Shipowners and insurance companies do not want to encourage piracy by disclosing specific ransom amounts.)

The huge ransom demands are far beyond seafarers’ and their families’ ability to pay, although

pirates often contact seafarers’ relatives to demand payment or to provoke them to put pressure on governments and shipowners to pay ransoms.

While there have been rare instances where governments have paid ransoms to free their citizens, governments generally refuse to pay ransoms. The United States, Britain, and several other countries have publicly stated that they never pay ransoms or make concessions to hostage-takers.

Governments are concerned that paying ransoms to pirates encourages them to attack more ships, thereby increasing the danger that others will be taken hostage.

Piratas y rescates A LO LARGO DE la historia ha habido piratas que capturan a tripulaciones y pasajeros para pedir rescate.

En el año 75 a. C. Julio César fue rehén de unos piratas que pedían un rescate a cambio. A partir del siglo XI y hasta mediados del siglo XIX, los piratas bereberes capturaban barcos con regularidad, esclavizaban a sus tripulaciones y pedían grandes sumas de rescate.

Durante los últimos siete años, los piratas somalís han capturado y retenido como rehenes a más de 3.000 marineros.

Según los datos de la Oficina Marítima Internacional, en el año 2009 los piratas somalís atacaron 217 barcos; secuestraron 47 embarcaciones y retuvieron como rehenes a 867 marineros. Los piratas somalís roban los objetos personales de los marinos, los equipos y las mercancías del barco, pero su principal objetivo criminal es el de capturar los barcos y las

tripulaciones para pedir rescates. Las sumas de los rescates que piden han ido aumentando de forma continuada. En el año 2008, el rescate medio que se pagaba a los piratas somalís para que liberasen un barco y a su tripulación era de entre uno y dos millones de dólares. En enero de 2010 se pagó a los piratas somalís una cantidad récord para el rescate del Maran Centaurus: entre 5,5 y 7 millones de dólares. (Los armadores y las aseguradoras no quieren dar a conocer las cantidades pagadas para no fomentar la piratería).

Estas enormes cantidades exigidas para los rescates se hallan muy por encima de lo que pueden pagar los marineros y sus familias, aunque a veces los piratas se ponen en contacto con los familiares de los marineros para exigir el pago o para empujarlos a que pongan presión sobre los gobiernos y los armadores a fin de que estos paguen el rescate.

Si bien ha habido

algunas escasas ocasiones en las que los gobiernos han pagado rescates para la libertad de sus ciudadanos, por lo general se niegan a hacerlo. Estados Unidos, Gran Bretaña y otros países han declarado públicamente que nunca pagan rescates ni otorgan concesiones a secuestradores. A los gobiernos les preocupa que si pagan rescates a los piratas fomentarán el ataque de más barcos y de ese modo aumentará el riesgo de que otros sean secuestrados.

No obstante, tales políticas no impiden que entidades privadas paguen rescates.

La mayoría de los rescates obtenidos por los piratas somalís han sido pagados por armadores y sus compañías de seguros.

Algunos países, como Estados Unidos y Gran Bretaña, tienen leyes que prohíben a cualquier persona transferir dinero a grupos terroristas. Hasta ahora, los piratas somalís no habían estado vinculados a grupos terroristas, pero

Пиратские выкупы ВО ВСЕ ВРЕМЕНА пираты захватывали корабельные команды и пассажиров судов в целях получения выкупа. Юлий Цезарь в 75 году до н. э. был захвачен пиратами и содержался в качестве заложника. Начиная с 11-го и до середины 19-го века берберийские пираты постоянно захватывали корабли и пленяли их экипажи для получения больших выкупов. В последние семь лет более 3000 моряков были захвачены в заложники сомалийскими пиратами. По материалам Международного морского бюро в 2009 году сомалийские пираты совершили нападения на 217 судов. Они похитили 47 кораблей и захватили в заложники 867 моряков. Сомалийские пираты разворовывают личную собственность моряков, корабельное оборудование и грузы, но их главной преступной целью является удержание кораблей и экипажей в целях получения выкупа. Требуемые ими суммы выкупа постоянно растут. В 2008 году средний размер выкупа, выплаченного сомалийским пиратам для освобождения корабля и его экипажа, составлял от 1 до 2 млн. долларов США. В январе 2010 года рекордный выкуп, составивший от 5,5 до 7 млн. долларов США был выплачен сомалийским пиратам для освобождения супертанкера «Maran Centaurus». (Владельцы кораблей и страховые компании не желают поощрять пиратство раскрывая суммы выкупа). Гигантские суммы требуемых выкупов в огромной степени превышают возможности моряков и их семей, но пираты зачастую связываются с родственниками моряков для предъявления требований по выкупу или для провоцирования их на оказание

давления на правительства или владельцев кораблей. И хотя в редких случаях правительства выплачивали выкуп для освобождения своих граждан, в большинстве своем они отказываются от этого. Соединенные Штаты, Великобритания и несколько других стран публично заявили, что никогда не платят выкупов и не идут ни на какие уступки тем, кто держит заложников в плену. Правительства считают, что выплата выкупов пиратам будет способствовать увеличению числа нападений на суда, соответственно повышая для других уровень риска взятия в заложники. Такая официальная политика, тем не менее, не препятствует частным сторонам в выплате выкупов. Соответственно, большая часть выкупов, выплаченных сомалийским пиратам, была выплачена владельцами кораблей и их страховыми компаниями. Некоторые страны, включая Соединенные Штаты и Великобританию, имеют законы, запрещающие комулибо переводить деньги известным террористическим группировкам. До настоящего времени сомалийские пираты не были причислены ни к одной из террористических групп, но существует серьезная обеспокоенность среди владельцев кораблей, что эти законы могут быть распространены и на выплату выкупов пиратам, и, следовательно, будут ограничены возможности владельцев кораблей по защите своих экипажей. В большинстве случаев пиратства владельцы кораблей и владельцы грузов имеют страховку для покрытия любых расходов, связанных с судном и грузом, что позволяет им полностью сосредоточится

Such official policies do not, however, prevent private parties from paying ransoms.

Accordingly, most ransoms paid to Somali pirates have been paid by shipowners and their insurance companies.

Some countries, including the United States and Britain, have laws prohibiting anyone from transferring money to known terrorist groups. Up to now, Somali pirates have not been linked to terrorist groups, but there is great concern among shipowners that such laws might be extended to paying ransoms to pirates, thereby limiting shipowners’ abilities to protect their crews.

In most piracy cases, shipowners and cargo owners will have insurance to cover any losses to the ship and cargo, leaving them free to devote all of their

attention to gaining the crew’s release. Shipowners usually also have some form of insurance that will pay ransoms. The details of such insurance are usually kept secret. Shipowners do not want their insurance to make them more attractive targets, and insurance companies do not want pirates to know policy limits when negotiating ransoms.

When a ship and crew are taken hostage by pirates, shipowners immediately contact their insurance company. The shipowner and insurance company usually hire a private security company that specialises in negotiating ransoms with hostage-takers. Because shipping companies and insurance companies do not normally have expertise in negotiating with pirates,

the security companies usually control negotiations.

They are often authorised to make ransom decisions without agreement from the shipowner.

The Somali pirates are interested only in money; hence the negotiations focus only on the amount of the ransom. The pirates regularly prolong negotiations for months, with little regard for their seafarer hostages or their families, seeking only to increase the ransom amount.

Because of such heartless acts, pirates have been internationally condemned for centuries. In international law, pirates are “enemies of all humanity”, subject to prosecution by any country irrespective of their nationality, the nationality of their victims, or where the act of piracy occurred.

entre los armadores existe una gran preocupación de que tales leyes se amplíen para incluir el pago de rescates a los piratas, lo que limitaría la capacidad de los armadores de proteger a sus tripulaciones.

En la mayoría de los casos de piratería, los armadores y los propietarios de la carga cuentan con un seguro que cubre cualquier pérdida del barco y de la carga, lo que les permite dedicar su atención a tratar de lograr la puesta en libertad de la tripulación.

Normalmente, los armadores también cuentan con algún tipo de seguro que cubre rescates. Los detalles de tales seguros habitualmente se mantienen secretos.

Los armadores no quieren que su seguro los haga un objetivo más atractivo, y las aseguradoras no quieren que los piratas conozcan los límites de las pólizas al negociar los rescates.

Cuando un barco y su tripulación son secuestrados por piratas, los armadores inmediatamente se ponen en contacto con la compañía de seguros. El armador y la aseguradora normalmente

contratan a una empresa de seguridad privada que se especializa en la negociación de rescates con secuestradores. Dado que las empresas navieras y las aseguradoras no suelen tener experiencia en negociaciones con piratas, las empresas de seguridad por lo general se hacen cargo de dichas negociaciones. A menudo están autorizadas a tomar decisiones relacionadas con el rescate sin el consentimiento del armador.

A los piratas somalís solo les interesa el dinero, por lo tanto, las negociaciones se deben centrar únicamente en la cantidad que se pagará

para el rescate. Es normal que los piratas prolonguen las negociaciones durante meses, con muy poca consideración hacia los marineros y sus familias y con el único objetivo de aumentar la suma del rescate.

Es por esos actos crueles que los piratas han sido censurados públicamente durante siglos. En la legislación internacional, los piratas son “enemigos de toda la humanidad”, objeto de persecución por cualquier país independientemente de su nacionalidad, la nacionalidad de sus víctimas o del lugar en el que se produjo el acto de piratería.

на том, чтобы добиться освобождения своих экипажей. Владельцы судов обычно также имеют определенный вид страховки, которая покрывает выкуп. Подробности такой страховки обычно хранятся в секрете. Владельцы кораблей не желают, чтобы страховка превращала их в более привлекательные мишени, а страховые компании не желают, чтобы пираты были осведомлены о лимитах по страховому полису в момент ведения переговоров о выкупе. В случае захвата корабля и экипажа пиратами, владельцы кораблей немедленно связываются со своей страховой компанией. Судовладельцы и страховые компании обычно нанимают частную охранную фирму, специализирующуюся на ведении переговоров о выкупе с захватчиками заложников. Поскольку компании по морским перевозкам и страховые компании чаще всего не имеют опыта ведения переговоров с пиратами, охранные фирмы сами контролируют процесс переговоров. Им зачастую даются полномочия принимать решения по выкупу без согласия от владельца корабля. Сомалийских пиратов интересуют лишь деньги, и поэтому переговоры сосредоточены только на суммах выкупа. Пираты систематически затягивают переговоры на долгие месяцы, мало заботясь о заложниках и их семьях, стремясь лишь к увеличению суммы выкупа. Своими безжалостными действиями пираты заслужили всемирное осуждение на многие века. В международном законодательстве пираты названы «врагами всего человечества» и подлежат судебному преследованию любой страной, независимо от их национальности, национальности их жертв или же от места совершения акта пиратства.

mar/apr 10 the sea 7

FOCUS ON FAITH  BY PETER ELLIS

Today is a gift IMAGINE that your bank credits your account each day with US$86,400. A nice thought isn’t it, except for the fact that each day it subtracts the balance you have not used? But this bank is not your normal bank back home. It is universal and goes by the name of time.

Every morning it credits you with the same number of seconds as the dollars mentioned above. Every night it writes off as lost whatever amount of this you have failed to invest to good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft.

Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns whatever is left. If you fail to use the day’s deposit, the loss is yours. There is no going back. There is no drawing against tomorrow.

You must live in the present on today’s deposits.

Today, with precise

atomic clocks, we can measure time with incredible precision to the nanosecond. In our digital age, we monitor time’s incremental click, click, in ways not available to earlier generations who watched it flow as hands circling the face of a wristwatch or grandfather clock.

However, in spite of the wonders of modern technology, no one can stop time.

In the Book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible you can read a lot about time: a time to be born, a time to weep and a time to laugh, and so on. The idea of time is depicted like a wheel which keeps on turning, almost as if it rolls over us, controlling us in some way, but there is, nevertheless, something very calming about the words.

In the New Testament we read of the Greek word “chronos” from which we get the term chronology,

which denotes time that can be measured by a clock, or the yearly movements of the sun, moon and stars.

But there is another Greek word, “kairos”, which means a different type of time – a moment of time when we can choose to change: the moment of truth, which, like the spinning wheel on the flag of India, talks not of fatalism but of peaceful revolution.

On board a ship today there is so little time for that run ashore, or time to see new places and new faces.

But on your ship, even if life seems to be manic at times, God (and no, that’s not the master) gives you enough time to be the people he calls you to be, people who are willing to share the joys and sorrows of those who work with you.

Yes, of course it’s nice to watch a DVD in your cabin

after a hard day’s work, but remember, you are part of a community and each one of you has a story to tell, a problem to share, and a joke or two to crack as well.

And thinking about a time for laughter: there is a story of a chaplain who always read every word of his sermons which were long and often tedious. One Sunday, one of the congregation slipped into the pulpit and removed one of the pages at random. The chaplain got to a point in the sermon where he read out: “And Adam said unto Eve…” He paused and then continued: “And Adam said unto Eve …er…er…there seems to be a leaf missing.”

So let’s remind ourselves that we can’t buy God, we can’t buy love and we can’t buy time, let alone eternal life. Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift – God’s gift of life.

El presente es un regalo IMAGINAOS que todos los días el banco ingresa en vuestra cuenta 86.400 dólares. Es una buena idea, ¿a que sí? Lo malo es que todos los días el banco también os quita el saldo que no hayáis utilizado. Pero este banco no se trata de vuestro banco habitual, allí donde vivís. Es universal y se le conoce como el tiempo.

Todas las mañanas ingresa en vuestra cuenta el mismo número de segundos que los dólares antes mencionados.

Todas las noches declara como pérdida la cantidad de esos segundos que no hayáis invertido en algo provechoso. No permite acumular el saldo. No ofrece crédito al descubierto.

Todos los días abre una nueva cuenta para vosotros.

Todas las noches se deshace de lo que quede. Si no utilizáis todo el saldo de un día, sois vosotros quienes perdéis. No hay marcha atrás. No hay anticipos.

Debéis vivir el presente con el saldo del día.

En la actualidad, con relojes atómicos de gran precisión podemos medir el tiempo con una exactitud increíble, cada nanosegundo. En nuestra era digital, podemos seguir el tic-tac del tiempo de maneras que no eran posibles para generaciones anteriores, que lo observaban pasar en forma de manillas que recorrían la esfera de un reloj de pulsera o del abuelo. No obstante, a pesar de las maravillas de la tecnología moderna, nadie puede detener el tiempo.

En el libro Eclesiastés, de la Biblia, se puede leer mucho acerca del tiempo: hay un tiempo para nacer, un tiempo para llorar y un tiempo para reír, etc. La idea del tiempo se retrata como una rueda que se mantiene girando, casi como si

rodara sobre nosotros, controlándonos de alguna manera, pero existe algo muy reconfortante en las palabras.

En el Nuevo Testamento leemos acerca de la palabra griega “cronos”, de donde procede el término “cronología”, que denota el tiempo que se puede medir con un reloj, o los movimientos anuales del sol, la luna y las estrellas.

Pero hay otra palabra griega, “kairos”, que significa un tipo diferente de tiempo: un momento en el tiempo en el que podemos elegir cambiar.

El momento de la verdad, que, al igual que la rueda en la bandera de la India, no habla de fatalismo sino de una revolución pacífica.

Hoy en día, a bordo de un barco hay tan poco

tiempo para esa visita a tierra firme, tan poco tiempo para ver nuevos lugares y nuevas caras. Pero en vuestro barco, incluso si la vida a veces parece tener un ritmo vertiginoso, Dios (y no hablo del capitán) os da suficiente tiempo para ser las personas que quiere que seáis, personas dispuestas a compartir las penas y las alegrías de vuestros compañeros de trabajo.

Por supuesto que está muy bien ver un DVD en el camarote después de un arduo día de trabajo, pero recordad que sois parte de una comunidad y que cada uno de vosotros tiene una historia que narrar, un problema que compartir y uno o dos chistes que contar.

Al pensar en el

momento de reír recuerdo una historia de un capellán que leía cada palabra de sus sermones, que eran largos y, a menudo, aburridos.

Un domingo, uno de los feligreses se coló en el púlpito y sacó una de las páginas. El capellán llegó a un punto en el sermón en el que leyó en voz alta: “Y Adán le dijo a Eva…” Hizo una pausa y continuó: “Y Adán le dijo Eva…eh…eh... parece que falta una página”.

De modo que recordemos siempre que no podemos comprar a Dios, no podemos comprar amor y no podemos comprar tiempo, y mucho menos la vida eterna. El ayer es historia, el mañana es un misterio y el presente es un regalo: el regalo de la vida que nos da Dios.

Сегодняшний день – это подарок ПРЕДСТАВЬТЕ, что ваш банк ежедневно добавляет на ваш счет 86 400 долларов США. Приятно подумать об этом, не правда ли? Если бы только ежедневно он не отнимал остаток того, что не было использовано.…Однако это не тот обычный банк на вашей родине. Это вселенский банк и название ему — время. Каждое утро он дает вам шанс использовать именно то количество секунд, которое равно названной выше сумме в долларах. Каждую ночь он списывает с вашего счета ту сумму, которую вы не смогли обратить на пользу себе и другим. Он не переносит остатки времени на следующий день. Он не допускает превышения кредита. Каждый день для вас открывается новый счет. Каждую ночь пропадает все, что осталось неиспользованным. Если вы

не смогли воспользоваться тем, что было вам отпущено на сегодня, то это ваша личная потеря. Обратного пути нет. Невозможно воспользоваться тем, что будет на счету следующего дня. Вы должны жить настоящим и использовать время, отпущенное вам сейчас. Сегодня, имея точнейшие атомные часы, мы можем измерять время с потрясающей точностью, вплоть до наносекунды. В наш век цифровых технологий мы отслеживаем непрерывный ход времени такими способами, что и не снились нашим предкам, для которых его течение отмечалось лишь круговым движением стрелок на циферблате их наручных часов или дедовских ходиков. Однако, несмотря на все чудеса современной технологии, никто не может остановить время.

В Книге Екклесиаста в Библии вы можете многое прочесть о времени: о времени рождаться, о времени оплакивать, о времени смеяться и прочее. Идея времени представлена в виде непрерывно вращающегося колеса как будто перекатывающегося через нас и каким-то образом нас контролирующего. Однако слова эти звучат очень успокаивающе. В Новом Завете мы читаем о греческом слове «хронос», от которого произошло выражение «хронология», обозначающее время, измеряемое часами или ежегодные перемещения Солнца, Луны и звезд. Но существует другое греческое слово «кайрос», обозначающее другой тип времени — тот момент времени, когда мы решаем измениться: момент истины, который

как вращающееся колесо, изображенное на флаге Индии, говорит не о фатализме, а о мирной смене циклов. Когда мы находимся на борту современного корабля, у нас остается очень мало времени для выхода на берег, времени для того, чтобы увидеть новые места и лица. Но даже если жизнь на вашем корабле кажется слишком загруженной, Создатель (и это ни в коем случае, не капитан) дает вам достаточно времени для того, чтобы проявить себя такими людьми, которыми он призывает вас быть, людьми, готовыми разделить с теми, кто работает рядом, и радости и горести. Конечно же, приятно после тяжелого трудового дня посмотреть DVD в своей каюте, но помните о том, что вы являетесь частью сообщества, и у каждого из вас найдется история, которую

можно рассказать, проблема, которой можно поделиться или же пара хороших шуток. И, кстати, о времени смеяться. Есть анекдот о капеллане, который читал по бумажке каждое слово во время своих служб, бывших долгими и зачастую скучными. В одно воскресенье кто-то из прихожан проскользнул за кафедру и стянул один из листков проповеди. Капеллан дошел до того места, где прочел: «И Адам сказал Еве…». Здесь он запнулся, а затем продолжил: «И Адам сказал Еве…эээ…эээ…похоже, что недостает листка». Так давайте напоминать друг другу, что невозможно купить Бога, невозможно купить любовь, невозможно купить время, а тем более вечную жизнь. Вчера – это история, завтра – это тайна, а сегодня – это подарок, дарованная нам Богом жизнь.

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 mar/apr 10

Help for seafarers after their ship caught fire

THE Syrian crew (above) of the City of Berytus (inset), which caught fire in Antwerp in December, were looked after by Mission to Seafarers chaplain John Attenborough (in yellow jacket) until they were repatriated. After the seafarers evacuated the ship with only the clothes they were wearing, Mr Attenborough provided them with a phone card so they could call home,

clothes and other essentials. Later, when they had been able to go back on board to collect their undamaged possessions, he arranged for the clothes they retrieved to be laundered because they smelt badly of smoke. He also liaised with the International Transport Workers’ Federation to ensure that the men received their pay and compensation for lost belongings.

Findings could even understate the real problems, says the Paris MoU

Lifeboat checks reveal ‘shocking’ deficiencies

S

HOCKING deficiences in lifeboat drills have been revealed by a concentrated inspection campaign by the 43 governments making up the Paris and the Tokyo Memoranda on Port State Control.

It found that one in five ships had lifeboat drill-related deficiencies. The campaign to ensure compliance with International Maritime Organisation (IMO) rules on lifeboat launching arrangements lasted three months and ended on November 30 last year.

Inspectors used a list of 20 selected items to verify critical areas for the safety of lifeboat launching arrangements, some of which are related to documentation,

equipment and familiarisation. The Paris MoU found 2,136 deficiencies relating to lifeboat drills, and in 80 cases the lifeboat launching appliances had deficiencies which were serious enough to detain the ship.

Tokyo MoU countries carried out 4,834 inspections that included lifeboat drills and 18.2 per cent of these found lifeboat-related deficiencies. In 123 cases ships were detained because of deficiencies related to lifeboat launching appliances and arrangements.

Speaking to Lloyd’s List, Paris MoU general secretary Richard Schiferli said that the results were shocking but unsurprising due to acknowledged problems associated with lifeboat drills and insuf-

ficient training for crew. “A drill can go wrong for a variety of reasons, but too often it is because crew assigned to a lifeboat are not familiar with the type of lifeboat release gear on board.”

He cautioned that even the inspection findings could understate the real problem because the drills were carried out in good conditions in port and in daylight. It could be very different in a real emergency at night and in bad weather when it would be essential that the crew really knew what they were doing.

An IMO meeting in May is due to resume a review of lifeboat safety which has been prompted by the large number of accidents and deaths that have occurred

during lifeboat drills since the introduction of enclosed lifeboats and on-load release hooks for new vessels built since 1986.

IMO has already recommended the use of fall preventers – usually ropes, though some manufacturers have installed bolts – to stop boats falling if the on-load hooks fail. The International Chamber of Shipping has submitted a paper to IMO which reports that at least one lifeboat manufacturer has advised owners against installing fall preventers.

This is understood to be due to liability issues should an accident still occur when the preventers are in use. In the longer term IMO is committed to requiring the development of safer hooks.

Mixed message on recovery

Pay deal warning

IF a general recovery in the shipping industry does materialise this year it will be slow and painful, according to marine insurers meeting in London in January.

International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) president Deirdre Littlefield said that newbuild cancellations and deferments were increasing, but a huge amount of tonnage was still due to be delivered this year and next. “Regrettably, we have not seen a significant leap in the scrapping rate of old ships, which is almost beyond belief in the present crisis.”

This gloomy assessment was broadly in agreement with the latest shipping confidence survey by shipping accounts Moore Stephens, which concluded confidence levels had stabilised but that a sustainable recovery in the markets still appeared to be some way off. It said the industry believed depressed freight rates were likely to persist amid continued concerns about the level of newbuildings set to enter the market over the next two years.

IMEC, the International Maritime Employers’ Committee, has hinted that seafarers’ unions looking for an increased pay deal may be disappointed.

In what may have been the first shot in wage negotiations due to take place later this year, an IMEC statement said the same challenges that faced the industry during 2009 continued to affect it in 2010.

“Whilst an understanding was reached during 2009 that IBF pay reviews would be kept on hold until the end of 2010, in order to asses any change to the fortunes of the industry over a longer period, initial indications seem to show that the industry will not undergo any large change during the foreseeable future.”

However, it said it intended to comply with the agreement to meet the International Transport Workers’ Federation during 2010 to consider the continued effect of the financial crisis on the ability of shipowners to agree to any future increase in minimum salary levels for seafarers employed by its members.

However, major Japanese shipowner Mitsui OSK Lines has revised its profit forecast upwards for the fiscal year ending on March 31 as its main markets show signs of recovery. It now expects profits of Yen5bn (US$55.5bn), up 150 per cent from its previous estimate.

“The dry bulker market is expected to hold steady thanks to China’s strong demand for iron ore and coal imports,” says the company. “And an improvement in the tanker market is also anticipated due to recovery in demand for petroleum products and the withdrawal of single-hull VLCCs. In addition, the global economy is bottoming out and the containership business is expected to see increased cargo trade and progress toward recovery of freight rates.”

In similar vein, liftings from Europe to Asia by the container shipping lines belonging to the European Liner Affairs Association continued to recover in November according to the most recent figures.

Panamanian register throws out 174 ships THE Panama Maritime Administration (PMA) says it has cancelled the registration of 73 vessels and that 101others are going through the same legal process. The action comes as part of drastic measures announced earlier this year to improve the quality and detention record of the Panamanian flag after its inclusion last year in the Paris MoU blacklist.

In its latest newsletter the PMA says that the tough action has resulted in a fall in detentions from 8 per cent in January 2009 to 5 per cent at the end of October.

It has imposed stringent requirements for ships older than 20 years which are now required to submit to a check by an inspector from a Recognised Organisation before calling at a port within the Paris MoU. “Any vessel failing to go through such inspection could be fined or deleted from the registry; additionally [the registration of] any 20year-old vessel detained twice in six months will automatically be cancelled,” it says.

Haiti: ways found to land cargo THE near-total destruction of the port of Haiti’s capital, Port au Prince, in the January earthquake forced shipping companies and the US authorities spearheading the relief effort to find novel ways of getting supplies ashore.

Major US-based shipping group Crowley Maritime Corporation carried out an experimental lightering operation, discharging containers to smaller, shallow-draft landing vessels for transport and discharge over the beach. It has also brought two 400-footlong, 100-foot-wide flat deck barges into Port-au-Prince to serve as a makeshift dock, along with two 230-ton cranes for cargo operations.

Dangers of lay-ups highlighted UNNECESSARY accidents, and at least one death, have occurred on laid-up ships according to BMT Marine & Offshore Surveys ( BMT MOSL), which expressed considerable concern about the way lay-ups

are being managed.

Increasing numbers of ships left without work during the trade downturn are being involved in costly and unnecessary casualties, the company told a London insurance market seminar. Despite the insistence of maritime authorities and insurers on detailed precautions and supervision, ships have been damaged or written off while laid up in Far East anchorages.

One example, said BMT MOSL’s Paul Jackson, was a containership that had been laid up with a reduced crew off Hong Kong in a known typhoon zone. As the vessel tried to manoeuvre clear in fierce winds, it was sent rolling up to 35 degrees, causing extensive damage and resulting in the death of the third officer.

Another large containership laid up in a typhoon zone was pushed on to rocks south west of Macao amid violent rolling which repeatedly tripped out the engine; it became an expensive constructive total loss.

First MLC certificate awarded NORWEGIAN classification society Det Norske Veritas has awarded what it claims to be the first certificate of compliance with the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC 2006).

It has issued a certificate to Thenamaris Ships Management’s product tanker Seacrown following an inspection on the vessel to verify that it was in compliance with the 14 areas relating to seafarers’ working and living conditions covered by the convention.

MLC 2006 is not expected to come into force before December 2011 but, because of the major challenges it poses, shipowners are being urged to comply with the new standards well ahead of the implementation deadline.

Loran C switch off started HOPES that the Loran C navigation system could be developed into an automated electronic back-up to GPS were dashed in January when the US Coast Guard issued formal notices of the decommissioning of the system. This started in February, and all Loran stations are expected to cease transmitting by the beginning of October.

The Coast Guard says there are other ways to back up GPS but there is likely to be widespread concern within the shipping community.