The Sea Sept/Oct 2016

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www.missiontoseafarers.org themissiontoseafarers @FlyingAngelNews

Issue 243 Sep/Oct 2016

Статьи на русском языке приводятся на стр. 6 и 7

Claims bill of US$155m for slips, trips and falls

page 2 New health guidance and support for seafarers

page 3 Strengthened MLC in force from 2017

page 8 The Mission to Seafarers Founded in 1856, and entirely funded by voluntary donations, today’s Mission to Seafarers offers emergency assistance, practical support, and a friendly welcome to crews in 260 ports around the world. Whether caring for victims of piracy or providing a lifeline to those stranded in foreign ports, we are there for the globe’s 1.5 million merchant seafarers of all ranks, nationalities and beliefs.

The Sea Editor: Carly Fields News: David Hughes Assistant Editor: Lara Shingles The Sea is distributed free to seafarers through chaplains and seafarers’ centres. You can also arrange to receive it for a suggested donation of £3.50 or $5 per year (six issues). To find out more, contact: Laura Hayes, The Sea, The Mission to Seafarers, St Michael Paternoster Royal, College Hill, London, UK EC4R 2RL Tel: +44 (0)20 7248 5202 Email: laura.hayes@ missiontoseafarers.org www.missiontoseafarers.org Registered charity in England and Wales: 1123613 The Mission to Seafarers Scotland Limited, Registered charity: SC041938

Worldwide piracy falls to 20-year low The IMB reports a drop in global piracy but says that ships still need to remain vigilant in the Gulf of Guinea as crew kidnappings persist

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IRACY and armed robbery at sea has fallen to its lowest levels since 1995 according to a new report from the International Chamber of Commerce’s International Maritime Bureau (IMB). However, West Africa continues to be a danger area, with increasing numbers of attacks and kidnappings for ransom. The IMB’s global piracy report shows 98 incidents in the first half of 2016, compared with 134 for the same period in 2015. When piracy was at its highest and Somali-based pirates posed the biggest threat, between 2003 and 2010, the IMB recorded 445 attacks a year. In the first half of 2016, the IMB recorded 72 vessels boarded, five hijackings, and a further 12 attempted attacks. Nine ships were fired upon and sixtyfour crew were taken hostage, down from 250 in the same period last year. “This drop in world piracy is encouraging news. Two main factors are recent improvements around Indonesia, and the continued deterrence of Somali pirates off East Africa,” said IMB director Pottengal Mukundan, whose Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia-based global Piracy Reporting Centre has supported the shipping industry, the shipping authorities, and the navies of various countries for 25 years. However, he went on to warn that “ships need to stay vigilant, maintain security and report all attacks, as the threat of piracy remains, particularly off Somalia and in the Gulf of Guinea”. Despite global improvements, kidnappings are on the rise, with 44 crew captured for ransom in 2016, 24 of them in Nigeria, up from 10 in the first half of 2015. “In the Gulf of Guinea,

Credit: Luis R. Chàvez Jr

Los artículos en español aparecen en las páginas 6y7

Mission helps injured seafarer IN JULY, The Mission to Seafarers in Falmouth, UK helped a Filipino seafarer who had been taken off his ship by lifeboat for treatment of an eye injury. Local MtS chairman Penny Phillips said: “We were delighted to assist Eliis Tingzon when he was brought ashore to Helston Community Hospital.” At the same time, the Flying Angel Centre inside Falmouth Docks, was able to assist 14 crew members from the Maersk Weymouth, which was in the port for repairs. Ms Phillips added: “The crew spent time relaxing in the Mission garden and contacting loved ones. We were also able to provide dollar and Euro currency exchange so that seafarers could buy souvenirs and gifts in Falmouth town.”

Somali pirates off East Africa are being deterred

rather than oil tankers being hijacked for their cargo, there is an increasing number of incidents of crew being kidnapped for ransom,” said Capt Mukundan. However, the IMB acknowledged that its figures do not tell the whole story, as it believes many kidnappings and ransom payments go unreported. Stuart Edmonston, head of loss prevention at marine insurer UK P&I Club said: “The Gulf of Guinea is understood to be the most dangerous region in the world for seafarers. A report by Oceans Beyond Piracy revealed that there have been 32 kidnaps for ransom during 2016 in the Gulf of Guinea, surpassing the total number of incidents, 19, recorded by the International Maritime Bureau for 2015.” He added: “The increase in kidnapping for ransom has not occurred out of the blue: in 2014, 16 per cent of attacks in the area involved kidnap for

ransom; in 2015 it was 28 per cent of attacks. There may be two reasons why kidnapping has increased in late 2015 and has continued to increase in 2016.” According to Mr Edmonston, one reason why kidnapping has increased, is improved naval patrolling by the Nigerian and other littoral navies, which may have made cargo theft more difficult and dangerous. Cargo theft, he went on, particularly of large amounts of refined oil products, takes time and so criminals might have moved to kidnap for ransom of ships’ crews, where less time was spent on board vessels, leaving them less exposed to naval patrols. “In addition,” he noted, “it may be that for the time being, the drop in oil prices has made oil theft a less lucrative proposition than kidnapping for ransom.” Worryingly, Mr Edmonston warned: “There are indications that some kidnappers have

such belief in their business model that they are increasing their logistical capacity to take in and hold more hostages, possibly for longer than is now normally the case. There are also signs that their understanding of the ‘kidnap market’ is evolving – in other words, they may be able to target their attacks with greater precision and demand higher ransoms.” As a result, he cautioned: “Shipping companies need not only to protect their vessels, but also to ensure that they can still attract high-quality officers and crews willing to sail in the area. This means that crews must understand, but not overestimate, the risks and that they and their families are mentally and physically prepared for an incident. Companies must also be able to demonstrate that they take their duty of care seriously, and that they will be able to act professionally if a kidnap does occur.”

Two men convicted in UK drug bust THE Turkish master and mate of an oceangoing tug have been found guilty of drug trafficking following the biggest ever UK seizure of cocaine. The haul, with an estimated potential street value of £512 million (US$677 million), was found hidden on board the Tanzania-flagged Hamal in April 2015. The vessel had been intercepted by a Royal Navy destroyer and a UK Border Force cutter in the North Sea about 100 miles off the UK coast. A detailed search eventually discovered an elaborately hidden compartment, www.missiontoseafarers.org

containing 128 bales of cocaine, each weighing about 25 kilos, and totalling over 3.2 tonnes. The vessel’s deck and engine log books stated that the tug had spent time in West Africa after leaving Turkey. However, analysis of the ship’s navigation system showed that, even though the AIS navigational beacon was turned off, GPS had continued to monitor movements on a laptop computer. This proved that the ship had sailed from Tenerife on 8 March, 2015 and travelled across the Atlantic, arriving in Georgetown, themissiontoseafarers

Guyana, on 21 March. She left five days later and, significantly, paused her passage for about 12 to 15 hours two days after leaving port. This is when investigators believe the drugs were loaded on board. Mobile phone evidence placed a number of the crew in the Georgetown area of Guyana, contradicting the log books. The master, Mumin Sahin, and first mate Emin Ozmen were found guilty of two counts of drug trafficking. The charges against four crew members were found not proven, while three others were acquitted. @FlyingAngelNews

Crewless ships one step closer UK CLASSIFICATION society Lloyd’s Register (LR) says that ‘autonomous ships’, operated remotely without crew on board, are likely to enter service soon and it has set out the ‘how’ of marine autonomous operations in a new ShipRight Procedure Guidance. The guidance describes autonomy levels (AL) ranging from ‘AL 1’ through to ‘AL 6’ on a fully autonomous ship with no access required during a mission. Luis Benito, head of innovation strategy & research at LR, says that autonomous ships are a reality: “Maybe a few years ago this was seen as unlikely. Today, the market wants autonomous ships that can be operated with varying levels of control. So, we have now described and delivered the levels required to make decisions enabling the design, construction and operation of autonomous ships to take place. The levels provide a procedure to address the safety and practical issues required to meet classification, regulatory and market drivers.” LR is working with leading industry players to make autonomous shipping a practical reality. This guidance has been peer reviewed by leading technology companies.


2 the sea Sep/Oct 2016

Claims bill of US$155m for slips, trips and falls over 10 years

Philippines abduction warning

UK P&I Club advises taking ‘a proactive and precautionary approach’ to reduce onboard injuries

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huge costs of resulting personal injury claims. The Club has developed a safety checklist which crew members should use to assess the threat of slips, trips and falls: • Ensure that there is always adequate lighting in hazardous areas • Hazards and obstructions should be assessed regularly and should always be identified or clearly marked • Non-slip surfaces must be in place and regularly maintained • Crew members should always wear appropriate footwear • Efforts should be made to keep working areas clear of oil, rubbish and equipment • Access control must always be in place, with guardrails and wires • Safety equipment should always be in use, such as harnesses and nets. The Club also advises that, if an incident does occur, the following steps should be taken to mitigate the consequences:

• Accurate records should be kept of all types of accidents • Emergency reporting and communication procedures must be followed • Adequate care and first aid must be available and administered correctly • The crew should be well trained in recovering people who fall overboard • Use of third party assistance, such as rescue helicopters should be considered. Mr Modev concludes: “While much of this advice might be thought of as simple seamanship and common sense, UK P&I Club’s statistics confirm time and time again the absence of necessary precautions. These actions can help reduce incidents, prevent distress and pain being imposed on so many seafarers and also help minimise claims. While crew need to be more self-aware and take more responsibility when working on ships, members also need to pay serious attention to the issue of ensuring the safety of their crew.” Credit: Shetland Coastguard

ERSONAL injury claims resulting from slips, trips and falls aboard ships have totalled a “staggering” US$155 million over the past ten years, according to marine insurer UK P&I Club. The club’s senior loss prevention executive, Petar Modev, says: “This figure is high, but also represents very human stories of individual injury and suffering, which have happened because of a moment’s carelessness, thoughtlessness or complacency.” He explains: “While most people may view slips, trips and falls as simple accidents, and a fact of life, they can pose a serious danger to the health of crew aboard ships. Crew members can suffer injury as they move around a ship, which is a mobile, and sometimes even violently moving, place of work.” The UK P&I Club advises taking a proactive and precautionary approach to reducing slips, trips and falls aboard ships to avoid the serious types of injuries that can occur, as well as the

UK Government meets cost of providing ETV

UK keeps last emergency tug THE UK Government is to commit funding for its last emergency towing vessel (ETV) still in service, which is currently based off the coast of Scotland. The decision was welcomed by seafarers’ union Nautilus. The UK Government already funds the vessel, which provides assistance to ships around the north and north-west of Scotland. Its contract was originally reinstated in 2011 but was due to end on 30 September, 2016. A Maritime and Coastguard Agency review of alternative options for towing provision beyond September concluded that the commercial towage market couldn’t currently be relied upon to meet the need for a dedicated service to cover the seas around Scotland. And it was decided that there was

a strong case for the UK Government to step in to allow this vital service to continue. Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson commented: “This is a victory for common sense and a victory for safety at sea. It is wrong that short-term cost-cutting was given priority over the need to safeguard lives at sea and protect our coastlines from pollution.” He added: “The logic used to ensure the future provision of the Orkney ETV ought to be extended to the reinstatement of the other vessels in other high-risk areas around the UK. There is no room for complacency over maritime safety and we should not ignore the ever-present risk of collisions, groundings, fires and other accidents in our waters.”

London Tilbury Seafarers Centre re-opens THE London Tilbury Seafarers Centre has re-opened and now offers a new 24-hour lounge for seafarers, after a major refurbishment programme. On the Thames, the London Tilbury Seafarers Centre offers mariners a change of environment, a place to relax, access to WiFi, a means to call or email family members, an opportunity to speak with a chaplain, or just a chance to catch up on their favourite TV shows. Every year the centre welcomes over 6,000 seafarers, with many more reached on the

estimated 1,500 ships that the chaplains based at the centre visit annually. The London Tilbury Seafarers Centre is owned and managed by Centres for Seafarers, an ecumenical collaboration of four Christian maritime mission societies: Queen Victoria Seamen’s Rest (QVSR); the Sailors’ Society; The Mission to Seafarers, and the Apostleship of the Sea. Alexander Campbell, Centres for Seafarers chair, explained why the

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24-hour lounge is needed: “We made the change after our chaplains saw more and more seafarers sitting outside the centre when it was closed, often in the cold and rain late at night, just to pick up the WiFi signal. With the support of donors and volunteers, we’ve been able to make the change so that we are able to provide our essential services, whenever our users want to access them.” The upgrades were made possible through a £25,000 (US$33,000) grant

from the UK’s Merchant Navy Welfare Board and a £1,500 contribution from the Port of Tilbury and the Port of London Authority (PLA) towards the cost of a new TV and sofas for the lounge. PLA chairman Christopher Rodrigues, said that seafarers needed a welcoming place to unwind, catch up with family, speak with a chaplain, and even do their shopping from. “That’s why,” he explained, “the opening of the refurbished centre, with 24-hour access is so important.”

THE Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia says it is concerned about a spate of incidents involving the abduction of crew from ships while under way in waters off eastern Sabah and the southern Philippines, which have occurred since March 2016. About half of the crew members captured have been released following ransom payments but others may have been sold on to Abu Sayyaf Group Islamist terrorists. Between March and July there were six abduction incidents in the area, involving five tugs towing barges and one fishing vessel. As well as abducting crew members, the pirates stole items from the ship, including navigational equipment and personal belongings of the crew, including mobile phones and laptops. Of the 33 crew abducted in the six incidents, 18 have been released.

Mauritius convicts pirates THE Mauritian Court has convicted 12 men of attempting to carry out an act of piracy against the MSC Jasmine, on 5 January, 2013. The successful conviction came after prosecution lawyers challenged an earlier court ruling in November 2014 that had found the men not guilty of attacking the Cypriot containership as she transited south in the Indian Ocean. This was the first piracy trial held by the Mauritian Court after a transfer agreement, which enables those suspected of committing an act of piracy off the coast of Somalia to be transferred to the island nation for prosecution, was signed between the European Union and the Mauritian Government in July 2011.

Sub hits merchant ship THE UK nuclear-powered submarine HMS Ambush, while submerged and conducting a training exercise, hit a merchant ship. The Royal Navy (RN) said the Astute-class submarine was involved in a glancing collision with the ship off the coast of Gibraltar. The merchant ship was reported to be undamaged but the submarine suffered some external damage. The RN said there was “absolutely no damage” to the submarine’s nuclear plant and none of her crew were injured in the incident.

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3 the sea Sep/Oct 2016

New health guidance and support for seafarers A partnership between the Shipowners’ Club and ISWAN promises to improve conditions and the lifestyle of ships’ crews THE biggest mutual liability insurer for the small and specialist vessel sector, the Shipowners’ Club, has entered into a partnership with the International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN), an international charity that aims to improve conditions and the lifestyle of ships’ crews by providing a 24/7 advice line, health guidance and general support for seafarers. As a partner, the Club will contribute towards ISWAN’s Seafarers’ Health Information Project, an initiative that promotes and distributes health information materials to shipping companies, seafarers’ centres, and direct to seafarers. The project consists of 10 core health considerations: food safety; onboard fitness; safe travel; healthy food; malaria; weight control; STIs, such as HIV and Aids; mental care; dental care; and skin care. The Club's loss prevention specialists, as part of a communication campaign to reduce crew illness-related claims, will include each of the ship’s core health considerations within guidance that will be distributed to Club members. Louise Hall, head of loss prevention

at the Shipowners’ Club, comments: “We see many crew related illnesses especially concerning heart problems, stomach issues and illnesses related to blood pressure. ISWAN, through their own research, have produced excellent materials that address the areas of concern we see from incident notifications, but also those reported by the industry as a whole.” Meanwhile another insurer, Thomas Miller Claims Management (TMCM), has launched its “complete marine medical solution”, BlueMed. According to TMCM, the new combined service “builds on TMCM’s unique place as the leading provider of maritime medical assistance to the shipping, cruise and large-yacht sectors, by integrating a specialised marine and energy ‘telemedicine’ service to create a complete package”. The telemedicine service, provided by a team of emergency and trauma doctors in Aberdeen, gives both routine and urgent medical advice to vessels at sea, supervising on board treatment until disembarkation to a hospital is possible, and also seeking to avoid costly diversions and evacuations when these are not necessary.

TMCM claims director Pat Bond says: “TMCM has worked with many telemedicine providers, but choosing the right one has been a matter of listening to clients over time, and being selective. Some of the telemedicine products have been around a while, but the quality is variable. He adds: “Free radio medical services are not what they were, and some of the commercial operations might leave a vessel waiting an hour or more before they actually get a doctor on the line. We have integrated a first-class provider who puts a UK emergency or trauma doctor on the line within minutes.” Director Stephen Hunt comments: “Shipowners are not like other employers. They have a very particular relationship with their crew and follow cases very closely. A crew emergency can also be a major commercial and technical issue. Unscheduled calls at unfamiliar ports, deviation from charter, dangerous transfers by launch or helicopter – it is not the same as getting back to work while you wait for an ambulance. You need a medical adviser who understands that context.”

MV Lone reaches 19.3 knots

New simulator for Cyprus

Prestige master visited

BERNARD Schulte Management (BSM) training centre in Limassol, Cyprus, now has a full mission bridge and an engine-room simulator. According to BSM, this “state-of-the-art” simulator is the only one of its kind in Cyprus and will allow the company to offer unparalleled training for the career development of its own officers, as well as external training for participants in the region. Training will include STCW (Standards of Training, Certification and Watch keeping) courses as well as tailor-made customer courses to the advanced level required for deck and engineer officers. The bridge simulator consists of two separate 180 degree visualisation bridges fully equipped with various controls and systems, including: ECDIS; RADAR/ARPA; VHF; bow and stern thrusters; simulated anchoring and mooring; use of tugs for berthing assistance; GMDSS radio communication; signalling equipment such as lights and shapes; steering gear, and engine control.

REPRESENTATIVES from the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) and the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) visited the master of the sunken Prestige oil tanker, Apostolos Mangouras, in Athens on 24 June, to mark the International Day of the Seafarer. Fourteen years after the Prestige disaster the Spanish Supreme Court has convicted Capt Mangouras to two years in prison for “recklessness resulting in catastrophic environmental damage”. It thereby overturned a previous judgement by the Provincial Court of La Coruña, which had cleared him of any responsibility. Tim Springett, of the UK Chamber of Shipping, who is chairman of ECSA’s social dialogue committee, said: “Capt Mangouras has paid an unacceptably heavy price for his professionalism, bravery and devotion to duty as a ship’s master. It is a price he should never have had to pay. His unjust treatment, which began when his vessel, the MV Prestige encountered difficulties in severe weather, is still continuing nearly fourteen year since the events. We insist on ensuring fair treatment of seafarers following a maritime accident and stand firmly against the criminalisation of seafarers.” Both ECSA and the ETF say, that as far as Capt Mangouras’s situation is concerned, the joint International Labour Organization/International Maritime Organization Guidelines for Fair Treatment of Seafarers following a Maritime Accident should be followed.

K Line expands Philippine centre

Heavy lifter in a hurry HEAVY lift ships are not normally known for their speed but the crew of the 12,500 dwt Lone recently found themselves rushing 8,733 nautical miles from Batum in Indonesia to the Firth of Forth in Scotland at an average speed of 19.3 knots. The vessel, operated by Hamburg-based SAL Heavy Lift, carried a submerged turret production buoy weighing 1,100 tonnes, and had a tight delivery schedule of three weeks. It was destined for an offshore location some miles from

the East Coast of Scotland and was required on site so as not to delay the start of a drilling project. Commenting on the record-breaking run, Matthias Meyer, SAL’s project manager, said: “A journey of nearly nine thousand nautical miles is not quite halfway around the world but it is not far short. To maintain this sort of average speed through all weathers is an impressive feat of seamanship and we are proud of the officers and crew of Lone for making this possible.”

MAIB encouraged by fewer accidents THE number of accidents reported to the UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) fell last year. Steve Clinch, MAIB’s chief inspector of marine accidents, said it was encouraging that only 1,057 accidents were reported to the MAIB in 2015 compared with 1,270 in 2014. The number of investigations started in 2015 was also less than in 2014, at 28 compared to 31. For the sixth year in succession no UK merchant vessels of more than 100 gross tonnage (gt) were lost. The size of

the UK fleet has increased, causing the overall accident rate for UK merchant vessels of under 100 gt to fall to 85 per 1,000 vessels from 88 per 1,000 vessels in 2014. Two crew lost their lives on UK merchant vessels of over 100gt during 2015. Only one UK small vessel, of less than 1,000gt was lost in 2015, compared with six in 2014. Thirteen commercial fishing vessels were lost in 2015 compared with 12 in 2014. The average age of the boats lost was 34 years. Sixty-two per cent of these

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were small vessels under 15 metres length overall. An average of 17 commercial fishing vessels per year have been lost during the last 10 years. Seven fishermen lost their lives in 2015 compared with eight lives lost in 2014. Five foreign-flagged vessels were lost when trading in UK waters. There were 12 reported deaths of crew working on foreign-flagged vessels, which included eight seafarers who were lost when the Cyprus-registered cement carrier Cemfjord capsized.

MAJOR Japanese shipping group K Line is set to go ahead with the second stage of expanding the K Line Maritime Academy Philippines (KLMA Phils) in Pasay City. The project includes the construction of a new 11-storey building that will include additional accommodation for 225 students and a K-Line clinic for the group’s seafarers. The existing training facilities are also to be expanded and upgraded in a move K Line says will “ensure the continuous competency building, upgrading and development of its Filipino Seafarers”.

MtS takes SMM guest spot THE Mission to Seafarers has been invited by SMM Hamburg 2016 to appear as a featured guest charity at this year’s event. Jos Standerwick, director of development at the Mission, said: “Bringing together the world’s thought-leaders and decision-makers in the shipping industry is at the heart of SMM, and they have put together an outstanding and dynamic programme around the key themes of digitalisation, green shipping, maritime security and careers.”

Tsakos Columbia monitors career development TSAKOS Columbia Shipmanagement (TCM) is to monitor its seafarers’ career development throughout its fleet of 55 tankers, using its in-house Tanker Competence and Promotion Management System (TCPMS) and Seagull’s Competence Manager. The TCM top management team, Panagiotis Drosos and Sokratis Dimakopoulos, said that “the competence of our seagoing personnel is considered as the key success parameter for our company and as such we are making a lot of efforts, and we allocate significant resources to ensure that we attract, train and retain competent personnel”.

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4 the sea Sep/Oct 2016

NEWS

MICHAEL GREY

‘Can-test’ could save lives compaction and vibration that occurs during a voyage. “The resulting cargo shift,” Mr Speed says, “can be sufficient to capsize a vessel and sadly cost lives.” He says that, tragically, “these deaths could have been prevented if a simple test had been carried out and acted upon before the ships left port”. The so-called ‘can test’ is exactly what it says: put some cargo in a can, bang it on the ground for a minute and see if the contents start to flow. The insurer says if that happens, “stop the loading and get some proper laboratory tests done – regardless of what it

says on the cargo documentation”. The UK Club has produced seven videos in partnership with global cargo experts Minton Treharne & Davis, to explain what a ‘can-test’ is and what it looks like in practice. The videos can be accessed for free at: www.ukpandi.com/can-test-cansave-lives. However, the insurer stresses that passing the ‘can-test’ does not necessarily mean the cargo is safe for shipment. In cases of doubt, the specialist services of a surveyor, a reputable cargo expert or a testing laboratory may be needed.

Credit: Warsash Maritime Academy

CARRYING out a simple test could have saved the lives of at least 100 seafarers over the past decade, according to marine insurer UK P&I Club. The seafarers died because their ships’ bulk cargoes liquefied at sea, causing the vessels to capsize. The insurer’s senior claims director, Alan Speed, warns that although solid bulk cargoes such as unprocessed mineral ores and refined mineral concentrates may appear to be in a dry, granular state when being loaded, they can contain enough moisture to become fluid under the

Towards a

Ground-breaking research on fat need to be urgently addressed, e

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N MANY parts of the world today, we are obsessed with health and dietary threats to our longevity. The day I am writing this, the newspaper urges me not to eat a fried breakfast, abstain from all cooked meats and subsist on a diet of wholemeal bread and raw tomatoes, smothered in fish oil. That way I can expect to live substantially longer than those who enjoy a sausage a day, although if one hates tomatoes it will be hard going. There has been a lot written about the health of seafarers in recent years, which is probably justified, bearing in mind the passage of years and the increasingly sedentary life aboard highly automated ships. Earlier this summer, the three-year MARTHA project was finalised and offered some real insights into the long term effects of fatigue, its effects on health and how it affects different members of a ship’s crew. An international research project co-ordinated by Warsash Maritime Academy, with partners in Sweden, Denmark and China, MARTHA is the successor to the

Anglo-Swedish Horizon project, which used simulated real-time voyages to gather data on the effects of fatigue. MARTHA employed more than 1,000 seafarer volunteers doing their normal work aboard their own ships during their tours of duty. The volunteers were employed by two European and two Chinese companies. One European company operated fleets of small tankers in shortsea trading, while the other operated deepsea containerships. The Chinese crews were aboard a fleet of large bulk carriers at the first company and a fleet of tankers at the second. The study considered the effects on different ranks and ratings and how the trading regimes of the different ships affected fatigue. The volunteers were a mix of European and Philippine seafarers aboard the European ships, and all Chinese crew on the Chinese companies’ vessels. Thus the “cultural” differences of perception about sleepiness and fatigue could also be compared. The research was undertaken using a combination of questionnaires and sleep diaries

along with intervie the verification of provided by th actigraphs – wri monitors cap recording rest and A lot of attention to the possible det of performance as duty progressed, c the actigraph da start of the tour w at the end. The research anxious to demon differences betw onset of fatigue an sleepiness, whic sorted out b refreshing sleep was described by Mike Barnett of W the “gradual dra the batteries”, w some of the sy identified as forg irritability, beh changes and fre The research co some contributors as worries about jo irregular working h doubts about the in tour of duty being

CARLY FIELDS

Bremerhaven e

Provision of welfare services sh least one is getting it right, say

LNG ship added to Solent's training fleet

New LNG ship model for training THE latest vessel to join the scale ship model training fleet at the UK’s Southampton Solent University’s Ship Handling Centre is modelled on the 175,000 cubic metre, twin-skeg DFDE LNG carriers built in Korea, by Samsung Heavy Industries for Bonny Gas Transport (BGT). The model ship will be used

by Nigeria LNG and the Ship Handling Centre, part of the university’s Warsash Maritime Academy, for training senior navigation officers in the BGT fleet and Bonny river pilots. It will be used for training in the handling of the six new ships built for Nigeria NLG. The fullsized ships are twin screw, dual fuel (gas or diesel) diesel-electric

ships and are fitted with a bow thruster. The 1:25 scale model is 11.7 metres long and weighs 7.8 tonnes. It has two fixed inward-turning propellers, two independent rudders, and is fitted with operating anchors and a water ballast system to allow for alterations of trim or draught, replicating different load conditions, for training purposes.

Companies support LNG fuel FOURTEEN top companies and organizations recently came together in London to work together to promote LNG as a marine fuel. Carnival Corp, DNV GL, ENGIE, ENN, GE, GTT, Lloyd’s Register, Mitsubishi Corp, NYK Line, Port of Rotterdam, Qatargas, Shell, TOTE Inc, and Wärtsilä have announced a new cross-industry initiative called SEA\LNG. Explaining the coalition’s objective, Peter Keller, chairman of SEA\LNG and executive vice president of TOTE Inc, said: “We

recognise the need to work closely with key players across the value chain, including shipping companies, classification societies, ports, major LNG suppliers, downstream companies, infrastructure providers and OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) to ensure an understanding of the environmental and performance benefits of LNG as a marine transport fuel. SEA\LNG aims to address market barriers and help transform the use of LNG as a marine fuel into a global reality.”

However, while LNG is a competitive fuel relative to current alternatives, LNG infrastructure is needed in ports around the world to enable quick, safe and cost-effective bunkering. Also, there remains a price premium for LNG-fuelled vessels which can make investment decisions challenging. Furthermore, regulation is not yet globally consistent, which constrains incentives for investment in the sector. SEA\LNG aims to address and help overcome these and other challenges.

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HERE are thousands of seafarer centres the world over, all offering a variety of services from chaplaincy to calls home and much in between. Ports are the natural home for these centres, being the entry and exit point for sea-weary crew. While in some the welcome might be rushed, others take pride in their ability to host a home away from home for seafarers. Those in the latter group stand a chance of being acknowledged in the International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN) Awards each year. In its own words, the ISWAN’s International Seafarers’ Welfare Awards give seafarers the chance to say thank you to companies and organizations who have offered them high-quality welfare services and facilities. Rewarding these welfare ‘leaders’ helps to raise awareness of best practice and in doing so, encourages improvements in the provision of welfare, in whatever guise. In particular, ISWAN’s ‘Port of the Year’ Award recognises the port that has done the most for the provision of and access to high-quality welfare services and facilities for seafarers. Unusually

for a port, the award has nothing to do with throughput figures or efficiency, and is solely concerned with the welfare provisions for seafarers. To become ISWAN’s Port of the Year is no mean feat. First, you have to capture the attention of seafarers through a quick access route to well-provisioned welfare facilities and services in or near your port. If you tick all those boxes and an impressed seafarer nominates you, you are then judged on: what you have done to enhance the provision of welfare services and facilities for visiting seafarers; how you make welfare facilities and services easily accessible to visiting seafarers, including provision of transport, and how involved your port is with welfare organizations and workers in the planning and provision of services and facilities. This year, Bremerhaven port came top in each of those categories to be named ISWAN’s Port of the Year, beating off competition from Singapore, Copenhagen, Kandla, and Brunsbüttel. Registering 6,816 overnight stays, 14,984 daytime visitors, 1,270 ship visits, and 1,136

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Christmas parcels Seamen’s Club is And those figures the counselling se of crisis, visits t hospital, pastoral c matters and gui groups of visitor learn more abou port, all of which place in Bremerh Speaking to T Howe, managin Bremerhaven p bremenports, acc in Manila on beh “We – the port o as a whole – are grateful to have b this award. We are we have acquired reputation as a ca “Bremerhaven, hub for the shipme and cars, owes a g crews on board. port’s beating h seafarers have to attention. That is they belong.” He believes th age of digita fundamental nee have not change “Crew members their ships for a fe


5 the sea Sep/Oct 2016

a healthier life afloat tigue and seafarers’ health has revealed some worrying trends that explains Michael Grey

rviews, while n of data was the use of wrist- worn apable of and activity. on was paid deterioration e as a tour of d, comparing data at the ur with that

chers were onstrate the etween the and “mere” hich can be by some ep. Fatigue by Professor f Warsash as draining of , with just symptoms rgetfulness, ehavioural fretfulness. confirmed ors to fatigue t job security, ng hours and e individual’s ng extended,

It’s hard for seafarers to get their full quota of sleep with so much on their mind

along with the shipboard environment. New and unfamiliar ships produced stress symptoms as people got to grips with them. People also became stressed about the competence of their shipmates, the burdens of paperwork, heavy port work and the pressures from endless inspections. The research also confirmed that some roles aboard ship were more “fatigue-prone” than others, with the night watchkeeper clearly worse off than others. It also found that people did not sleep well, nobody in any type of ship or trade appeared to get their full quota of sleep and some were clearly more affected than others. Masters, none of whom actually kept a watch aboard the ships of the four fleets, also suffered considerably.

just as occurs ashore, where the pervasive influence of fast foods is causing problems amid previously healthy populations. The study found that aboard ships where there was a mixed European and Filipino crew, the latter, whose local diet was largely healthy, were cultivating a liking for the “chips with everything” type of European diet. This was particularly unsuited to their metabolism and their health had suffered as a result. It is to be hoped that the MARTHA findings, distilled into guidance on the avoidance of fatigue and health problems, will have an influence on the industry’s attitudes to both work and health. It might also be useful in helping to design a better shipboard environment that promotes a healthier lifestyle. There must be a better way of living than confined to a five or six-storey tower block perched on the stern, or sandwiched between stacks of containers, with the only exercise options running up and down the stairs. To think, people once went to sea for their health.

But there was also a heavy medical and health component to the research. Here, MARTHA was able to confirm some real concerns about the long-term health of seafarers, which has been a source of some interest in recent years. There is, it was observed, too much evidence of chronic long-term health effects surfacing among seafarers. Around half of the seafarers examined were suffering from hypertension, with even young people exhibiting real or potential symptoms of cardiovascular problems. Obesity is a real issue, even among cadets, while the increasingly sedentary lifestyle, combined with a lack of exercise opportunities clearly does not help. Seafarers and former seafarers are dying too early, too often, said a medical specialist, with their onboard lifestyles an obvious contributor. As with people who live ashore, diet and nutrition are identified as important drivers of better health, and a number of important points related to this surfaced in the study. It was noted that diet was sometimes subject to cultural influences,

extends a warm welcome

els, Bremerhaven b is a busy place. res do not include g sessions in times s to seafarers in al care in religious guided tours for tors who wish to bout work at the ich regularly take erhaven. o The Sea, Robert ging director of port authority, accepted the prize ehalf of the port. t of Bremerhaven re honoured and e been selected for are delighted that ed such a positive a caring port. en, a leading global ment of containers a great deal to the d. Seafarers are a g heart. I think to be the focus of t is exactly where

that even in this talisation the needs of seafarers nged that much: ers want to leave a few hours, want

to find a quiet place, want to talk with their colleagues from other ships and want to contact families and friends at home.” At the port’s Seamen’s Club, there is always somebody around to listen to visitors, to provide words of encouragement and to help them when a problem has to be solved. Bremerhaven port chaplain, The Mission to Seafarers’ Werner Gerke, points out that despite ongoing digitalisation, there is still not enough freely available access to the internet or mobile phone networks. So, The Mission to Seafarers offers free internet access and international phone cards in the port, allowing international ‘guests’ to keep in touch with home while they are in Bremerhaven. “That is very important for most of them,” says Mr Howe. “And in addition to this, our port also provides free transport to the Seamen’s Club.” The free shuttle bus is available for seafarers berthed at the container and auto terminals, while the Mission collects seafarers from other parts of the port. Bikes donated by Bremerhaven’s Nautical Association can be borrowed free of charge from the

Seamen’s Club for those more fitness-minded. “Even those whose ships only tie up for a short time can still go ashore in Bremerhaven,” points out a port spokesperson. But seafarer engagement starts well before the shuttle bus turns up. Pilots, river police and even port medical officers make it their job to inform the crews about the services offered by the Mission and the port before they even leave their ships. Another ‘above and beyond’ service offered by the port is fast assistance from the federal police if a visa is needed. All these services benefit from oversight of the port’s social services advisory board, which meets regularly. The board brings together representatives from trade unions and accident insurance associations, the port business community, port authorities, and the Mission, clearly demonstrating the high level of stakeholder engagement. However, Bremerhaven recognises that the extensive services that it offers are seen as the exception, rather than the norm and that there is still much to be done to increase and improve welfare services offered in many other ports, worldwide. Mr Howe’s

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Credit: Bremenports

houldn’t be such a challenge for ports, so it’s good to hear when at ys Carly Fields

Seafarers enjoy the services on offer at Bremerhaven’s ‘Welcome’ Seamen’s Club

advice to other ports looking to improve their support for seafarers is “do not wait, just do it!”

For its part, Bremerhaven plans to extend its close relationship with the Mission

going forward, through intensified marketing of its Seamen’s Club.

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6 the sea Sep/Oct 2016

JUSTICE MATTERS n BY DOUGLAS STEVENSON

Handling port state control conflicts SEAFARERS have continuously transported cargo across seas for more than five thousand years, over which time seafaring customs and practices have developed. Just as authorities, borders, and political structures have changed on land, seafaring customs and practices have followed a continuous line of progression based on the experiences gained since the earliest days of shipping. Over time, these customs and practices became customary rules of conduct accepted by the shipping community and formed the roots of maritime law. The principle reasons for creating maritime law were to provide consistency and predictability for shipping and to encourage recruiting and retaining skilled people for seagoing careers. Later, when nations were created, individual nations made their own maritime laws based on ancient maritime laws and customs. A new concept that emerged after the creation of nations was that ships had nationality. Because of the patchwork of shipping and land-based laws created by many nations, it was important for predictability and consistency that ships be regulated by only one country’s laws. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea codified

flag state law: ships can fly only one flag, and flag states must effectively regulate administrative, technical and social matters on their vessels. In simple terms, the flag state law is the law on the vessel. A conflicting international law concept is that nations have exclusive jurisdiction to enforce their laws within their territory. Port states have authority to enforce their laws even on foreign ships that call at their ports. The conflict between flag state and port state jurisdictions is resolved by a custom that benefits all states: port states do not interfere with activities on foreign ships in their ports except where activities on the foreign ship upset the peace and tranquillity of the port state or are a threat to the port state. Today, port state control (PSC) – whereby port state authorities inspect foreign vessels for compliance with international standards – is recognised and authorised in several international Conventions including SOLAS, MARPOL, and Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC 2006). The MLC 2006 provides two powerful port state control tools for seafarers to use to correct violations of the Convention on

their ships: an onshore complaint-handling procedure and an inspections in ports procedure. MLC 2006 is enforced only in countries that have ratified the Convention and therefore port state control of MLC 2006 is available only in countries that have ratified the Convention. The MLC 2006 onshore complaint-handling procedure in Regulation 5.2.2 enables seafarers to report MLC 2006 violations to port state authorities. Under this procedure, the port state authority must investigate the complaint, and, where appropriate, try to resolve the complaint at the shipboard level. The port state control officer must also see if the onboard complaint-handling procedure in Regulation 5.1.5 was followed. In Regulation 5.2.1, MLC 2006 also provides for any person with an interest in the ship’s safety, including seafarers and port chaplains, to report specific MLC 2006 violations to port state authorities. Under this provision, PSC may, but is not required to, investigate the specific deficiency that was reported. The port authority must, however, investigate allegations of MLC 2006 violations that could constitute a clear hazard to seafarers’ safety, health, or security.

Conflictos relacionados con el control por el Estado del puerto LA gente de mar lleva más de cinco mil años atravesando los mares para transportar mercancías. En ese tiempo, las costumbres y prácticas marítimas han evolucionado. Del mismo modo que las autoridades, las fronteras y las estructuras políticas han ido cambiando en tierra firme, las costumbres y prácticas marítimas han seguido una línea continua de evolución basada en las experiencias obtenidas desde los primeros días del transporte marítimo. Con el tiempo, estas costumbres y prácticas se convirtieron en normas de conducta consuetudinarias aceptadas por la comunidad marítima y formaron las raíces del derecho marítimo. Las principales razones para la creación de la legislación marítima eran dotar al transporte marítimo de coherencia y predictibilidad, y fomentar la contratación y retención de personal capacitado en las profesiones marítimas. Más adelante, cuando se crearon las naciones, cada una de ellas dictó sus propias leyes marítimas con base en antiguas legislaciones y costumbres marítimas. Uno de los conceptos nuevos que surgieron tras la creación de las naciones fue que los buques tienen nacionalidad. Dada la variedad de legislaciones marítimas y terrestres creadas por diferentes naciones, era importante para la coherencia y la predictibilidad que los buques estuviesen regulados por las leyes de un solo país. La Convención de las Naciones Unidas sobre el Derecho del Mar codificó la legislación

del Estado de abanderamiento: los buques solo pueden ostentar una bandera, y los Estados de abanderamiento deben regular los asuntos administrativos, técnicos y sociales en sus buques. En pocas palabras, la ley del Estado de abanderamiento es la ley del buque. Uno de los conceptos del derecho internacional que genera conflictos es que las naciones disfrutan de jurisdicción exclusiva para aplicar sus leyes dentro de su territorio. Los Estados portuarios tienen autoridad para aplicar sus leyes incluso en barcos extranjeros que estén en sus puertos. El conflicto entre las jurisdicciones del Estado de abanderamiento y del Estado portuario se resuelve mediante una costumbre que beneficia a todos los Estados: los Estados portuarios no interfieren con las actividades de buques extranjeros en sus puertos, a menos que las actividades que se lleven a cabo en dichos buques alteren la paz y tranquilidad del Estado portuario o supongan una amenaza para el mismo. Hoy en día, el control por el Estado del puerto — a través del cual las autoridades del Estado del puerto inspeccionan los buques extranjeros para garantizar el cumplimiento con las normas internacionales— es reconocido y autorizado en diversos convenios internacionales, como el SOLAS, el MARPOL y el Convenio sobre el trabajo marítimo 2006 (CTM 2006). El CTM 2006 ofrece a los Estados portuarios dos herramientas muy efectivas de control

que la gente de mar puede usar a fin de remediar infracciones del Convenio en sus buques: un procedimiento de tramitación de quejas en tierra y un procedimiento de inspecciones en puertos. El CTM 2006 es de aplicación solo en los países que han ratificado el Convenio y, por lo tanto, el control por el Estado del puerto del CTM 2006 solo está disponible en dichos países. El procedimiento de tramitación de quejas en tierra estipulado en la regla 5.2.2 del CTM 2006 permite a la gente de mar informar sobre infracciones del CTM 2006 a las autoridades del Estado del puerto. En virtud de dicho procedimiento, las autoridades del Estado del puerto deben investigar la queja y, si es pertinente, tratar de resolverla en el buque. El oficial de control por el Estado del puerto también debe comprobar si se cumplió el procedimiento de tramitación de quejas a bordo, estipulado en la regla 5.1.5. La regla 5.2.1 del CTM 2006 también otorga a cualquier persona interesada en la seguridad del buque, incluyendo a marinos y capellanes de puerto, el derecho a informar a las autoridades portuarias sobre infracciones concretas del CTM 2006. Conforme a esa disposición, las autoridades de control por el Estado del puerto pueden, aunque no es obligatorio, investigar la infracción comunicada. No obstante, la autoridad portuaria debe investigar las denuncias de infracciones del CTM 2006 que puedan constituir una amenaza clara a la salud o la seguridad de la gente de mar.

處理港口國監督衝突 海員從事遠洋貨物運輸已有 5000 多年歷史,在此期間航 海習俗和慣例不斷發展。就像 陸地上的主管部門、邊界和政 治架構發生變化,航海習俗和 慣例也是沿著一條持續進展的 軌跡演變,基於自航運初期以 來積累的經驗。

如今,港口國監督 (PSC) — 港 口 國 當 局 檢 查 外 國 船 舶, 確保其遵守國際標準 — 得 到多項國際公約的認可和授 權, 包 括《 海 上 人 命 安 全 公 約》(SOLAS)、《國際防止船 舶造成污染公約》(MARPOL) 以及《2006 年海事勞工公約》 (MLC 2006)。

隨著時間的推移,這些習俗和 慣例成為獲得航運界公認的習 《2006 年海事勞工公約》為海 慣行為準則,並構成海事法律 員提供了兩件強大的港口國監 督工具,用來糾正他們所在船 的根基。創建海事法的主要理 舶上違反《公約》的行為:海 由是為航運提供一致性和可預 員投訴的岸上處理程序,以及 測性,並鼓勵招聘和留住高技 在港口的檢查程序。 《2006 年 能人才從事遠洋航海職業。後 海事勞工公約》僅在已批准 來,當國家創立後,各國根據 《公約》的國家執行,因此依 古老的海上法律和習俗制定了 據《2006 年 海 事 勞 工 公 約 》 自己的海事法。 進行的港口國監督只有在已批 國家創立後出現的一個新概念 准《公約》的國家才有可能。

是船舶有國籍。由於各國制定 《2006 年 海 事 勞 工 公 約 》 規 的航運和陸地法律各有不同, 則 5.2.2(海員投訴的岸上處 就可預測性和一致性而言,船 理程序)使海員可以向港口國 舶僅由一個國家的法律加以規 有 關 部 門 報 告 違 反《2006 年 範是非常重要的。 海事勞工公約》的情況。根據 《聯合國海洋法公約》規定了 這一程序,港口國有關部門必 須調查該投訴,並在合適的情 船旗國法律:船舶只能懸掛一 況下試圖在船上解決投訴。港 個國家的國旗,而船旗國必須 口國監督官員還必須調查規則 有效監管該國船舶的行政管 5.1.5(船上投訴程序)是否得 理、技術和社會事務。簡單來 到了遵守。 說, 船 旗 國 法 律 是 對 船 舶 的 《2006 年 海 事 勞 工 公 約 》 規 法律。 則 5.2.1(在港口的檢查)還 與之衝突的一個國際法概念是 規定,對船舶安全感興趣的任 各國有專屬管轄權,即在其領 何人,包括海員和港口牧師, 土範圍內執行本國法律。港口 都可以向港口國有關部門報告 國有權執行其法律,包括針對 違反《2006 年海事勞工公約》 在其港口停靠的外國船舶。 的具體情況。 船旗國和港口國司法管轄區之 間的衝突,由一個造福於所有 國家的習俗來解決:港口國不 會干涉在其港口停靠的外國船 舶上的活動 — 除非外輪上的 活動打亂了港口國的和平與安 寧,或者對港口國構成威脅。

根據這一規定,港口國監督可 以(對此並無要求)調查報告 的 具 體 缺 陷。 然 而, 港 口 國 當局必須調查可能對海員的安 全、健康或保安構成明顯危害 的違反《2006 年海事勞工公約》 指控。

Разрешение конфликтов силами государственного портового контроля МОРЯКИ уже более пяти тысяч лет занимаются перевозкой грузов по морю, и на протяжении этого времени морские законы и правила постепенно совершенствуются. Подобно тому как на суше менялись органы власти, границы и политические структуры, постоянно претерпевали изменения законы и правила на море – следуя опыту, полученному в прежние годы морских перевозок. Со временем эти законы и правила стали привычными, вошли в обиход транспортного сообщества и сформировали основы морского права. Морское право разрабатывалось в первую очередь для того, чтобы сформировать преемственность и предсказуемость процессов транспортировки и способствовать найму и удержанию квалифицированных кадров для морских перевозчиков. Позже, по мере образования государств, некоторые из них создали свои собственные морские законы, которые базировались на древнем морском законодательстве и обычаях. Эпоха образования государств привнесла с собой то новшество, что у судов появилась государственная принадлежность. По причине разнообразия морских и сухопутных законов, создаваемых разными странами, для обеспечения предсказуемости и преемственности было важно сделать так, чтобы морские перевозки регулировались законодательством только какой-либо одной страны. Конвенция ООН по морскому праву выпустила закон государства флага: каждое судно может ходить только под одним

флагом, а государства флага должны эффективно регулировать административные, технические и социальные вопросы, возникающие на их судах. Другими словами, на судне действует то же законодательство, что и на территории государства флага. Здесь возникает коллизия с международным правом: страны имеют исключительную юрисдикцию на применение своих законов на своей территории. Государства порта имеют право применять свои законы даже на иностранных судах, заходящих в их порты. Коллизия правовых норм государства флага и государства порта разрешается правилом, благоприятствующим всем: государства порта не вмешиваются в работу иностранных судов в их портах, за исключением тех случаев, когда деятельность, происходящая на иностранном судне, нарушает порядок и спокойствие в государстве порта или несет в себе угрозу для государства порта. Сегодня органы государственного портового контроля – проверяющие иностранные суда на соответствие международным стандартам – признаны и уполномочены рядом международных конвенций, включая СОЛАС, МАРПОЛ и Конвенцию о труде в морском судоходстве 2006 года (MLC 2006). Конвенция MLC 2006 предусматривает для моряков два эффективных инструмента государственного портового контроля, используемые для исправления нарушений Конвенции на их

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кораблях: процедуру рассмотрения жалоб на берегу и процедуру проведения инспекций в портах. Конвенция MLC 2006 реализуется только в тех странах, которые ее ратифицировали, поэтому государственный портовый контроль MLC 2006 присутствует только на их территории. Положение 5.2.2 онлайн-процедуры рассмотрения жалоб позволяет морякам сообщать о нарушениях MLC 2006 органам власти государства порта. В соответствии с этой процедурой органы власти государства порта должны рассмотреть жалобу и при необходимости попытаться разрешить ее на уровне судна. Кроме того, сотрудник государственного портового контроля должен убедиться в соблюдении процедуры рассмотрения жалоб на борту судна, содержащейся в Положении 5.1.5. Положением 5.2.1 MLC 2006 также предусматривается возможность сообщения органам власти государства порта об определенных видах нарушений Конвенции любым лицом, заинтересованным в безопасности судна, включая моряков и портовых священников. Согласно этому положению, органы государственного портового контроля могут (хотя и не обязаны) производить расследование объекта жалобы. При этом органы власти порта должны расследовать подозрения о нарушении MLC 2006, которые представляют собой непосредственную угрозу для безопасности, здоровья и защищенности моряков.

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7 the sea Sep/Oct 2016

FOCUS ON FAITH n BY KEN PETERS

Kindness, gentleness and love AT SEA, I hear that a French priest has been killed in a terrorist attack. I also learn that terrorism has taken its toll in Germany in a number of atrocities. Each time I turn on the radio there has been yet another terrorist strike and even more innocent people have been killed or received life-changing injuries, and all of this is claimed to be in the name of religion. This resonates with those who have a prejudice and reinforces their own beliefs. All too often such xenophobia expresses itself in hate crimes and racism. Ignorance of that which is different leads to worry; worry leads to suspicion; suspicion becomes fear and fear quickly turns to hate. Irrational though this is, it seems to be a feature of modern life that as the world becomes more globalised and integrated, the more we are exposed to that which is different and the less, it seems, that some are able to cope with the thought that others are different, have different political ideas, different social customs and different beliefs. Jesus taught that as far as God is concerned there is no difference. In biblical times there were those who were Jews and the rest who were Gentiles. In other words, Jews were thought to be the chosen people of God and then there was the rest of humanity, the Gentiles, or those who were without God. This is one of the reasons why Jesus was viewed with so much suspicion,

善良、溫柔和愛

because he argued that all were the same, and that all were the children of God with no preferential treatment. This went against the received thinking of the day and challenged the Jews in their view that they were somehow special. Jesus taught that all of humanity is special. I believe this is right and so when anyone is hurt in the name of God because of a particular religious adherence, I question why the people perpetrating the violence are so insecure in their faith as to wish to quash those who disagree with them. Within Christianity there is one heritage that seeks to understand the tenets of belief, using three tools of enquiry. These are the scriptures, reason and tradition. Seeing scripture as the word of God we can discern its meanings by applying our reason and setting this in the context of the tradition of the church that has matured through two millennia of context and usage. With this heritage we can help each other to understand what is required of us by God. So when I hear of yet more horrors perpetrated on innocent people, a theme of the Christian scriptures comes to mind. In Matthew 7:12 and also in Luke 6:31 we read: “in everything do to others as you would have them do to you”. We don’t need tradition or reason to understand that the world needs kindness, gentleness and love.

Amabilidad, gentileza y amor ESTANDO embarcado me he enterado de que un cura francés ha sido asesinado en un ataque terrorista. También me he enterado de que el terrorismo se ha cobrado algunas víctimas en Alemania. Cada vez que enciendo la radio escucho noticias de otro atentado terrorista y de más personas inocentes que pierden la vida o sufren lesiones permanentes. Y se supone que todo esto se hace en nombre de la religión. Esto tiene consecuencias en personas con ciertos prejuicios, puesto que refuerza sus opiniones. Con demasiada frecuencia, esas actitudes xenófobas se manifiestan en forma de delitos de odio y de racismo. La ignorancia sobre lo que es diferente conduce a la inquietud y la inquietud lleva a la sospecha; la sospecha se convierte en miedo, que, a su vez, se convierte rápidamente en odio. A pesar de que es algo irracional, parece ser una característica de la vida moderna que, a medida que el mundo es más globalizado e integrado y más expuestos estamos a lo que es distinto, menos capaces

son algunos de hacerse a la idea de que otras personas son diferentes, con ideas políticas diferentes, costumbres diferentes y creencias diferentes. Jesús nos enseñó que para Dios nadie es diferente. En los tiempos bíblicos había judíos y el resto eran gentiles. En otras palabras, se pensaba que los judíos eran el pueblo elegido de Dios y después estaba el resto de la humanidad, los gentiles, es decir, los que no tenían un dios. Ese es uno de los motivos por los que a Jesús se le veía con sospecha, porque decía que todos los hombres eran iguales, que todos eran hijos de Dios, sin ningún tipo de trato preferente. Eso iba en contra de lo que se pensaba en la época y de la percepción de los propios judíos de que eran, de algún modo, especiales. Jesús nos enseñó que toda la humanidad es especial. Creo que eso es cierto y cuando alguien resulta herido en nombre de Dios por alguna creencia religiosa me pregunto por qué quienes infligen el daño tienen tan poca confianza

en su fe que desean acabar con quienes no la comparten. Dentro del cristianismo hay una práctica que persigue entender los principios de la fe mediante tres instrumentos de indagación: las escrituras, la razón y la tradición. Tomando las escrituras como la palabra de Dios, podemos discernir sus significados al aplicar la razón y situarlas en el contexto de la tradición de la Iglesia, que ha madurado a lo largo de dos mil años. Con esta práctica podemos ayudarnos los unos a los otros a entender lo que Dios necesita de nosotros. De modo que, cuando recibo noticias de nuevos ataques a personas inocentes, me viene a la mente un pasaje de las escrituras cristianas. En San Mateo 7:12 y en San Lucas 6:31 podemos leer: “todas las cosas que queráis que los hombres hagan con vosotros, así también haced vosotros con ellos”. No necesitamos de la tradición ni de la razón para entender que el mundo necesita amabilidad, gentileza y amor.

Доброта, кротость и любовь БУДУЧИ в море, я узнал, что во время теракта был убит французский священник. Я также узнал о жестоких злодеяниях, совершенных террористами в Германии. Каждый раз, включая радио, я слышу об очередной террористической атаке и о том, что погибло либо получило изменившие их жизнь травмы еще большее число невинных людей. При этом заявляется, что все это сделано во имя религии. Такие трагедии лишь распаляют критиков религии и укрепляют их позиции. Слишком часто бывает так, что подобные проявления ксенофобии выражаются в ненависти, преступлениях и расизме. Незнание людских отличий вызывает беспокойство; беспокойство ведет к подозрению; подозрение рождает страх, а страх мгновенно оборачивается ненавистью. И даже невзирая на иррациональность таких ощущений, они, судя по всему, становятся одним из признаков современной жизни: по мере роста глобализации и интеграции

мы все чаще сталкиваемся с тем, что отлично от нас самих, и все меньше способны мириться с той мыслью, что другие люди могут отличаться от нас в своих политических воззрениях, социальных обычаях и верованиях. Иисус учил нас, что все мы равны перед Богом. В Библейские времена на Земле жили иудеи и неиудеи. Другими словами, иудеи считались богоизбранной нацией в отличие от остального человечества, неиудеев, которые жили без Бога. Именно по этой причине к Иисусу относились с подозрением: ведь он не проводил различий и говорил, что мы все равны, все мы – сыны Божии. Это противоречило господствующему на тот момент мнению о том, что евреи были особой нацией. Иисус учил нас, что особыми являются все люди. Я считаю, что это правильно, поэтому если кто-либо страдает от рук другого человека во имя Бога, каких-либо религиозных предпочтений, я спрашиваю себя, почему люди, совершающие

насилие, так сомневаются в своей вере, что хотят уничтожить всех несогласных с ними. Христианство дарует нам культуру, которая стремится постигать догматы веры с помощью трех инструментов. Это священное писание, здравый смысл и традиции. Рассматривая священное писание как слово Божие, мы постигаем его значение посредством здравого смысла и в контексте традиций церкви, которая росла и развивалась на протяжении двух тысячелетий. С помощью этого наследия мы можем помочь друг другу понять, чего от нас хочет Господь. Поэтому когда я узнаю об очередных бедствиях, постигших невинных людей, то вспоминаю текст Нового завета. В Евангелии от Матфея 7:12 и от Луки 6:31 сказано: «Поступайте по отношению к другим так, как вы хотели бы, чтобы поступали с вами». Даже без традиций и здравого смысла нам понятно, что мир нуждается в доброте, кротости и любви.

在海上,我聽到一個法國神父 在恐怖襲擊中喪生。我還瞭解 到,德國的幾次恐怖襲擊導致 了重大傷亡。幾乎每次我打開 收音機,都會聽到又一次恐怖 襲擊,更多無辜者遇害或者遭 受改變人生的傷害,而這一切 都號稱以宗教為名義。這將使 那些本來就有偏見的人士產生 共鳴,強化他們的信念。 此類仇外心理往往以仇恨犯罪 和種族主義形式表現出來。對 陌生事物的無知導致擔心;擔 心引起懷疑;懷疑變成恐懼, 而恐懼很快轉化為仇恨。儘管 這有點非理性,但現代生活的 一個特徵似乎是,隨著世界變 得日益全球化和一體化,我們 接觸到的陌生事物越多,某些 人就越是受不了這樣的念頭: 別人是不同的,他們有不同的 政治理念,不同的社會習俗和 不同的信仰。 耶穌教導說,就主而言,沒有 任 何 區 別。 聖 經 時 代 有 兩 類 人,一類是猶太人,其餘都是 異教徒。換句話說,猶太人被 認為是主選中的人民,而其餘 人是沒有上帝的異教徒。這就 是耶穌受到那麼多懷疑的原因 之一,因為他主張所有人都是 一樣的,大家都是主的兒女, 沒有優惠待遇。

這與當時的主流思維相悖,對 猶太人自認為特殊的觀念構成 挑 戰。 耶 穌 教 導 說, 全 人 類 都是特別的。我相信這是正確 的,所以每當有人以上帝的名 義受到傷害,而肇事者號稱是 出於某一種特定的宗教信念, 我都會問:犯下暴力行為的那 些人為什麼對自己的信仰如此 缺乏安全感,以至於想要消滅 那些與他們觀念不同的人? 基督教內部有一份遺產,那就 是尋求利用三件調查工具理解 信仰的核心教義。這些工具是 聖經、推理和傳統。我們把聖 經看成主的話,然後辨別它的 涵義 — 運用我們的理性,並 將其置於在兩千年歷史和使用 中逐漸成熟的教會傳統的背 景下。 憑藉這份遺產,我們可以幫助 彼此理解主對我們有什麼要 求。所以,當我聽到更多針對 無辜者的恐怖行為時,基督教 聖經的一個主題就會浮現在腦 海 中。 馬 太 福 音 7:12 和 路 加 「在任何 福音 6:31 告訴我們: 事 上, 你 們 希 望 別 人 怎 樣 對 待你們,你們也應當怎樣對待 別人。 」 我們不需要傳統或者推理就能 明 白, 世 界 需 要 善 良、 溫 柔 和愛。

,IFE 3EA 3HARE YOUR STORIES WITH 4HE -ISSION TO 3EAFARERS

The Mission to Seafarers offers a helping hand to seafarers all over the world, in good times and bad. Why not tell us your story on themissiontoseafarers or @FlyingAngelNews #HelloMtS – we’d love to hear from you!

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, 118 Export Street, Port Newark, NJ 07114, USA. Tel: +1 973 589 5825 Fax: +1973 817 8656

Email: csr@seamenschurch.org or Canon Ken Peters, The Mission to Seafarers, St Michael Paternoster Royal,

College Hill, London EC4R 2RL, UK. Tel: +44 (0)20 7248 5202 Fax: +44 (0)20 7248 4761 Email: Justice@missiontoseafarers.org 评论? 质问? 给我们发送电子邮件! themissiontoseafarers

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8 the sea Sep/Oct 2016

Strengthened MLC in force from 2017 Amendments to the Maritime Labour Convention promise more help for seafarers and their families

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EAFARERS and their families should have better protection in cases of abandonment, death, and longterm disability from the beginning of next year. Two years after overwhelming approval at the 103rd International Labour Conference (ILC), it has been confirmed that the amendments to the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC 2006), adopted in 2014, will enter into force on 18 January, 2017. Ratifying members had been given until 18 July, 2016 to formally express their disagreement with the 2014 amendments. There was wide support for the new provisions, with just two governments stating that they would not be bound by the amendments, unless and until they subsequently notified their acceptance. When they come into force the 2014

amendments will require that a financial security system be in place to ensure that shipowners pay compensation to seafarers and their families in the event of abandonment, death or long-term disability of seafarers due to an occupational injury, illness or hazard. Mandatory certificates and other evidentiary documents will be required to be carried on board to establish that the financial security system is in place to protect the seafarers working on board. Meanwhile, the Paris Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Port State Control will launch a Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on the current MLC to check that ships meet the minimum standards for working and living conditions on board. This inspection campaign will be conducted over a period of three months, from 1 September to

30 November this year, and will involve carrying out some 4,500 inspections. Ship’s procedures, and measures that are in place to implement MLC requirements, will be checked in detail for compliance with the requirements during a regular Port State Control inspection. MoU secretary general Richard Schiferli said: “Working and living conditions on board have always been a prime area of attention. With the introduction of the MLC enforcement opportunities have greatly improved. Three years after the entry into force, the time is right to focus on the MLC during a concentrated inspection campaign.” When deficiencies are found, actions by the port state may vary from recording a deficiency and instructing the master to rectify it within a certain period of time, to detaining the ship until serious deficiencies have been rectified.

Training centres go hi-tech will attend courses at the centre each year. Meanwhile, cruise giant Carnival Corporation’s new Center for Simulator and Maritime Training (CSMART) was officially opened in Almere, Netherlands in July. CSMART is said to be the largest such facility in terms of training capacity and uses IT specialist Transas’ Integrated Full Mission Simulation AcademySolution. Transas says: “The interactions of human factors on board cruise vessels are some of the most complex in the maritime industry. Crews empowered

with a solid foundation of generic core competencies ensure significantly better safety outcomes than those that rely heavily on established roles and procedures.” Two years of intensive R&D investment went into the new training environment concept now set up at CSMART. The facility houses navigational and engine-room simulators in various configurations, from classroom stations up to part-task and full mission solutions, interlinked to provide training and assessment for the entire crew.

Growing range of cyber attacks SEAFARERS need to be aware of the rising threat from cyber criminals who can attack a ship’s electronic systems, marine insurer North P&I Club warns. It has set out the growing range of cyber risks now facing shipowners and their employees in a new loss prevention briefing, Cyber Risks and Shipping. The briefing outlines the increasing sophistication of cyber criminals and the need for measures to reduce the likelihood of a successful attack. North’s new briefing also includes examples showing that GPS, ECDIS and AIS are all vulnerable to hacking, meaning that ship and cargo operations can be disrupted without their owners, operators and even crew members being aware until it is too late.

THE Sustainable Shipping Initiative (SSI) has developed a Seafarers Onboard Charter; a best practice charter that can be adopted by shipowners, operators, managers and others in the industry to improve operations and, subsequently, reduce stress for seafarers. The charter is split into five subcategories: accommodation; recreational and social activities; communication and support; food and catering, and, management and policy. “Those who adopt the standard will have a more productive business, more efficient operations, and will generate more commercial benefits and profitability,” said SSI. “They will be seen as the best employers, and will have the best people working for them. This is a hallmark of sustainability.”

Southeast Asia nations joint patrols

Delgado Fire and Industrial School offers industry-leading training

THE Delgado Fire and Industrial School at its new Maritime and Industrial Training Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, is offering industry-leading training by combining Transas and Netherlands-based XVR Simulation’s technology. Delgado is the first training centre in the world to deploy XVR Incident Command simulation solutions in conjunction with their extensive suite of Transas full mission, part-task and classroom marine simulators. It is expected that 10,000 students

SSI develops onboard charter

According to North’s loss prevention director, Tony Baker: “When we talk of cyber risks we mean any accident, incident, financial loss, business disruption or reputational damage which arises through the failure of electronic systems or through their manipulation. The risks of onboard electronic equipment failure are generally well known in the shipping industry, but unauthorised access or malicious attacks are relatively new threats.” The insurer’s deputy loss prevention director, Colin Gillespie, says: “Our new loss prevention briefing therefore focuses on raising awareness of the cyber threats of unauthorised access and malicious attack. It includes a summary of the shipping industry’s Guidelines on Cyber Security onboard Ships, which was published

www.missiontoseafarers.org

by BIMCO in February this year. This recommends a six-step cyber-security process: identify threats; identify vulnerabilities; assess risk exposure; develop protection and detection measures; establish contingency plans, and respond to cyber security incidents.” Mr Gillespie points out that cyber threats can come from activists, hackers, criminals, terrorists and governments as well as disgruntled employees. “Common to all however, is that they will target unwitting employees as the easiest way to gain access to company and shipboard systems. It is therefore essential that all staff, both ashore and afloat, understand the potential threat and the need for proper security procedures.” themissiontoseafarers

IN a bid to stem a surge of hostage-takings by Islamic militants, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines have signed a document to allow each other’s maritime forces to pursue suspected criminals into their waters. The signing of the document was the result of a two-day trilateral defence ministers’ meeting held in Bali at the beginning of August, at which the ministers discussed followups from a joint declaration on maritime security made in Yogyakarta in May. Defence minister Ryamizard Ryacudu stressed the importance of the immediate implementation of the joint sea patrol to his colleagues to tackle piracy and transnational crimes, such as terrorism, humn trafficking and drug smuggling.

New seafarers’ centre at Burnie THE Australian port of Burnie now has a new seafarers’ centre, which is intended to provide state of the art facilities to increasing numbers of seafarers, as the State of Tasmania’s main port is expanded and developed to take more and larger vessels. The centre was dedicated and officially opened on 9 July. A thanksgiving service was held in St George’s Church, Burnie, attended by the Bishop of Willochra in South Australia, the Rt Revd John Stead, and conducted by the Rector of Burnie, the Revd Noel Bowditch. @FlyingAngelNews

Master dies in boarding accident THE master of the 61,286 dwt Bahamas-flagged bulk carrier African Raptor died after falling into the Lower Mississippi River, while attempting to board his vessel from a crew boat in July. Sixty-eight-year-old Ambarish Parekh was wearing a lifejacket, and the US Coast Guard carried out an immediate and extensive search but Capt Parekh’s body was later recovered from the river.

World Maritime Day 2017 theme announced ‘CONNECTING Ships, Ports and People’ has been selected as the World Maritime Day theme for 2017, following a proposal by secretary general Kitack Lim to the IMO Council. Addressing the IMO Council at its 116th session at IMO Headquarters in London recently, Mr Lim said the theme would provide an opportunity to work with developed and developing countries, shipping, and public and private sector ports with a view to identifying and promoting best practices and building bridges between the many diverse stakeholders. Key objectives will include improving cooperation between ports and ships and developing a closer partnership between the two sectors; raising global standards and setting norms for the safety, security and efficiency of ports, as well as for port and coastal state authorities; and standardising port procedures through identifying and developing best practice guidance and training materials. ”Ultimately, more efficient shipping, working in partnership with a port sector supported by governments will be a major driver towards global stability and sustainable development for the good of all people,“ Mr Lim said.

The Sea competition winner

ILONA Sandrovska, from Riga, Latvia has won a Garmin FitBit Health Band in The Sea’s prize draw, which she entered by taking part in our survey last year. The survey’s results are being used as part of a review of The Sea to ensure our bi-monthly newspaper provides seafarers with the sort of reports and information they need.


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