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Sub-Committee on Human Element, Training and Watchkeeping (HTW 7)
Black Carbon measurement methods for data collection.
With regards to developing a standardized sampling, conditioning, and measurement protocol, the Sub-Committee encouraged interested Member Governments and international organizations to undertake further studies on Black Carbon measurement systems to enable accurate and traceable (comparable) measurements of Black Carbon emission and submit the results to future Sub-Committee sessions.
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The Sub-Committee welcomed the establishment by Canada of the international Technical Working Group (TWG) on the Development of a Standardized Sampling, Conditioning and Measurement Protocol for Black Carbon Emissions from Marine Engines.
The ISO was invited to keep the Sub-Committee or MEPC, as appropriate, informed of its ongoing review of the ISO 8217 standard for specification of marine fuels, including the possibility to include an additional informative indicator in the ISO 8217 standard, to evaluate whether a fuel tends to be paraffinic or aromatic in character.
With regard to potential regulatory options to reduce the impact of black carbon emissions form shipping on the Arctic, the SubCommittee invited the MEPC to approve updated terms of reference for the agenda item, to include:
• Develop, as a starting point, guidelines on recommendatory goalbased control measures to reduce the impact on the Arctic of
Black Carbon emissions from international shipping; • Further consider regulating or otherwise directly control Black
Carbon emissions from marine diesel engines (exhaust gas) to reduce the impact on the Arctic of Black Carbon emissions from international shipping, taking into account the identified candidate control measures; • Further consider recommended Black Carbon measurement methods (light absorption filter smoke number (FSN); photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS); and laser induced incandescence (LII)) to be used in conjunction with regulations to control Black
Carbon emissions from marine diesel engines; • Develop a standardized sampling, conditioning and measurement protocol, including a traceable reference method and an uncertainty analysis, taking into account the three most appropriate Black Carbon measurement methods (FSN, PAS, LII), to make accurate and traceable (comparable) measurements of Black Carbon emissions; and submit a report to MEPC 79 in 2022.
The Sub-Committee continued its review of MARPOL Annex IV regulations and the related 2012 Guidelines on implementation of effluent standards and performance tests for sewage treatment plants (resolution MEPC.227(64)).
The Correspondence Group on Amendments to MARPOL Annex IV and Associated Guidelines was re-established, to continue the review. The Committee was invited to extend the target completion year to 2023.
The Sub-Committee continued its work on the development of a standard for the verification of ballast water compliance monitoring devices. IMO’s Ballast Water Management Convention, which has been in force since 2017, aims to prevent the spread of harmful species in ballast water by requiring ships to manage their ballast water.
A Correspondence Group on Development of a Protocol for Verification of Ballast Water Compliance Monitoring Devices was established to further the work.
Review of the IMO Biofouling Guidelines
The Sub-Committee continued its review of the IMO Biofouling Guidelines, which provide a globally consistent approach to the management of biofouling – the accumulation of various aquatic organisms on ships’ hulls, which is also a vector for the transfer of invasive aquatic species.
The Correspondence Group on Review of the Biofouling Guidelines was re-established and the Sub-Committee requested to extend the target completion year to 2023.
Marine litter – addressing losses or discharges of fishing gear
The Sub-Committee has been tasked with progressing certain elements of IMO’ s action plan to address marine plastic litter. In this context, the Sub-Committee considered the output of a correspondence group, which has been looking at how to address losses or discharges of fishing gear, including draft amendments to reporting requirements under MARPOL Annex V regulations on the prevention of pollution from ships by garbage.
The Sub-Committee agreed to further consider the report of the correspondence group and the commenting document that had been submitted to this session at its next session, in conjunction with additional relevant documents that may be forwarded to PPR 9 by the MEPC (e.g. report of the GESAMP Working Group on sea-based sources of marine litter and a submission by FAO on reporting protocols and practices). The Committee was invited to extend the target completion year to 2023.
Certification of Seafarers – correspondence group established
The HTW Sub-Committee considered challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic by seafarers and Member States with regards to certification and training. It established a correspondence group, due to report to the Maritime Safety Committee in October 2021 (MSC 104), to develop guidance to harmonize the measures to be adopted by both flag and port States, and to address adverse effects of the measures adopted so far.
The focus of this group includes issuance and renewal of seafarers’ certificates and documents, and extensions of validity beyond the regime established in the 1978 STCW Convention. The group will also identify hurdles to the provision of continued professional competence through refresher training.
Implementation of STCW Convention – action plan agreed
During the session, a working group was established to discuss implementation of the 1978 STCW Convention, including matters related to the list of confirmed Parties (“White List”).
The Sub-Committee highlighted the need to ensure confidence in the “White List”, facilitate appropriate knowledge and understanding of the STCW Convention, and also ensure that competent persons have appropriate skills and experience to undertake the tasks emanating from the Convention.
The Sub-Committee noted a list of gaps and areas for further consideration regarding the communication of information system and endorsed an action plan for enhancing it. A correspondence group was established to develop related guidance and consider the need for training of Parties and competent persons.
Strategic direction on human element agreed
The HTW Sub-Committee agreed on the need to include a specific strategic direction on the human element in the Organization’s Strategic Plan at the earliest opportunity, given the relevance of the human element for the work of the Organization, which has been made particularly evident in the context of the global crisis stemming from the pandemic. The Maritime Safety Committee was invited to discuss this matter.
Joint working group on the human element
The Sub-Committee noted that the IMO Legal Committee had agreed to urgently request the Special Tripartite Committee of MLC, 2006, to authorize the establishment of an ILO-IMO tripartite working group to identify and address seafarers’ issues and the human element, which would need to be endorsed by the ILO Governing Body during its meeting in November 2021. The Legal Committee had invited MSC to make a similar request to the IMO Council.
The Sub-Committee continued working on the comprehensive review of the STCW-F Convention and agreed, in principle, to a number of draft provisions, including medical standards, the definition of “limited waters”, mandatory requirements for certification of engineer officers and radio operators, revalidation of certificates and provisions on basic training. The work plan for completion of the review was also updated with the goal of finalizing the draft amendments for adoption in 2024.
Further work will continue on matters such as sustainable fisheries training; engineering watchkeeping provisions; and a draft resolution addressing training on response against piracy and armed robbery for skippers, officers and engineer officers of fishing vessels entering high-risk areas.
Non-SOLAS ships in polar waters – draft guidelines agreed
The Sub Committee agreed on training related text in draft guidelines for fishing vessels of 24 m in length and over operating in polar waters. The guidelines, developed by the SDC Sub Committee, will now be submitted to MSC 103 with a view to approval.
