Issue 249 Sep/Oct 2017
Piracy declines, but threat remains Somali pirates continue to attack as IMB reports a decline in global incidents in the first half of 2017 THERE has been a continuing decline in the number of reported incidents of maritime piracy and armed robbery against ships, according to the ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB). According to its latest piracy report, published in July, the first half of 2017 saw a total of 87 incidents reported to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre compared with 97 for the same period of the previous year. Nevertheless, over the first six months of the year, two seafarers were murdered by pirates, three were injured, 63 were taken hostage and 41 were kidnapped from their vessels. Pirates in Nigeria continued to dominate, when it comes to reports of kidnappings. So far this year they have been responsible for the abduction of 31 crew in five reported incidents. The numbers include 14 crew members taken from two separate vessels in the second quarter of the year. Violence
Sixty three seafarers were taken hostage in the first six months of 2017
against crews continued, with half of all reports of vessels being fired upon coming from Nigeria. The anti-piracy body has also stressed that Somali pirates remain a threat to merchant ships. It says that the hijacking of an Indian dhow in early April was one of five incidents off Somalia reported in the second quarter of 2017. Added to a further three reports of vessels coming under
fire and a bulk carrier being boarded by pirates in the Gulf of Aden, the incident reveals that Somali pirates still retain the skills and capacity to attack merchant ships far from coastal waters. The piracy report urges ship masters to maintain high levels of vigilance when transiting the high-risk area and to adhere to the latest version of Best Management Practices.
Seafarers urged to get vaccinated SEAFARERS should make sure they are vaccinated, marine insurer UK P&I Club has warned. Its crew health programme director, Sophia Bullard, says: “One of the most effective and obvious ways to prevent infections on board a ship is good personal hygiene. However, for seafarers who travel worldwide this is often not enough. Vaccination is the most effective method to prevent the spread of common, preventable, illnesses on board, such as hepatitis B and chickenpox.” She adds: “Seafarers frequently travel to many destinations around the globe and each port may bring its own disease or illness. Also, because of the long periods of time they go without receiving any medical care, it is recommended crew obtain early vaccination.” Serious preventable diseases such as yellow fever, hepatitis A & B and typhoid cannot be treated on a ship.
UK P&I Club technology reliance warning MARINE insurer UK P&I Club has cautioned against relying too much on high technology and forgetting ‘old fashioned’ navigation. Claims executive Laura Grant comments: “As the years have progressed, so has technology. In the not so distant past, computers were considered a luxury, however they are now deemed more of a necessity. We are becoming increasingly reliant on this assistance but should it be considered a friend or foe? “In terms of the electronic kit on board the vessel such as ECDIS charts, while this in theory seems to be the perfect solution to all of our problems, we have to consider what to do when
this fails us. We can’t deny that technological issues happen.
GPS signals can drop, alarms can be turned off, there are a
Technological failures need to be accounted for, says the UK P&I Club
whole range of things that can go wrong. “This is why we need to ensure crews are thoroughly trained in ‘old fashioned’ navigation, as well as how to use these electronic systems properly. We need to use our intuition, our senses, our skills and not rely purely on technology to do our jobs for us. Having the skills to deal with a situation when technology has failed us will not only serve to limit claims but it could save lives.” To find a seafarers’ centre near you and for more information about the Mission’s services visit www.missiontoseafarers.org
theSea | Sep/Oct 2017
Broadband survey highlights concerns
A SURVEY of nearly 2,000 seafarers and shipping industry leaders by the maritime union Nautilus International has found that only six per cent of seafarers have sufficient internet connectivity for video calls when at sea. It also showed that only 57 per cent of crew have personal email access and just one third have social media access at sea, leaving the majority of seafarers isolated from friends and families. By comparison, statistics show 91% of UK homes and 85% of European homes have broadband access, Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson commented: ‘It’s shocking that in this day and age access to the internet at sea is not viewed as a fundamental right. At home we take this for granted and being able to contact anyone in the world at the touch of a button with devices in our pockets is fantastic. But why shouldn’t seafarers also be able to do this?”
Seafarers’ Trust to research suicide THE ITF Seafarers’ Trust is funding research into suicide among seafarers. It has asked research centres to submit proposals for work that will be used to encourage the industry to take steps to reduce mental distress and its serious consequences in seafarers, and to ensure that seafarers suffering from mental ill health, and the dependents of those who have taken their own lives, are not stigmatised. The Trust says it needs more evidence of the extent and causes of the problem and seeks collaborating centres to take the research forward “so that the dimensions of social isolation, depression and suicide in seafarers are better defined, enabling a coherent and valid approach to risk management to be developed and promoted throughout the international maritime industry.”
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Thai fishers’ standards agreed Greenpeace and Thai Union reach agreement focusing on environmental standards and labour rights ENVIRONMENTAL campaign group Greenpeace and major tuna fishing company Thai Union have reached an agreement on both environmental standards and labour rights. Global trade union organisation International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has praised the deal, saying it demonstrated that environmentalists and corporations can commit to working together to protect the oceans and the men and women who work on them. It says that transshipment at sea and unmonitored and unregulated fishing practices have “led to the abuse of both our fishing stocks and the workers who bring those fish to our markets”. The ITF said it was encouraged by Thai Union’s commitment to improving labour and environmental standards, which “will help ensure that suppliers who work in the shadows – illegally fishing and violating workers’ rights – will no longer be part of their supply chain”. Through this agreement with Greenpeace, Thai Union has publicly re-affirmed its commitment to supporting
Credit: ITF
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The ITF said it was encouraged by Thai Union’s commitment to improving labour and environmental standards
freedom of association and collective bargaining throughout its own facilities and global supply chains, for all workers, including migrants. Johnny Hansen, chair of the ITF fisheries section, said that while this is an important first step, Thai Union’s commitments and progress will be heavily monitored by many – including Greenpeace and the ITF – to ensure real changes occur on the water and in this industry,
with the implementation of this agreement. He added: “Developing a strong code of conduct for all vessels in their supply chain, along with enforceable labour standards, is a central component of this agreement. The ITF commits to working alongside Thai Union, and Greenpeace, to ensure that the highest standards of workers’ rights are respected in the seafood supply chain.”
Seafarers rescued in Indian Ocean
TAIWAN-BASED Evergreen Line’s involved, Capt Tai also requested Filipinos, four from Vietnam and 4,211 teu containership Ever the Marshall Islands-flagged sixteen Indonesians. After being Diadem and the bulk carrier SBI SBI Antares, to help rescue the looked after by the Ever Diadem’s Antares succeeded in rescuing fishermen. The two vessels crew as the ship continued its 30 seafarers forced to abandon rescued the survivors from one voyage to Durban, the men were landed at the South African port their burning fishing vessel off the boat each. coast of Madagascar in the Indian Those rescued included three for repatriation by the fishing Ocean, on the 9th of July. seafarers from Taiwan, seven vessel’s owner. While sailing from Singapore to Durban the Ever D i a d e m ’s crew found the distressed seafarers drifting in two lifeboats after abandoning the Taiwan-flagged fishing boat Hsiang Fuh No 6. The Ever Diadem’s master, Capt Tai YenTang, immediately notified the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre, South Africa and ordered his crew to stand by for a rescue operation. In view of the numbers 30 fishers were forced to abandon the burning Hsiang Fuh No 6
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Nautilus criticises ‘slavery’ conditions Union claims seafarers on ship have suffered atrocious conditions and been paid wages as low as US$0.85 an hour months, not repatriated and do not have the basic food requirements to sustain a healthy diet, then they are considered to have been abandoned.”
ships under detention in UK ports with similar problems. He commented: “Despite the MLC 2006 we still see too many owners operating in this way.” He
Credit: Nautilus
THE crew of a Panama-flagged ship are enduring conditions that are close to slavery, according to seafarers’ union Nautilus International. The union claims that seafarers on board the 1,596 gross tonnage general cargoship Seccadi, detained in the UK port of Runcorn, have been suffering atrocious conditions and have been paid wages as low as US$0.85 an hour. Wages identified on the contracts for the Turkish and Indian crew of the ship were below the International Labour Organization minimums and ranged between US$250 and US$700 per month for Able Seamen. The union claimed the crew were owed almost US$43,000 in back pay. Nautilus International/ International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) ship inspector Tommy Molloy said there was neither fresh fruit, vegetables nor meat on board the ship and there was a cockroach infestation in the galley. He said: “When crew are not paid for more than two
New record book available
THE International Chamber of Shipping has published a second edition of its Personal Training and Service Record Book, which is used for record-keeping by seafarers worldwide. It is intended to help all qualified seafarers maintain a comprehensive record of their seagoing service, ongoing training and other relevant information. It also enables shipping companies to ensure that documentation and data concerning seafarers employed on their ships are properly maintained and readily accessible.
Engine room fire: better training needed Wages identified on the contracts for the Turkish and Indian ship crew ranged between US$250 and US$700 per month for Able Seamen
Mr Molloy said the crew had been promised owed wages when the ship called at Rijeka, Croatia, in May but nothing had been forthcoming. He said the deficiencies amounted to a clear breach of the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC 2006) and that the owners had two other
added: “Human beings – in the form of crew – seem to be nothing more than a necessary evil to them. Eighty-five cents per hour – when lucky enough to get paid – and no food or repatriation doesn’t seem like too many levels up from slavery to me.”
Philippines trainee bake-off TRAINEES currently participating in a catering training programme in the Philippines marked the Day of the Seafarer with a baking competition. On 25 June the Marine Catering Training Consultancy (MCTC) encouraged its students to bake and decorate their own cakes to publicise the IMO theme for the day, which was ‘Seafarers Matter’. The students were partway through the three-month Maritime Culinary Development Programme at the MCTC Far East training establishment, based in Makati, the Philippines. The programme is a three-month onshore course that teaches the students the valuable introductory catering skills needed to launch their careers in the marine catering industry. Gabriel Sua, president of MCTC Far East, said: “We had a great day celebrating the Day of the Seafarer and our cooks really got into the
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spirit of the Seafarers Matter theme. As a training centre it was really important to us to do something to mark the occasion. “Crew welfare is extremely important to us and is something that MCTC has built its foundations
on. Food is something that can lift spirits and give seafarers something to look forward to every day. Catering crews hold a lot of responsibility in this regard for ensuring that delicious and nutritious meals are available for hard-working seafarers.”
AN ENGINE room fire aboard the cruise ship Carnival Liberty, while the ship was alongside the berth in the US Virgin Islands in 2015, was probably caused by incorrect tightening of bolts on a fuel supply inlet flange on a generator, according to the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). All the passengers had to be evacuated ashore. The NTSB says the incident highlighted the need for better training on fixed fire-fighting systems and better procedures in the event of a mass evacuation of a ship becoming necessary.
IMO studies no crew framework THE International Maritime Organization (IMO) is to start work on reviewing the legal and regulatory framework governing the operation of autonomous ships. Several countries have stressed the “urgent need” to see how IMO Conventions may have to change if ships are to operate with unmanned bridges. The International Transport Workers’ Federation has warned that the proposed review is too narrowly focused and has been based on “an unverified assumption that unmanned ships are equally as safe and reliable as manned ships”.
Trainees held a baking competition to mark the Day of the Seafarer
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Credit: Pixabay - seografika
Just knowing the language is not enough, translators need to know the rules of a language as well
Lost in translation Seafarers have a right to free translation and interpretation services
By David Hughes
F
OR centuries painters and sculptors depicted Moses as having horns on his head, all because of a mistake by St Jerome, the patron saint of translators, librarians, and encyclopaedists. When he translated the Old Testament from Hebrew into Latin he mistranslated the passage about how Moses’ head had ‘radiance’, or shining, after coming down from the mountain as Moses’ head having horns. While that appears to be a rather amusing example of mistranslation, it led to the offensive racist stereotype of the horned Jew. So, it was not an amusing mistake after all; that is often the case with mistranslations. At one level,
they can appear comical but their effects can be serious, even tragic. The example of St Jerome’s error comes from a book published in 2012. Found in Translation was written by professional translators Nataly Kelly and Jost Zetzsche who discuss the importance and challenges of translation. In this article the words “interpreting” and “translating” are used interchangeably, though the former normally relates to the spoken word and the latter to documents. Another case cited in the book is more relevant to modern-day life. In 1980, an 18-year-old man was rushed unconscious into a Florida hospital. His friends and family only spoke Spanish and although they thought he was suffering from food poisoning a bilingual member of staff
mistranslated a crucial word with the effect that the doctors thought they were dealing with an intentional drug overdose. In reality the young man had had a brain haemorrhage. The misunderstanding meant the correct treatment was delayed and the man was left tetraplegic. The case led to a compensation payment of US$71 million. It is not difficult to see how a similar situation could occur when a seafarer is taken into hospital in an emergency. The point Kelly and Zetzsche make is that translating is a skill, and just because somebody can speak two languages fluently this does not necessarily mean they are able to translate accurately.
Confusion and frustration Smartling, a company that specialises in online translations, explains on its website how
challenging accurate translation can be. It says: “Translation demands a deep understanding of both grammar and culture. Translators need to know the rules of a language as well as the habits of the people who speak it. And even for the most experienced professionals, confusion and frustration are familiar feelings.” The company says that the most common challenges of translation include: language structure, idioms and expressions, compound words and multiple meanings. Translating and interpreting effectively is not just a case of being fluent in two languages. They are skills that need to be taught. At least that is the view of translation expert and university professor Constanza GerdingSalas. In an article published in Translation Journal she writes:
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Troubling case in Taiwan A FAILURE to properly translate video evidence is one aspect of the disturbing case of two deaths on the Taiwan-based fishing vessel Fu Tzu Chun in August 2015. Last October, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that two Indonesian crew members had died on board. One of them, Mualip, was buried at sea but the body of the other, Supriyanto, was brought ashore and there was an inquest, which has now become the subject of considerable controversy and widespread press coverage in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Indonesia. SCMP reported that, in a mobile-phone video taken by a crewman aboard the Fu Tzu Chun, a gaunt Supriyanto describes the beatings he has received at the hands of his captain and fellow crew. Cuts on his shaved head and across his body were made with fish hooks, he alleges. The video, says the tormented seaman, should be used as evidence in the event of his death. An official Taiwanese review of the inquest has now found that officials had disregarded parts of the forensic report on Supriyanto’s death and, crucially, had missed vital evidence in three video clips because of translation problems. This case has much wider implications regarding conditions on Taiwan-based fishing vessels but it has also highlighted how a lack of competent translation services can have serious consequences. The Taiwan-based China Post also reported that inadequate translation services is a problem when foreign crew and migrant workers seek redress through Taiwan’s legal system and that the government is working to improve the situation. n
“Through experience I have learnt that the consequences of wrong translations can be catastrophic – especially if done by laypersons – and mistakes made in the performance of this activity can obviously be irreparable. Just think of what could happen in cases of serious inadequacy in knowledge areas such as science, medicine, legal matters, or technology.” Professor Gerding-Salas says there must be thousands of examples of mistranslation but she mentions one in particular. She says: “Lily, a Chilean exile who had been granted refugee status in a non-Spanishspeaking country, was going to undergo surgery for the simple removal of a skin blemish from her face. However, because of a misunderstanding by the translator on duty in the hospital at the moment she was going to be anaesthetised, she was about to undergo breast surgery!” She stresses: “It is quite clear that a poor translation can … be a matter of life and death. Hence the importance of training translators, not only in the acquisition and command of languages and translation strategies and procedures, but
also in specific knowledge areas and, what is equally important, in professional ethics.” So, when translators are required they need to be experienced competent professionals and not just somebody who speaks the language of the person involved.
Offering protection The international shipping industry uses English as a working language and there is normally only a limited need for
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Mistranslations can result in tragic consequences for seafarers
interpreting and translating for operational purposes, as long as the language is simple and the context straightforward. However, when the seafarer is taken out of the shipping environment and into, for example, a hospital or a police station, where of course the local language is used, everything is different. In 2013, Seafarers Rights International (SRI) published a second edition of its survey,
Since most seafarers voyage between different criminal jurisdictions, the risk of being interrogated in a foreign language and being confronted by criminal charges in a foreign language is high
Seafarers and the Criminal Law. One of the topics covered was the availability of interpretation services when seafarers were charged with offences. Of the seafarers surveyed who had faced criminal charges and who needed interpreters’ services, over 90% were not provided with them. The survey also found that, of the seafarers who had been witnesses in a criminal prosecution and who needed interpretation services, just over 40% were not provided with them. In a legal commentary in the survey, SRI said: “For seafarers some of the most important constituent elements of their right to a fair trial are their right to have free interpretation and translation services; to have their legal rights explained to them; to have legal representation during pre-trial proceedings as well as trial proceedings; and when co-operating in a noblame investigation to have their communications with the investigators kept confidential. The extent to which all these rights have not, according to the seafarers, been accorded to them is a matter of deep concern.”
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It adds that, since most seafarers voyage between different criminal jurisdictions, the risk of being interrogated in a foreign language and being confronted by criminal charges in a foreign language is high. SRI states: “The right to interpretation and translation services is expressly enshrined in various international legal instruments, and is part of the national law of many states. When a seafarer is not conversant with the language of the court, he is at an obvious disadvantage if he is not provided with a written translation of the indictment in a language he understands.”
Seafarers’ rights
does not mean there must be a written translation of all written evidence or official documents, nevertheless, the services of an interpreter or translator must be
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“plays a crucial role in the criminal process, since service of the indictment formally puts the seafarer on written notice of the factual and legal
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The right to interpretation and translation services is expressly enshrined in various international legal instruments, and is part of the national law of many states
sufficient to enable the seafarer to have knowledge of the case against him or her and also to defend themselves by being able to put before the court his or her version of the events. Special attention should be paid to the language of the indictment which, the SRI says,
Credit: Lou Vest
SRI stresses that a seafarer charged with an offence, who cannot understand or speak the language used in court, has the right to the free services of an interpreter and/or translator in order for him to have a fair trial, and the absence of such services is a clear violation of the right to a fair trial. According to SRI the right to the services of an interpreter and translator applies not only to oral statements and documentary material at the trial proceedings, but also to pre-trial proceedings. It accepts that while this right
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Feelings of isolation can be compounded by language issues
basis of the criminal charge against him”. SRI also addresses the question of the accuracy of interpretation services and notes that the obligation of the authorities is not only to appoint a properly qualified interpreter and translator, but also to exercise
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a degree of control over the adequacy of the services of the interpreter and/or translator if they are told by the seafarer that the services are inadequate. However, the SRI survey and a recent case in Taiwan suggest there is a serious problem when it comes to the provision of interpreters when seafarers come into contact with local legal systems. The case in Taiwan has brought to light a more general issue of poor interpretation and translation services for foreign fishing vessel crews and contract workers in Taiwan.
Mission experience The experience of The Mission to Seafarers (MtS), at least in the Middle East, South Asia and North America, is that acceptable interpretation and translation services are available to seafarers who need them. The MtS’s Dubai-based regional director in South Asia and the Gulf, the Revd Dr Paul Burt tells The Sea: “It has not been an issue with any of the hundreds of severe justice and welfare cases that I have been involved with in The Gulf over the five years of my MtS posting here.” Similarly, US-based regional director Ken Hawkins says: “In the United States, if there are legal proceedings, the government (state, local, port authorities, Coast Guard, Border Patrol, Customs and Immigration) provide adequate translation services. So I am not aware of any problems or even misunderstandings.” The Revd Canon Stephen Miller, the MtS’s regional director East Asia and senior chaplain, Hong Kong, adds: “We don’t have any difficulty here when [the need for translation] arises, as the authorities are very quick to provide translation.” But Canon Miller says the situation could be “very different in other parts of the world”. While it is not clear just how big a problem this is, the situation in Taiwan, explained in detail in the panel on Page 5, serves to highlight the need for high quality interpretation and translation services for seafarers to be available when they need them, worldwide. n
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Man versus machine The benefits offered by channelling massive amounts of data from ship to shore are too significant to ignore, but what will be left for seafarers to do? By Michael Grey
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OU might argue that the modern age at sea began with the invention of the autopilot. Sometimes affectionately referred to as ‘Iron Mike’, autopilot made the admittedly tedious job of helmsman largely redundant, except for manoeuvring in confined waters. Many years later came the age of electronics, digital intelligence and the computer, which would occasionally have a mind of its own and ‘say’ No. The equipment started to second guess seafarers and gradually, bridge watchkeepers woke up to the fact that they were no longer navigating, but ‘overseeing’ very clever machinery that was doing most of the navigation for them. Through that advancement, the participatory world of celestial navigation had gone and human beings were relegated to a sort of insurance. They were required by law, but also just in case the equipment went wrong, when they would be expected to step in. For the ship’s navigator, the quiet satisfaction of a landfall after a long oceanic passage, or a well-reasoned dead reckon position, is a thing of the past. GPS and clever satellites now do all the calculations and with the disappearance of paper, nobody even has to put the position on the chart. The mariner, it has been said, has become a monitor, and the legendary ability of seafarers to work around the problem or to intervene when something goes wrong, has been seriously diminished. Those amazing feats of seamanship and engineering, which saw people fabricate replacement rudders using spare hatchboards and derricks, or build intricate pieces of machinery out of lumps of metal, have been relegated to the history books. Today, serious problems are sorted out by somebody ashore. Any seafarer of a certain age will recall those days when for no apparent reason, the senior engineers looked meaningfully at each other and disappeared from
Work in the engine room is less hands-on than it used to be
the saloon, or smoke room. A couple of minutes later the engine would chuff into silence. Somehow, they’d detected an impending fault and were already on their way down to the machinery space. Now, sensors discover some aberrant item in their electronic checklist, transmit the
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detect the bearing running hot, some unexpected vibration, or leak of lubricant, fuel or other flammable liquid. But the ability to monitor and respond to so many other elements remotely is simply part of the Big Data revolution. The world is changing very
The role of the handson seafarer is being superseded by that of the monitor, watching machinery, rather than running it details to the engine manufacturer ashore, and within a short space of time a solution is prescribed to the engineers monitoring their machinery aboard the ship. It would be cruel and premature to suggest that the skills and experience of flesh and blood engineers are redundant. They still need to patrol their machinery spaces, using all their senses to
fast. Today, the world’s largest cruise company can sign a deal with one of the major machinery manufacturers to monitor and maintain no fewer than 400 engines aboard the 79 ships in its fleet for the next 12 years. This is made possible by modern data transmission and communication, with all this information streamed live from ship to shore. The prize
See the cartoon on page 13 by Michael Grey from all this live monitoring is a promise that performance will be improved and maintenance itself become more structured and responsive to need, against older, cruder methods, when machinery was opened up when it was faulty, or against a set timescale. The ability to transmit enormous quantities of data to and from a ship, along with more decisionmaking of all kinds being undertaken ashore, is changing the nature of jobs afloat. The role of the hands-on seafarer is being superseded by that of the monitor, watching machinery, rather than running it. So, the very real challenge today will be to ensure that the seafarer’s job remains interesting and fulfilling, and does not become downright boring, as he or she is left waiting for the computer to ‘say’ No, or the alarm to sound. n Para basahin ito sa salitang Tagalog, pumunta sa: http://bit.do/mtstagalog
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Say it loud and proud: seafarers matter! The Sea speaks with The Nautical Institute president, Capt David Snider, about his plan to bring the mariners’ world to a wider audience By Carly Fields
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HEN multibillionaire and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos tweeted the world to ask for worthy philanthropic ideas, he likely didn’t expect a response from the maritime industry, suggesting that he invest in a fund and an organisation to aid the repatriation of stranded seafarers. Nautical Institute president Capt David (Duke) Snider saw Mr Bezos’s request as an opportunity to bring the plight of abandoned seafarers to a wider – and extremely affluent – audience. While Capt Snider has not yet received a response from Mr Bezos, he hopes that the act will help remind the general public of “forgotten” mariners. “Depending on the ‘census’ you might refer to, there are perhaps 1.6 million men and women working at sea in international seagoing positions,” explains Capt Snider in conversation with The Sea. “Many hundreds of thousands more are engaged in coastal or cabotage trades. Within those numbers, again, depending on what source you quote, there are estimated to be many thousands that are trapped, stranded and unpaid, far from
The general public remains very poorly informed about seafarer abandonment, says Capt Snider
home either on board ship, or restricted ashore.” Yet, while the public reaches out with ease to international refugees when newsworthy calamities occur, few people ashore know about the alltoo-frequent abandonment of seafarers. “The general public remains very poorly informed; every day those of us that closely follow marine-related media read of mariners trapped and destitute.” While there are proactive
organisations that strive to assist stranded and trapped seafarers – including The Mission to Seafarers – the Herculean and costly effort of repatriating those mariners is often beyond their resources. So, when Mr Bezos asked for philanthropic ventures via Twitter, Capt Snider took action. Perhaps, he says, we shouldn’t need to fall back on the philanthropy of billionaires to aid our seafarers, but if there are billionaires out there that can assist, it makes sense to see if they
The muscles of maritime commerce OUT OF SIGHT, out of mind – that’s the challenge that the maritime industry faces in getting its message out to the public. “Very few people not directly connected to the maritime industry are aware of the thousands of mariners that are at sea around the world at any given moment, ensuring the continual carriage of cargoes that enable economies and ourselves to flourish,” says Capt Snider. Modern shipping moves raw resources, manufactured goods, livestock and people around the world in the cheapest way possible. But, he points out, who pauses for even a moment to think about the seafarer who is thousands of miles from
home, for months at a time, at times facing heavy weather, and hard living conditions and who is denied even a few hours ashore in port to contact family or buy personal necessities by extreme security regulations? “Seafarers are out of sight, out of mind. All most people see is the new TV from Japan, the new car from Germany, the holiday on a cruise ship, or the fuel that drives their car and powers the generators that electrify their homes.” Yet, seafarers are the “muscles of the body of maritime commerce”, he says. “Without those muscles, the body is a limp shell without movement.” n
might consider a supporting role. “At the very least, I would hope that a single tweet has spurred on others, in our industry and outside, to cast more than just a thought to the invisible or forgotten stranded mariners,” he says. “It can come from each and every one of us, from simply volunteering or financially supporting welfare and support organisations that aid seafarers globally, to encouraging governments and public agencies to step up.” The message that needs to be spread is that transportation at sea takes more than ships; it takes the trained and experienced seafarers in those ships to operate them safely and efficiently. The IMO’s International Day of the Seafarer initiative is a good start, but the message should be ongoing, says Capt Snider. “It should spread out from only one day a year to throughout the year. Our industry itself should step away from the quiet practices of the past and begin to tell the world: ‘We are here and we bring you what you need’.” He adds that industry also needs to “break the bonds of silence” about the weak underbelly of shipping and the plight of those who need assistance. “We need to speak out for those that are less able to speak out themselves and reach out to do our own part.” That said, the industry does well to look after its own as best it can, he says, acknowledging that there are many incredibly good owners and operators out there who recognise that their seafarers are their most valuable asset. He is also impressed by the companyrun seafarer and family welfare programmes that exist around the world. Here, some companies directly support the welfare of seafarers through donations or indirectly offer support by giving employees time off, sometimes paid, to volunteer in seafarer support organisations.
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While welcome, seafarers shouldn’t have to rely solely on the support of welfare organisations
Support for seafarers Supporting seafarers how ever he can is a central tenet of Capt Snider’s Nautical Institute presidency. Part of that drive has seen him actively promoting human-centred design of ships’ systems and equipment. He expresses his exacerbation at how often new gear and equipment arrive and are installed on board a ship with little regard to their integration with existing systems or their impact on prevailing practices and capabilities. To make matters worse, many equipment manufacturers build in ‘features’ to set their particular version apart from competitors, making the crossover from one piece of equipment to another difficult and possibly dangerous. Compounding this, some equipment may not integrate well electronically with other equipment and seafarers are not always given adequate training
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on the new or replacement equipment before the ship is intended to sail. To that end, The Nautical Institute is encouraging equipment designers and manufacturers to work closely with active seagoing professionals, either through the organisation, or by incorporating seafarers directly in equipment concept, design and manufacture. “This also should be in the forefront of thinking of shore managers that are responsible for selecting and acquiring equipment,” says Capt Snider. “They should actively involve the seagoing teams with input and provide sufficient practical training.” Seafarers, he adds, can help themselves by individually seeking to participate in the design, manufacture, purchase, installation and development of training programmes. They can do this through either active
Seafarers are the muscles of the body of maritime commerce. Without those muscles, the body is a limp shell without movement
participation in The Nautical Institute’s various working groups, or through volunteer participation as Nautical Institute subject matter experts in industry consultations and at IMO. “We are very proud of the impact that some of our members have had in directly affecting IMO and other standards, participating as Nautical Institute delegates in these forums,” he says. This participation at crossindustry forums is helping to break down boundaries, but industry
theSea | Sep/Oct 2017 9 needs to open its mind further and seek further support and input from representative bodies, he adds. The Nautical Institute is also involved in efforts to improve regulations governing hours of work at sea, seeking to reduce the negative impact of fatigue on seafarers. Its IMO delegation has worked directly with a number of like-minded flag states to put forward and defend proposals for improved hours-of-work regulations. In further pursuit of the benefits of knowledge-sharing, The Nautical Institute is actively promoting mentoring to enhance careers and best practice. Mentoring at sea improves safety, commercial services and, crucially, life on board. It has also recently launched an Ice Navigator Training and Certification Scheme in response to the growing demand for officers with proven expertise in handling ships in ice. This is a subject close to Capt Snider’s heart: in addition to his role as president of the Nautical Institute he’s also chief executive and principal consultant at polar water specialist Martech Polar Consulting (MPC), based in Victoria, Canada. Joining the practical and theory loops, he is also currently updating his Polar Ship Operations best practice guide for operations in ice, cementing his drive to support the seafarer by whatever means possible. n
Amazon’s Jeff Bezos heard about the plight of seafarers in response to his tweet
10 theSea | Sep/Oct 2017
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Making distances seem much shorter
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AU
S T R A L IA
With such a vast area to cover the Mission staff and volunteers in Australia and Papua New Guinea region work hard to connect seafarers with family, the outside world – and their emotions By the Revd Canon Garry Dodd
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S READERS of The Sea will know, Australia is a big place. At 7.7 million kilometres squared, it is the planet’s sixth largest country – most of Europe could easily fit into it. However, the population, at about 24.5 million people, is sparse and to cater to a country rich in natural resources, many of our ports are in isolated areas with no social infrastructure, or vibrant city to underpin the port. Tourists who come to Australia generally fly into Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or Perth and see modern cosmopolitan cities, bustling with life and entertainment. But, most seafarers come to extremely isolated ports that export raw commodities, such as iron ore. Even if they have the opportunity to come ashore, they may only be met with minimal facilities, such as the processing factory in Port Walcott in Western Australia, or an extremely tiny township. It is hard to imagine that some villages that boast an
The Mission to Seafarers Australia
international import/export port facility do not even have a local taxi service. If the MtS did not exist in these remote areas, seafarers would be totally stranded, without the opportunity to come ashore, communicate with home, buy necessary items and, importantly, find spiritual and emotional support. Most of the small MtS centres in our region are run by
volunteers who lovingly help the Mission with great enthusiasm and genuine hospitality. The centres exist only because of the personal sacrifices of so many, who actively give to provide warm places of respite and spiritual nourishment.
Growing places Both Australia and Papua New Guinea are places of growth for the
Mission. We are currently looking to start four new centres over the next few years. Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea is poised to open up a new centre. Similarly, Port Walcott in Western Australia will hopefully open its doors to a new centre in November. Here, Rio Tinto has been exceptionally generous in providing two triplex homes: one for a newly renovated centre and the other for a chaplain and manager to live in. The Reverend Jake de Salis at MtS Dampier will supervise the initial development of the centre until it is up and running and we are incredibly grateful to Jake and his team as they forge a new venture in a remote, but exceptionally busy port. We are using a different model for inner harbour Adelaide and Darwin. These two ports will start up with a oneyear part-time contract for a chaplain to establish a team of volunteers, train them in ship visiting, establish Sea Sunday and parish/diocesan support, create appropriate structures and governance and establish a Port Welfare Committee. The
Sea Sunday first for Port Moresby FOR the first time in ten years, Port Moresby celebrated Sea Sunday this year. The Bishop of Port Moresby, the Right Revd Denny Guka says: “We had the Seafarers’ Sunday and, led by the Police Band, marched down to the Navy wharf for the blessing of crafts and we prayed for seafarers and their family as well as those who died at sea. It was a long march [through the town] and provided [opportunities to raise] awareness to the public on the significance of the lives of seafarers and the service they provide throughout the world.” Plans are well under way to establish a new MtS centre in Port Moresby and support the Mission in Lae. These two ports are central to the economy of Papua New Guinea and it is only right that we offer the local church an opportunity to continue to grow their loving presence as they minister to seafarers. The passion of the local committees is inspiring and they actively look for ways to love and care for the seafarers in their care. Please pray for the church in Papua New Guinea and particularly as it begins work ministering to the seafarers who enter its country. n
Port Moresby’s Bishop Denny Guka and his wife Mother Marinda
missiontoseafarers.org expectation is that after that first year, a solid foundation will have been established on which to continue the work on a voluntary basis. From this stepping stone, it is hoped God will bless our endeavours and that we will reap a strong harvest from humble beginnings. Please pray for us as we lunge forward in faith. A third strategy is being employed at Abbot Point, Queensland. Here, we are hoping to begin a joint venture with Stella Maris and have an ecumenical centre there. It is still early days, but our conversations with Apostleship of the Sea and Adani (the company that controls development in Abbot Point) have been positive and we believe that this will be a fantastic opportunity to develop a world class facility.
missiontoseafarers We are truly blessed to have such amazing opportunities to grow the Mission in our region. While it can be really hard and frustratingly slow at times, we continue to strive to grow the work of the Mission and to reach out to all seafarers entering Australian waters. We are blessed with passionate volunteers, a hard-working board led by the Right Reverend John Stead and a myriad of organisations such as Optus, Rio Tinto and private donors who give generously. If you would like to contribute to the growth of the Mission in Australia and PNG, please log onto our web page www.mts. org.au and donate. May God bless you richly. n The Revd Canon Garry Dodd is regional director of Australia and PNG for the Mission to Seafarers.
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theSea | Sep/Oct 2017 11 Connecting seafarers is an important part of the Mission’s work
Volunteer with a long Mission history NOT only will MtS Brisbane celebrate 125 years this year, it is proud to count Marcia Scholes – its longest service volunteer, who has served the Mission for 70 continuous years – as one of its staff. Marcia started her journey with the Mission at the centre in Petrie Bight in 1946 and has continued volunteering at, and supporting, the Mission since that time. She has served for more than three decades on the committee and is an active participant at committee and Mission functions and activities, including delivering presentations on the Mission and its ministry to seafarers, in addition to fundraising. Marcia was also an active member of the Harbour Lights Guild, a women’s support group for the Mission, with some 50 years continuous volunteering service at the Guild until its closure in the late 1990s. Marcia is also an active member of the Anglican Church, attending St Matthias Anglican Church, Zillmere and was a long-term member (for more than 50 years), of the Wilston branch of the Anglican Mothers’ Union. n
Marcia has served the Mission for 70 continuous years
Bringing families together CAN you imagine hopping in your car and driving from Rotterdam to Venice to visit your brother for just two hours? One lady drove all the way from Victoria to Newcastle (more than 12 hours) to catch up with her brother, a seafarer on a ship berthed in the Port of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. Due to the quick turn-around in vessel loading, they only had a few hours together. It’s so easy for seafarers to lose touch with their loved ones, and we were glad to host this family get-together at our MtS centre. In the middle of tears and hugs, the lady said: “We will not see each other for three years now. I can’t believe he is here to touch for real.” The seafarer said he had been at sea for seven years and had only had one Christmas at home with his parents. This is a fairly typical situation, however the shorter turn-around times for vessels in the port of Newcastle mean that very often seafarers are not able to come ashore. For this reason, we have teams of volunteers and a chaplain who are on roster to visit vessels every day of the year. The ministry of connecting seafarers is a valuable part of what we do. Connecting a person with their family, with the outside world, with their emotions and especially connecting a seafarer spiritually can be the difference between a safe, happy, balanced person or someone who struggles with mental health issues hopelessness and despair. n
12 theSea | Sep/Oct 2017
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Stand up straight!
Correcting bad posture can bring about a wealth of unexpected health benefits for seafarers working in confined spaces
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ROGRESS has been made in improving the health and safety of seafarers on board ships, but hazards remain. Lifting, carrying and navigating small spaces are just some of the many challenging tasks that seafarers have to carry out on a daily basis. To avoid twisting limbs and overstretching muscles while working, it’s important for seafarers to maintain good posture. In addition to avoiding poor sitting and standing habits such as slouching in a chair, sticking your bottom out, and cradling your phone, there are plenty of quick and easy-to-do exercises to improve your posture, and enable you to move more freely and efficiently, such as:
Plank Having a strong core is crucial to good posture. The plank is a fantastic core exercise that can strengthen abdominal muscles while also working the shoulders and back. To do a plank, get into a push up position on the floor. Then bend your elbows 90 degrees and rest your weight on your forearms.
The plank: having a strong core is crucial to good posture
Make sure that you keep your spine straight, as proper form is essential to getting the most out of this move. Try holding the pose for 30 seconds. As your strength grows, extend this time to between one and three minutes.
Shoulder rolls Shoulder rolls can quickly relieve tension and encourage correct posture. To do this simple stretch,
sit or stand with a straight back. Then inhale and raise your shoulders towards your ears. Hold this position for a few seconds before exhaling and pulling your shoulder blades down and together. Try to repeat this stretch five to 10 times a day.
Seated twist The seated twist is another great stretch which you can use to
improve your posture. Sit on the floor with your legs straight. Bend your right knee and step your right foot over your left leg. Then, put your right hand on the floor beside you, fingers pointing outward, for support. Bend your left elbow and turn to the right, placing the back of your left arm against your right knee. Hold for five breaths, then slowly return to the centre. Repeat on the other side. n
Sudoku
The aim of Sudoku is to fill in the empty cells so that each column, row and 3x3 region contains the numbers 1 to 9 exactly once. Find the answers to both puzzles in the next issue. INTERMEDIATE LEVEL
BEGINNER LEVEL SOLUTION (ISSUE 248)
INTERMEDIATE LEVEL SOLUTION (ISSUE 248) Credit: www.sudokuoftheday.com
BEGINNER LEVEL
Jumble
Can you correctly unscramble these anagrams to form four words? If so, send your answers by email to thesea@missiontoseafarers.org by November 30, 2017. All correct answers will be entered into a draw for a chance to win a Mission to Seafarers’ Goodie Bag, containing a pen set, mug, water bottle and handmade woolly hat. Please include your answers, name, the vessel you are working on, nationality and finish this sentence: “I like The Mission to Seafarers because…” 1) T R Y A B E T _ _ _ _ _ _ _
2) A G E D R U M E R _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
3) S H A L _ _ _ _
4) B E A R S U M I N _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
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See Michael Grey’s article on page 7 The touchscreen doesn’t like your touch, 3rd Mate!
Get in touch!
Have you got news or views that you’d like to share with The Sea? Please get in touch: thesea@missiontoseafarers.org. Ben Bailey, The Sea, The Mission to Seafarers, St Michael Paternoster Royal, College Hill, London, UK EC4R 2RL
We work in over 200 ports in 50 countries caring for seafarers of all ranks, nationalities and beliefs.
T: +44 (0)20 7246 2947 E: ben.bailey@missiontoseafarers.org
Through our global network of chaplains, staff and volunteers we offer practical, emotional and spiritual support to seafarers through ship visits, drop-in seafarers’ centres and a range of welfare and emergency support services.
The Sea Editor: Carly Fields News: David Hughes Assistant Editor: Kate Jones www.missiontoseafarers.org
The Mission to Seafarers The Mission to Seafarers provides help and support to the 1.5 million men and women who face danger every day to keep our global economy afloat.
The Sea is distributed free to seafarers through chaplains and seafarers’ centres. missiontoseafarers
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14 theSea | Sep/Oct 2017
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Speed up the snail’s pace of maritime reform Complaints from seafarers are long-standing and relatively unchanged; isn’t it about time the industry put its foot on the accelerator when it comes to welfare improvements? By James Wilkes
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N JUNE 2012, an article appeared on a maritime news site identifying some of the problems facing seafarers. Four-and-a-half years later, in December 2016, the article reappeared on another website, fundamentally unaltered. Yet it had still not run its course: in June 2017, almost five years to the day from its first appearance, it was republished again in almost exactly its original form. The ease with which the article could be recycled tells us something, not just about the internet, but about the slow pace of maritime reform. Sadly, some of the concerns raised by the writer are as raw today as they were in 2012. The list of seafarers’ enduring complaints would be easy to compile. Pay and conditions for some seafarers are appalling and injustices perpetrated by bad operators can go unchallenged – never mind reversed. It seems that changes to improve seafarers’ conditions move at a snail’s pace. Occasionally a commentator’s frustration boils over. June 25 is the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Day of the Seafarer, an annual event that recognises seafarers’ contributions to trade, the world economy and civil society. The shipping community was asked to mark the day in a ‘meaningful’ way but it prompted one veteran maritime observer, Capt Jill P Friedman, a seafarer of 40 years and frequent blogger, to pen a scathing commentary. The event, she claimed, was of as little importance to seafarers as all the other ‘Days’ celebrated on June 25. She listed some: they include ‘Goats Cheese Day’ and ‘Global Beatles Day’. What was important, she said, was that every other day of the year seafarers are treated “like garbage”: “We ignore them…we blame them…we criminalise them…
Priority should be given to crew welfare improvements unscrupulous owners/operators cheat them.” But it is not the IMO – a United Nations’ (UN) agency whose founding responsibilities are the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of pollution by ships – that needs to be shamed. The responsibility for addressing the more flagrant abuses of seafarers’ rights falls on the owners and operators of the world’s fleet. “That we could be in the 21st century and seafarers are still routinely unpaid and abandoned is difficult to digest,” said one commentator on a website dedicated to the concerns of crew members. He added that every vessel “cut adrift by owners” leaving the crew to suffer “indignity, stress, pain and anguish” was a “stain on the conscience of shipping”. That said, we can recognise the outrage without being blind to the progress that is being made. The Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC 2006) sets minimum working and living standards for seafarers. Since coming into force in 2013 it has had a positive impact, particularly on living conditions and working hours. And amendments to the Convention now require
shipowners to insure themselves against the costs of abandonment. But, as has been pointed out before, not all flag states have ratified the Convention and of those that have many have a long way to go before becoming fully compliant. Jason Lam, a Hong Kong-based inspector for the International Transport Workers’ Federation, reported a growing number of abandonment cases and unpaid wages in the first six months of 2017. In the United Arab Emirates in early July the Indian Consulate in Dubai was dealing with requests for help from nearly 100 Indian seafarers stranded in UAE waters. “Outstanding salary, nonavailability of food, fresh water, fuel, harsh living conditions and no sign-off after the contract period are the major concerns voiced by the sailors,” the Consulate told the news outlet Gulf News. Now, it is not as if the shipping sector can afford to neglect the wellbeing of the seafarer. Some projections suggest that, worldwide, the industry will soon face a shortfall of 45,000 personnel. And in another development, the UK P&I Club posted a shocking
statistic showing that suicides are now the most common cause of deaths at sea. They increased from 4.4% of all crew deaths in 20142015 to 15.3% in 2015-2016. It would be wrong to attribute the increase to a single cause but Anuj Velankar, senior loss prevention advisor, UK P&I Club, told a seminar in Singapore that the factors contributing to depression included social media, work stress, and hours of work and rest. These are issues that can be addressed by seafarers’ employers. A career at sea is still an attractive option and many shipping companies offer impeccable training and good salaries. But while we wait for international agreements like the MLC to become embedded in shipping’s culture, calls for improving seafarers’ welfare are to be welcomed no matter how often they are repeated. n James Wilkes is managing director of maritime investigation, intelligence, and security consulting company Gray Page. He has more than 20 years of experience helping clients manage corporate malfeasance, criminal activity, political instability, terrorism and other complex problems.
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Helping to lessen seafarers’ vulnerabilities It is all too easy to make scapegoats of the master and crew of a ship in a casualty, but there are ways seafarers can protect themselves By Faz Peermohamed
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by international dimensions. At first, these may not appear obvious amid the furore at home. However, there are international laws designed to safeguard seafarers against controversial treatment in foreign proceedings and these apply particularly in pollution cases where seafarers tend to be most at risk of being blamed. On a number of occasions, measures have been taken against them without it being evident that these safeguards were duly considered. The Hebei Spirit case in 2007 highlights the difficulties foreign seafarers may face in the politically charged context of a major oil spill – despite the guidelines on fair treatment of seafarers in the event of a maritime accident being adopted by the IMO in 2006. This tanker was struck by a giant crane barge while at anchor off Daesan port in South Korea. The collision resulted in some 11,000 tonnes of crude oil leaking into the Yellow Sea, the largest oil spill in South Korean history. Subsequently, the Appeal Court found the master and chief
officer of the tanker guilty on two charges, one of causing pollution and the other of causing damage to the ship. In sentencing for the offence of causing damage to the ship, the Appeal Court took the pollution into account and sentenced the master and chief officer to jail terms of 18 and eight months respectively. After much legal and commercial effort, on 15 January, 2009, South Korea’s Supreme Court released the master and chief officer on bail pending their appeal. Clearly the ideal situation is to prevent casualties from occurring in the first place. A momentary lapse of concentration on the bridge can result in a lifechanging crisis for both crew and owners. If the worst does occur, however, every decision taken in those first few hours and days after a casualty will have a long term impact on every aspect of the case – from the potential criminal liability of crew and shipowner’s shore representatives to the effect on a shipowner’s reputation and the eventual cost of the incident.
E have all observed the vulnerability of seafarers in highprofile casualties, particularly those involving large-scale pollution. There is inevitably heightened political tension, given the anticipated public and media reaction to such events. The intensity of this reaction may be exacerbated by a lack of awareness of the well established international compensation regimes for pollution from ships, such as the Civil Liability and Fund Conventions in relation to oil pollution from tankers and the Bunkers Convention, which covers fuel spills from most international trading ships. Concern has been expressed that a balance must be maintained between the legitimate concerns of authorities in such circumstances and the human rights of the individual. While the position of seafarers involved in a serious casualty can be precarious, the decisions to be taken by coastal state law officers in such a case can be very challenging. Such an emergency may well be the first of its kind for the officials involved and may present them with the most complex set of circumstances they are ever likely to face. They also have the difficult task of striking a balance which does justice to the legitimate expectations of the authorities concerned as well as to those of the accused. When the accused is a foreigner and sailing under a foreign flag, the potential difficulties are compounded The Hebei Spirit master and chief officer were convicted and jailed
In time, a company’s reputation will be measured less by reference to the original cause of the casualty and more in terms of how it was perceived to have responded. When it comes to the fair treatment of seafarers, to the extent it is possible, ‘prevention’ is always better than ‘cure’. Once an entrenched position against the crew has been taken by local authorities and prosecutors, it may well be hard for them to ‘back down’ and crew and owners may well find themselves facing criminal proceedings for years to come. It is therefore of paramount importance that crew members receive early legal advice from ex-seafarers who not only understand and sympathise with the difficult position crew members find themselves in, but who also have the legal experience of having successfully acquitted seafarers of unfair criminalisation. n Faz Peermohamed is a master mariner, and global head of shipping and a partner at Ince & Co LLP in London. He can be contacted on Faz.peermohamed@ incelaw.com.
16 theSea | Sep/Oct 2017
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Shining a light
Darkness can weigh heavily on any of us in times of fear or concern, but the light of God is always there to guide us, says the Revd Cedric Rautenbach
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HOSE of us who live in the city have probably not experienced real darkness. Seafarers of course will know what it is like to step out on to the deck of their ship on a cloudy moonless night and experience total darkness. We sometimes experience darkness in our lives too. The times when we are separated from our loved ones for long periods or when we receive news from home that a family member is sick; when we experience fear during storms at sea or when we are travelling through known pirate waters; when our relationships with fellow crew members are difficult and strained – on these occasions we feel like darkness covers our lives. In Isaiah ch 9: we read: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who
A prayer for seafarers Holy God, Loving Christ, Living Spirit; you are present in the everyday occurrences; you are revealed in startling and wondrous encounters. Let the revelation of your mystery unfold again this day – that we may see it together. Let the secret of the ages shed new light on our relationship to you, and each other, as we praise the name of Jesus Christ, Amen lived in a land of deep darkness – on them light has shined.” This passage is a reminder that no
matter how dark our situation may seem, the light of God is always stronger. This ‘light’ may
not make the darkness that we are experiencing disappear but it does help us cope by helping us to see our circumstance a little differently. It is as if somebody has lit a candle in a dark room. The small flame does not extinguish the darkness, but suddenly the room is a little brighter. This small bit of light often takes some of our fear and anxiety away and this is the light that I believe the writer was describing in Isaiah. This light comes in all shapes and forms: it could be a chaplain visiting your ship; the ability to communicate with your family at a seafarers’ centre; or through a word of encouragement from a fellow crew member. “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” (John 1:5) n
Pagsikat ng liwanag Ang kadiliman ay maaaring mabigat sa sinuman sa atin sa mga oras ng takot o alalahanin, ngunit ang liwanag ng Diyos ay palagaing naririyan para gabayan tayo, sabi ni The Revd Cedric Rautenbach
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ara sa atin na naninirahan sa lungsod marahil ay hindi natin naranasan ang tunay na kadiliman. Siyempre malalaman ng mga mandaragat kung ano ang lumabas sa kubyerta ng kanilang barko sa isang maulap na walang buwan na gabi at maranasan ang ganap na kadiliman. Paminsan-minsan ay nakararanas tayo ng kadiliman sa ating mga buhay. Mga panahon kapag nahihiwalay tayo sa ating mga mahal sa buhay sa napakahabang mga panahon o kapag nakatanggap tayo ng balita mula sa sariling-bayan na may sakit ang isang miyembro ng pamilya; kapag nararanasan natin ang takot sa panahon ng mga bagyo sa dagat o kapag bumibiyahe tayo hanggang sa dulo ng kilalang mga katubigan ng pirata; kapag ang ating mga kaugnayan sa mga kapwa miyembro ng tripulante ay mahirap at pinuwersa – sa mga okasyong ito pakiramdam natin ay natatakpan ng kadiliman ang ating mga buhay.
Isang dasal para sa mga manlalayag Banal na Diyos, Mapagmahal na Kristo, Nabubuhay na Espiritu; Ikaw ay naroroon sa pang-araw-araw na mga kaganapan; ikaw ay ibinubunyag sa mga kagulat-gulat at kamangha-manghang pagtatagpo. Hayaang muling ibunyag ng paghahayag ang iyong misteryo ngayong araw – na maaari naming samasamang makita ito. Hayaang magdulot ng bagong liwanag ang sikreto ng mga panahon sa aming kaugnayan sa iyo, at bawat isa, habang pinupuri namin ang pangalan ni Hesukristo, Amen Sa Isaiah Ch. 9: binabasa natin: “Ang mga taong naglalakad sa kadiliman ay nakakita ng napakadakilang liwanag; sa mga naninirahan sa lupain ng malalim na kadiliman – sumikat sa kanila
ang liwanag.” Ang sipi na ito ay isang paalala na gaano man magmukhang madilim ang ating sitwasyon, ang liwanag ng Diyos ay palaging mas malakas. Maaaring hindi mapawi ng “liwanag” na ito
ang kadiliman na ating nararanasan ngunit nakatutulong ito sa atin na makaya sa pamamagitan ng pagtanaw sa ating kalagayan nang bahagyang naiiba. Ito’y parang may isang taong nagsindi ng kandila sa isang madilim na silid. Ang maliit na apoy ay hindi pumapawi ng kadiliman, ngunit bigla ang silid ay bahagyang mas maliwanag. Ang maliit na kapiraso ng liwanag ay kadalasang inaalis ang ilan sa ating takot at pag-aalala at ito ang liwanag na pinaniniwalaan ko na inilalarawan ng sumulat sa Isaiah. Ang liwanag na ito ay dumarating sa lahat ng hugis at anyo: maaari itong maging isang pagbisita ng pari sa iyong barko; ang kakayahan na makipag-ugnayan sa iyong pamilya sa sentro ng mga mandaragat; o sa pamamagitan ng salita ng pagbibigay ng lakas at pag-asa mula sa isang kapwa miyembro ng tripulante. Sumisikat ang liwanag sa kadiliman, at hindi ito nadaig ng kadiliman. (John 1:5) n