The Sea January Edition

www.missiontoseafarers.org themissiontoseafarers @FlyingAngelNews

Issue 239 Jan/Feb 2016

Статьи на русском языке приводятся на стр. 6 и 7

Indian Ocean piracy danger area reduced page 2 US-flagged El Faro sinks in hurricane page 3

Renewed call for UK criminal investigation 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

Seafarers pick ships with good comms

UN approves Somalia taskforce extension

Crew connectivity high on list of job-hunting priorities

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NEW survey warns that communications are becoming an increasingly important factor for seafarers when choosing which shipping company to work for, with 73 per cent stating that crew connectivity influenced their decision.

This trend, said the authors of the survey, cannot be ignored by shipping companies, who are becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of providing crew with good connectivity.

Over 70 per cent of the seafarers taking part in the survey said they are either never, or rarely, able to go ashore on port calls, explaining why only 28 per cent use the welfare services available in port. The ability to access communications methods while on board is therefore increasingly important in a life where seafarers spend very little time ashore.

The research by Futurenautics Research, produced in association with Crewtoo, PTC, InterManager, BIMCO and the International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN), follows a similar survey in 2014. It found that the “industry is realising that connecting crew to their families is only the beginning” and goes on to say there is a push towards understanding the need for crew connectivity, in order to maintain a happy workforce.

According to ISWAN, if the main message of the 2014 survey was that access to crew communications was “an improving picture but far from good enough”, then the 2015 survey’s message is that shipowners are increasingly aware of the benefits of crew connectivity.

The survey was conducted between April and August 2015, with 3,057 seafarers from 30 different countries responding to questions about crew connectivity and communications. Of the total, 59 per cent were officers, and 41 per cent ratings. ISWAN said this reflects the greater level of internet

Credit: J.Attenborough

Los artículos en español aparecen en las páginas 6y7

Good connectivity should be high on everyone’s agenda

access enjoyed by officers, enabling more of them to participate in the survey.

When asked to rate their computer skills, 57 per cent of seafarers said they felt comfortable using IT and 33 per cent felt very knowledgeable, meaning that 90 per cent consider themselves to have good computer skills. ISWAN commented: “These figures demonstrate that seafarers are a highly IT literate workforce.”

This is reflected in the money spent on communications services.

Futurenautics estimates that the value of combined shore and seabased crew communications is worth in excess of US$3.3bn per annum, with the average respondent’s internet-related expenditure ashore alone reaching approximately $70 per month.

There was an increase of 10 per cent from 2014 in the number of seafarers stating that cost was

a primary factor in limiting their use of communication methods.

When asked about what services they would like to see in the future, most wanted to see free WiFi in ports. The respondents showed more interest in cost-effective communications than in new means of contact. However, Whatsapp (which did not feature in the 2014 survey at all) is a fastincreasing method of contact.

Seafarers preferred to access the internet using a smartphone, with 77 per cent of crews taking a smartphone device on board, up by 20 per cent from 2014. This contrasts with the 2014 survey, when laptops were the most popular device for accessing the internet.

Telephones were still the most common form of communications access on board, with 79 per cent of respondents having access to telephone calling. Internet access came second, demonstrating that

ship operators have responded to crew demands for this service. Of the 40 per cent of those with access to the internet on board, half had it for free.

But, ISWAN says, the figures showing the general level of access to the internet are distorted by the passenger ship sector, where 85 per cent of seafarers replying had internet access. Text-only email was the most popular noninternet based communications solution, and was the most commonly free service, compared to satellite phone where only four per cent of ship operators allow usage for free.

There has been a significant shift in frequency of access, with the 2014 survey finding the majority used communications services no more than once a week, while in 2015 this had changed, with 60 per cent of those with internet facilities using them daily.

Editor: Carly Fields News: David Hughes 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

Penalties loom for slack cyber crime protection MUTUAL liability insurer North P&I Club has said that shipping companies can expect to be penalised if they are not doing enough to combat cyber crime, which could put ships in danger.

As well as compromising vessel safety, a lack of onboard firewalls and other cyber security measures could soon expose shipowners to heavy fines and penalties, according to an article in the latest issue of the Club’s loss prevention newsletter, Signals.

The insurer said: “The safe operation of ships is increasingly dependent on sophisticated electronic systems, so it is vital these systems are properly secured and protected from external risks.” www.missiontoseafarers.org

The article goes on to say that the US Coast Guard’s new cyber strategy looks set to be a catalyst for new national and international regulations relating to cyber security on ships.

“The US Coast Guard published its cyber strategy in June this year [2015] in response to what it perceives is one of the most serious threats to US economic and national security interests,” said North’s deputy director of loss prevention, Colin Gillespie. “The International Maritime Organization has also now recognised the threat to global maritime safety and commerce, and is expected to review industry guidelines at its maritime safety committee in May next year [2016].” themissiontoseafarers

The insurer says the US strategy makes it clear that owners and operators must establish a reasonably viable cyber risk management programme, which includes continuous assessment, co-ordinated planning, investment, benchmarking, training, and possibly risk transference such as insurance.

North points out that while there is currently no requirement to adopt the US Coast Guard’s strategy, it is likely US authorities will soon require cyber risks and security to be managed on ships trading to the US in much the same way as oil spill risks have to be managed under the US Oil Pollution Act 1990 (OPA90). @FlyingAngelNews

The UN Security Council has reauthorised international naval forces to fight piracy off East Africa, describing the ongoing threat as a matter of “grave concern”.

While the threat has diminished significantly, the Security Council still sees a need for the joint naval presence and has renewed operations for another year.

The 15-member body unanimously voted to continue operations, highlighting the important role played by ships from regional organisations such as the European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Operation (NATO), Ocean Shield.

However, the council also noted that the primary responsibility for eradicating the threat of piracy off East Africa lies with Somalia.

“While noting improvements in Somalia, [the council] recognises that piracy exacerbates instability in Somalia by introducing large amounts of illicit cash that fuels additional crime and corruption,” the resolution said, adding that there was a need for a “comprehensive response to prevent and suppress piracy and tackle its underlying causes by the international community”.

The International Maritime Bureau has been vocal in its warning against complacency in these waters.

Bid for Philippine Internet voting A BILL has been filed in the Philippines House of Representatives seeking to make changes to the Overseas Voting Act that will allow internet registration and voting for Filipino seafarers and other overseas Filipino workers, the SunStar Manila reports.

According to the bill’s authors, ANGKLA Party-List Representative Jesulito Manalo and Benguet Province Representative Ronald Cosalan, House Bill 4991 is “designed to guarantee equal opportunity to all qualified citizens of the Philippines here and abroad in the exercise of the fundamental right of suffrage.”

ANGKLA Party-List describes itself as an organisation of seafarers, their families and concerned individuals who value the maritime sector.

The proposal has been described as a “game changer” for Philippine politics by the country’s foreign affairs undersecretary, Rafael Seguis.

If passed, the bill will allow the 1.3m active registered overseas voters, including seafarers, to vote in 2016’s national elections.

2 the sea Jan/Feb 2016

Union ponders private prosecution

Indian Ocean piracy danger area reduced But fears raised over fate of weapons stored by security companies

T

HE piracy High Risk Area (HRA) in the Indian Ocean was reduced in size on December 1 last year, following an industryled review conducted at the request of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CG).

In a statement the CG says the move reflects the progress made in fighting piracy off the coast of Somalia. However, one provider of armed guards has warned that many weapons will be surplus to requirements and that some could fall into the wrong hands.

Following an ever-increasing number of pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia, a piracy HRA, was declared in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean in 2010. As the international response to Somali piracy began to have an effect – no further successful Somali pirate attacks have been recorded in the piracy High Risk Area since 2012 – a growing number of countries in the Indian Ocean region have begun to call for that area to be reduced.

Maciej Popowski, deputy secretary general of the European External Action Service and EU chair of the CG, cautioned: “Piracy, however, is only contained, it has not disappeared and there is a need for continued vigilance”.

A dispute over how much to cut back the HRA has, according to the EU, been the longest and

most divisive issue that the stakeholders of the Contact Group have faced since its inception in 2009. But it says: “The way the piracy High Risk Area dispute has been handled and now concluded is testimony to the Contact Group model of multistakeholder governance.”

Armed guard company ESC Global Security (ESCGS) warns that the move could lead to a flood of weapons onto the black market as more private military and security companies (PMSCs) become bankrupt.

ESCGS chief operating officer Madis Madalik said: “The geographical reduction to the Indian Ocean HRA from December 1, 2015 is good news for shipping but my main concern is what will happen to the arsenal of very sophisticated weapons that bankrupt PMSCs have stored in floating armouries.”

It has been common practice for private maritime security companies to use and store weapons aboard floating armouries operating in international waters. But, ESCGS warns, with more security firms expected to close in coming months their weapons could remain unaccounted for.

“The past four years has seen the number of licensed PMSCs more than halve, as companies

reel from a reduced requirement for security aboard vessels transiting the Gulf of Aden, and more are expected to go under,” said Mr Madalik.

He asked: “If the floating armouries go out of business or if their clients are unable to pay to get their weapons back for decommissioning or proper disposal, then what will these armourers do with them: throw them overboard, sell them?

“The lack of regulation here has the potential to irrevocably damage the reputation and credibility of the entire PMSC industry.”

The maritime storage of weapons is currently unregulated and, according to ESCGS, while it is difficult to know exactly the number of floating armouries in operation or the security risks they pose, “a number of the vessels used in this opaque sector of the industry will be flagged with registers that are blacklisted or, indeed, unlisted.

“There is certainly no register of vessels or barges operating as armouries and no inventories of the weapons they store,” said Mr Madalik, who estimated that about 15,000 weapons and four million rounds of ammunition could be stored in Indian Ocean armouries alone. The weapons stored are typically small arms and semi-automatic, long-range rifles.

Philippines simulator training expands Credit: Transas

THE rapid growth and development of the Philippine maritime training market has caused a dramatic increase in demand for state-of-the-art simulation systems, according to maritime simulation and training solutions provider, Transas.

The company partnered with local company Philippine Lifesaving Equipment to undertake several projects, including the upgrading of NTPRO 5000 simulators at the Mariana Maritime Center, the Far East Foundation and at the Western Shipping training centre in Manila, where they also installed the Transas ERS 5000 TechSim. The companies have also installed navigational desktop workstations as well as a Transas GMDSS simulator, at the Mariner Polytechnic Legazpi Campus.

Transas has also delivered new simulators to the Italian Maritime Academy Phils, while the Panglaobased Cristal e-College is soon to be equipped with a Transas bridge simulator system DNV Class A with 240 degrees visualisation, and navigational simulator desktop workstations. A similar set-up was also supplied to the Mariners’ Polytechnic Colleges Foundation in Canaman.

Seafarers benefit from state-of-the-art systems

one shaft and one bow thruster. As the ship approached its berth, a pipework joint in the starboard controllable pitch propeller system ruptured, spraying oil on to the exhaust uptakes, starting a fire. The ferry berthed safely, the fire was extinguished using the ship’s hi-fog system and a fire hose, and the passengers and cargo were disembarked normally.

The MAIB found that the back pressure valve in the starboard controllable pitch propeller hydraulic

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Fatal fall in cargo tank THE Hong Kong Marine Department says lessons need to be learned from a fatal accident on board a Hong Kong-registered chemical tanker at anchor off Fujairah.

The accident occurred when a superintendent fell from a vertical ladder to the bottom of the cargo tank while carrying out an inspection. He was immediately retrieved from the tank and sent to a hospital ashore but was later declared dead.

The investigation into the accident found that the superintendent might have suffered from heat exhaustion, causing him to lose his grip on the ladder while he was entering the cargo tank in the afternoon, when there was a high ambient temperature. It was also noted there were no guard rings to prevent somebody falling sideways.

Lessons which needed to be learnt, said the HK Marine Department, included the need to be aware of the dangers of heat exhaustion when attempting hazardous tasks such as climbing ladders in tanks. The investigation also recommended that when climbing a vertical ladder that is not fitted with guard rings, fall arrestors should be used if practicable.

Djibouti prepares for emergencies

Ruptured hydraulic pipe caused ferry fire THE UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has recommended that high pressure alarms should be fitted in controllable pitch propeller systems. This follows a fire in September, 2014 on the P&O Ferries’ Pride of Canterbury as she was approaching Calais.

The starboard controllable pitch propeller stopped responding, so the starboard shaft was declutched and the two starboard main engines were stopped. The master proceeded, using

SEAFARERS’ union Nautilus International says it is exploring whether a private criminal prosecution could be taken out in the case of the cargo vessel Swanland that sank off the Welsh coast in 2011 with the loss of six lives.

The union has been very critical of the UK authorities, who say they cannot act against the operator, partly because the vessel sank outside territorial waters. The coroner in the case withdrew an initial verdict of unlawful killing, while the Maritime and Coastguard Agency said that it was unlikely any prosecution would be successful.

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system had jammed shut, resulting in the return line oil pressure rising to the point where a flanged pipework joint failed. The failed joint, along with others in the system, was not shielded to prevent a spray of oil in the event of joint failure. The back pressure valve was found to be worn and had not been tested for functionality during its 23 years of service.

P&O Ferries has now completed a programme of modifications to the

Pride of Canterbury, while machinery manufacturer Wärtsilä has issued a technical bulletin specifying back pressure valves should be replaced after 15 years.

MAIB has recommended that Lloyd’s Register proposes to the International Association of Classification Societies that there should be a requirement for high pressure alarms to be fitted in controllable pitch propeller systems.

A NATIONAL table top exercise on maritime contingency planning was conducted in Djibouti as part of a series of events leading up to the official opening of the Djibouti Regional Training Centre in November.

The aim of the exercise, facilitated by the International Maritime Organization, was to improve procedures and policies when faced with complex maritime security incidents.

The table top exercise follows the successful exercises carried out in west and central Africa and is the first of a planned series in east Africa.

Twenty-four participants from relevant government departments and agencies took part.

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3 the sea Jan/Feb 2016

US-flagged El Faro sinks in hurricane The US Navy conducts recovery operations for the El Faro

ALL 33 crew members were lost when the 40-year-old US-flagged combination ro-ro/lift-on cargoship, El Faro, sank during Hurricane Joaquin while sailing from Jacksonville, Florida to Puerto Rico, on 1 October 2015.

The wreck of the 31,515 gt ship, largely intact and upright, has been located on the seabed at a depth of about 4,500 metres. The crew comprised 28 US and five Polish nationals.

El Faro sailed from Jacksonville early on 30 September. At that time Joaquin was classed as a tropical storm and was several hundred miles away to the east.

The next day Joaquin had become a Category 3 hurricane, causing swells of

up to 12 metres and winds of over 92 mph and the El Faro was sailing close to the centre of the hurricane. At about 0700 hrs the master reported the ship had taken on water and was listing 15 degrees but that the flooding had been contained.

An extensive search over the next few days recovered debris, a damaged lifeboat, and an unidentifiable body. On 19 October, the US Navy sent oceangoing tug USNS Apache to conduct an underwater search for El Faro.

The Apache found the El Faro on 31 October.

However, the US National Transportation Safety Board announced

in early November: “The navigation bridge and the deck below have separated from the vessel and have not been located.”

This meant that the ship’s data recorder could not be recovered, although the search for the bridge section was continuing.

The El Faro’s owner, Tote Services, has been criticised for not advising the El Faro master to avoid the hurricane’s dangerous quarter. The families of the Polish seafarers are reported to be suing the shipping company on the basis that it should have warned the vessel to change course. They also claim the ship was too old to withstand a hurricane. Tote has rejected the claims.

Keep a camera on the bridge A GOOD-QUALITY digital camera should be standard bridge equipment, according to liability insurer London P&I Club.

Cameras, it said, should be part of ships’ procedures for collecting and preserving evidence in the event of an incident.

The club points out that experts need clear images in order to provide early remote assistance with incidents and the immediate actions required, and that insurers need evidence of the alleged damage and the losses suffered.

Writing in the latest issue of the club’s newsletter, Mike Harrison of marine consultancy Solis Marine Consultants, said: “In many cases, the immediate task of collecting and preserving evidence lies with the master and crew. Good photographs taken as soon as possible after the event are invaluable, and can easily be shared by email with a remote expert for instant advice on key issues. The expert can then identify where further detail might be useful, the signs of

prior damage and perhaps dilapidation or poor design.”

Mr Harrison pointed out that US$100 would now buy a camera capable of taking and storing quality images and that there was no need to compromise on quality or quantity. He said the bridge kit should include as a minimum a digital compact camera with at least 8X optical zoom, built-in flash and video function; camera image quality of at least 10 megapixels; two 8GB or larger blank SD cards (preformatted) and checked for operation; a spare battery pack, and a mains charger with a ship-compatible plug.

He concluded: “The camera should be kept on the bridge, fully charged with an empty storage card. Most cameras have an internal clock which should be checked and set to UTC (GMT). This time-stamp is used when the image file is stored and is essential when the chronology of events could be questioned.”

Illegal fishing convictions lauded INTERNATIONAL police organisation Interpol claims to have scored a major success in the global fight against fisheries crime, with the convictions of three crew members of a vessel engaged in illegal fishing.

A court in Sao Tomé and Principe found the captain, chief engineer and second engineer of the Thunder guilty of various illegal fishing charges. The vessel, which sank off the coast of the West African nation in April, was the subject of international investigations into the illegal fishing of Patagonian toothfish.

The Thunder was the subject of an Interpol Purple Notice issued in 2013 at the request of New Zealand, supported by the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA) and the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries, to warn countries worldwide of the vessel’s participation in illegal fishing and the methods being used to attempt to conceal its identity and activities from law enforcement.

Interpol supported investigations in at least 15 member countries into the global activities of the Thunder, other vessels suspected to be part of the same

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illegal fishing fleet, and the operating network which owns the fleet.

Purple Notices have also been issued for four other illegal fishing vessels – the Kunlun, Snake, Songhua and Yongding – believed to be operated by the same Spanish-based network as the Thunder.

At the Our Ocean conference held in Chile in early October 2015, US secretary of state John Kerry highlighted the links between illegal fishing and other crimes – including human trafficking and drug smuggling – and the need for stronger enforcement action.

Credit: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class John Paul Kotara

Owner criticised for not advising the ship to divert from the path of the storm

West Africa stowaway warning

ECDIS guidelines issued by IMO

STOWAWAYS from West Africa are still boarding vessels through the rudder trunk.

Liability insurer the UK P&I Club said four stowaways were discovered recently, well into a vessel’s passage to South America. The men had entered the vessel via the rudder trunk, by cutting through protective grates.

In another case seven stowaways attempted to board a vessel from a speedboat.

The master and crew spotted the boat and managed to stop the stowaways before they could climb up the rudder.

The insurer said bulk carriers in ballast may be seen as “easy targets”. It added that stowaway and drugs searches should include a thorough examination of the rudder trunk and other spaces that appear to be fairly secure.

According to the insurer it can cost more than US$30,000 to return a single stowaway from Brazil to West Africa.

AS THE mandatory introduction of electronic charts, or ECDIS, continues the International Maritime Organization has issued a circular (MSC.1/Circ/1503) providing guidance on good practice for the use of ECDIS. The circular acknowledges the benefits to the mariner that ECDIS can bring while also highlighting its status as a complex, softwarebased system.

Australia’s wire ropes warning AUSTRALIAN Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has warned ship operators, masters and crew that they have a responsibility to ensure the safe operation of lifting appliances and associated equipment in Australian ports.

AMSA said it had received a number of incident reports involving crane wire ropes.

These incidents involved the failure of wire ropes, improper securing of wire ropes and operator error. Such incidents present risks of serious injury, fatality and/or damage to the vessel.

AMSA has issued guidelines (https://www.amsa.gov.au/) based on the regulations in force in Australian ports. It cautioned that care should be taken to avoid damaging or weakening a wire rope through: excessive stress and strain; rubbing or chafing against sharp objects; passing it through too small a sheave or block, or the formation of a kink in any rope under strain.

Beware of bogus job offers A NEW recruitment scam is circulating, warns seafarers’ union Nautilus International.

The scam takes the form of an email advertisement offering employment with Princess Cruise Lines in jobs ranging from male nurses to youth counsellors, paying between US$45,000 and US$125,000. Applicants are asked to submit resumés to Mrs Gloria Richardson at princesscruise.jobs@newlabor.n et.

Princess Cruise Lines has confirmed that the email is bogus.

Worry over new UK law SEAFARERS’ union Nautilus International has written to UK shipping minister John Hayes, expressing concern over the potential for proposed new counterterrorism laws to restrict or even outlaw the payment of ransoms to pirates holding seafarers hostage.

Similar fears have been raised by marine insurers about the way in which the measures could restrict or prevent future ‘general average’ or kidnap and ransom policy payments to secure the release of ships and seafarers held by pirates.

Poor anchoring equipment caused collision AN Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) report into an incident involving the bulk carrier Royal Pescadores found multiple deficiencies in the ship’s anchoring equipment and in operating practices on board.

On May 18, 2014, during bad weather at Fremantle anchorage, Australia, the securing pin worked free from the ship’s port anchor chain cable stopper bar. The bar then opened and the windlass brake took the cable load.

The brake did not hold and the cable ran out to its bitter end, which gave way and the entire anchor cable was lost into the sea.

The bulk carrier then drifted onto the tanker Da Heng Shan which was anchored nearby, damaging both ships.

While not contributing to the accident, the bitter ends in the Royal Pescadores’ chain lockers could not be released remotely. The ATSB report found this to be dangerous practice but the ship’s classification society, ClassNK, refuted the assertion, responding that remote release was not necessary. The ATSB said ClassNK was following neither best practice nor the International Association of Classification Societies’ recommendations.

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4 the sea Jan/Feb 2016

NEWS

MICHAEL GREY

Seafarers’ wages ‘set to rise’ CREW wages are likely to rise this year according to a survey by international accountant and shipping consultant Moore Stephens.

The accountant asked shipping companies how much they thought their operating costs would rise and the response was that the industry’s pay bill is expected to increase by 2.4 per cent in 2015 and by 2.3 per cent in 2016, with other crew costs thought likely to go up by 2.0 per

cent and 1.9 per cent respectively for the years under review.

One respondent to the survey predicted: “Crew costs will continue to be the main area of increased operating expenditure,” a view shared by another, who said there would be increased costs in meeting the requirements of the Maritime Labour Convention 2006. But another ship operator said: “Crew costs will remain stable because the workforce will always be recruited from cheap countries.”

Moore Stephens shipping partner Richard Greiner said: “It is no surprise that crew wages feature near the top of the predicted operating cost increases for both 2015 and 2016, not least because of the entry into force of the Maritime Labour Convention 2006, which mandates the manner in which seafarers must be paid. For shipping, as for every industry, investment in good people will always be money well spent.”

Bridging th

While well intentioned and mu of separating people ashore fro

I

F YOU are of a certain age, you may remember that if you lived in, or near, a port, you got to learn a bit about the ships that used it. If the port didn’t work on Sundays, people would walk about the wharves and look at the ships and even talk to the sailors.

It was how quite a lot of people were first exposed to the maritime world which would eventually become where they spent their careers.

However, in more recent years, because the ISPS Code has, for very understandable reasons, erected a ‘security fence’ around ports, it has become a lot harder to get close to ships and those who sail in them. People who work in the ports – just like some of the people who live nearby – worry about these barriers, and while everyone sees their practical advantages, they know it makes it rather harder for the port to remain integrated into the local community.

That matters, because ports are important. They are often major employers and need to cultivate good relations with all those who live around them. They need to interest, recruit and retain

a new generation, and when they want to dredge, or build a new berth, or put up some new cranes, they would rather the local community was not hostile to these aims.

Some years ago, realising the growing alienation between ports and their communities and the harm this could cause, the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) conceived the idea of an annual award to promote the integration of ports and the surrounding population. It has rewarded ports that could demonstrate their benefits to society, their protection of the local heritage, and their involvement with local culture.

It is a well-supported competition and undoubtedly does help to bridge gaps, with good ideas that can be freely stolen.

The latest ESPO competition was designed to tease out ideas about the relationship ports have with schools and colleges in their vicinity, with ports focusing on the twin features of awareness and their future workforce, and the need to promote understanding, interest and potential jobopportunities.

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LAURA HAYES

A ray of sunlig

Salaries for seafarers are expected to rise by 2.3 per cent in 2016

‘No choice’ but to switch to LNG as fuel THE move to LNG as a fuel is a game changer which cannot be ignored, according to the managing director of major ship manager, Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement UK. Speaking at the Gastech Conference in Singapore in October, Angus Campbell noted: “Independent industry predictions indicate that the use of LNG as a bunker fuel offers opportunities for early movers to secure a market leading position ashore and afloat, and global LNG fuelling will become a mainstream option.

“It has happened before: wind gave way to coal and coal in its turn gave way to oil. The move from oil to natural gas is simply the next progression in the evolution of maritime transportation.”

Mr Campbell added that, despite its relative efficiency compared with other methods of transportation, shipping has been identified by international governments as a large and growing source of the greenhouse gas emissions that are causing climate change. Mr Campbell pointed out that the increasing number of programmes and regulations concerning the impact of shipping on the environment are growing and the choice for shipowners is

no longer whether to come into line, but what option to choose in order to do so.

In his view there was no real choice – distillate fuels and the use of scrubbers with conventional fuel simply do not have the advantages of LNG. “Distillate fuels are expensive and there is a likelihood that the price will increase due to demand as emission regulations are enforced in multiple areas. Scrubbers may seem a simple

alternative but the cost benefit calculation is actually very complex – with no guarantees that this will be accepted as a long term method of emission reduction.

“LNG will be with us for a very long time,” concluded Mr Campbell, “with over 200 years supply in the ground it is sustainable, meets current and planned emission limits and, as it is a clean fuel, offers maintenance cost improvements.”

Turbine box ship designs unveiled STEAM turbines have almost been phased out of the commercial fleet, with just a dwindling number of LNG carriers still using this form of propulsion, while gas turbines never really caught on for merchant ships because of their high fuel usage.

Now, though, LNG specialist GTT, shipowner CMA CGM and classification society DNV GL have developed a concept vessel that is LNG-fuelled, powered by a combined gas and steam turbine, and electrically driven.

The three companies say that the Piston Engine Room Free Efficient Containership (PERFECt) has the potential to offer a more efficient, more flexible and greener box ship design than current

20,000 teu two-stroke diesel engine driven ultra large container vessels.

“Gas turbines associated with steam turbines in co-generation mode are ideal for the efficient utilisation of LNG as a fuel. This new design combines the exceptional volumetric efficiency of membrane containment technology with flexible electric propulsion to save even more cargo space compared to a conventional design,” said Arthur Barret, LNG bunkering program director at GTT. “In addition to being a cleaner fuel, LNG is very abundant and could be made available for bunkering cost effectively for this kind of trade much sooner than commonly admitted today.”

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Laura Hayes speaks with Mis mental health issues, unwaver

I

T IS a rainy October morning in London when I speak on the telephone with The Revd Ian McGilvray, who leads The Mission to Seafarers in Port Dampier, which is located in one of our most remote industrial ports in the boiling heat of Western Australia. A small mining town of only 1,300 people services the shoreside shipping community, which annually handles over one 177 million tons of iron ore, LNG and salt and other vital products from the local mines, mainly destined for China.

There are hundreds of ships calling here every month, and the team at the seafarers’ centre – with a seasonal staff of around 20 volunteers – has a busy daily programme. Generally this consists of ship-visiting in the morning, hospital-visiting in the afternoon and running the centre in the evening, when seafarers come to spend some time off their ships, pick up provisions and call home.

But no two weeks are ever the same. Ian told me: “I have worked here in Dampier for over 12 years and in the main the day has a steady rhythm. I have built close relationships with crews over the years, as they return regularly and know me well. But one email or

phone call will change my whole day or even my week.”

And this is the reason for my phone call: last year in the middle of July, Ian and his team witnessed one of the worst weeks the port has ever experienced. Six seafarers were killed, a horrific chain of events that started with second officer Kyaw Myat of the Hyundai Dangin drowning when he fell into the water while taking the draft readings prior to sailing.

This was followed by the death of Andrew Kelly, on board the supply vessel Skandi Pacific and then the death of three fishermen when their trawler was reported missing later that week. The final death was that of a crane driver, who suffered a stroke. Ian said: “This was a very unusual week, so I was involved with liaising with shipping companies, holding prayers and offering our support to those caught up in these tragedies. We also held memorial services on ships.”

Ian has not always been an Anglican priest; he spent 26 years in the Australian Navy before becoming ordained, so seafaring is in his blood. He is also an experienced crewman on the local Sea Rescue Group. Outside of that, Ian has developed a counselling

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model of maritim not only offers bereaved, but in bleak week in D him to support team members, with loss of lif they had never b Shockingly, had to deal wit suicide in the p first half of Nov two suicides for Mental health becoming th problem for seaf with longer vo isolation, m exhaustion and In a recent Lloyd’s List commented: “E that a person is is essential. Sign Dampier over t or so, in every crew member w suicide, it wa shipmates wh attention to th friend was not c of one master, it and sensitive p master’s situati it to the chapl period of counse

5 the sea Jan/Feb 2016

he city-sea gap

es, and the list of who responded of the biggest in with massive schools and higher d by comparison, uite small ports, r, were still able to a rewarding o the education of The judges of this d to work overtime these highly varied

early a lot being orts have looked vious school visit, tudents will have ocal enterprises wares, and backing ts with relevant erials, literature, Ds and other at will spread portedge. A few ports in integrating their schools’ curricula, w the port functions of the geography, syllabus. They nt workbooks and ls for these subjects, the themes of rade and logistics.

Credit: A Ryan

ch needed, increased security at ports has had the unfortunate effect om the commercial shipping industry, explains Michael Grey

Dublin has proved that modern day ports can still be accessible to the general public

Some ports do a great deal to involve the whole port ‘community’ in the endeavour, with all the local employers contributing. Others

work hard to show just how a successful port can transmit this success to the whole social spectrum.

Out of the 22 entries, the judges

selected five ports to be shortlisted: Antwerp, Bremen, Dublin, Guadeloupe and Valencia. These ports – some large, some small –

illustrate just how hard it was to make this decision, such was the variety presented.

All were commended for their innovative thinking. Antwerp, one of the world’s biggest ports, promotes interest in the whole port and the maritime sector with a wide range of programmes for every age group.

Bremen focuses on amazing teaching material for classroom instruction for use throughout secondary education. It also offers career guidance and vocational training and even helps to train the teachers.

Dublin Port works hard in the community, with a socially based programme that goes well beyond the port itself, supporting literacy and lifelong learning, and using its resources to enhance the quality of education for all ages. And it offers sponsorship and scholarships to those who might be economically disadvantaged.

The little French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe operates a brilliant system of ‘ambassadors’ to the school system, offers a notable outreach programme, and helps schoolteachers to learn about their port sector by supplying teaching materials.

The Spanish port of Valencia tries to bring together port, community, academia and civil society through an educational foundation it established in 2004, which provides specialist higher education in port-related subjects and engages in research on behalf of the whole port community.

The fact that all of this enterprise is going on despite economic problems in many European countries just serves to underline its value. It is also a very positive response to all those who like to complain about the noise, traffic, dirt and so on that they see as arising from their local port and who will object like fury at any port development plans. Getting port and community on the same wavelength, through information and education, must be beneficial.

The judges racked their brains and at a grand dinner in the elegant city of Brussels the delighted representatives of Dublin Port carried off a beautiful wooden sculpture for first prize. It is important recognition for the work they do to bring port and city closer.

ght in Australia’s Port Dampier

ssion to Seafarers’ port chaplain The Revd Ian McGilvray about ring support for seafarers and the need for counselling

me ministry, which support to those n this particularly Dampier, allowed his fellow rescue, who had to deal e on a scale that before encountered. the team has also th a rising tide of port. Sadly, in the vember there were r Ian to deal with. h, he believes, is e number one farers everywhere, oyages leading to ade worse by d stress. t Interview with Australia, Ian arly identification s at risk of suicide nificantly, here in the past ten years instance where a was contemplating as one of their ho had drawn he fact that their coping; in the case t was a very astute pilot who saw the ion and reported lain. Following a elling we used the

resources that were available to initiate a ‘buddy system’ for the crew members to allow them to provide support to the seafarer at risk. With one tragic exception, I am pleased to say that this buddy system is working.”

I asked him what he thought was the main change that he had seen in the port during his long tenure there. Ian said: “The Mission’s core work will always stay the same but Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC 2006) has given us some peace of mind.

We can hold ship agents and owners to account – I still see filthy ships, with no food on board for seafarers, so I can talk about the MLC and contact the ITF where I can. Seafarers are becoming more aware of it themselves but it is up to us at the Mission to promote it.”

Similarly, the nature of his spiritual work has not changed, although the number of Chinese Bibles being distributed now makes up around 60 per cent of those requested by seafarers. Ian also holds on-ship Bible study groups and is currently working with 18 ships regularly to talk about the Christian faith. He is looking forward to Advent and preparing for handing out extra free food

and drinks, along with free WiFi and internet. Also the Mission will give away small gifts at Christmas such as phone cards.

All of their impressive and extensive Mission work at Dampier is funded through volunteering and a small income from the retail shop in their centre.

British winter, when suddenly a ray of sunshine broke through the clouds and made him smile.

I have the sense that Ian will always find that welcoming and inspiring light in the midst of darkness and be able to share it with the seafaring world.

This year, he and his wife Sue

will move to Brisbane. He says it is time to retire and to spend more time reading and gardening. But while restrictions there will make ship visiting more difficult, he has been invited to continue ship visiting in Brisbane, which will certainly be a blessing for all the seafarers who visit the port.

Ian says goodbye to his Port Dampier visitors

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During our phone call, Ian tells me the temperature in the centre that day is around 42 degrees, but he remembers the much cooler English weather well, as he lived in Birmingham in the UK for four years. He remembers clearly, walking down a grey street in the cold and rain in a bleak

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6 the sea Jan/Feb 2016

JUSTICE MATTERS n BY DOUGLAS STEVENSON

Seafarers’ rights to internet access ACCESS to the internet has become an important aspect of people’s lives worldwide. The United Nations and several countries, including Costa Rica, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, and Spain, have deemed access to the internet to be a fundamental right.

It has become very difficult to participate in social, financial, political, and educational activities and to receive news today without access to the internet. Seafarers are educated, skilled professionals who depend on internet access for many aspects of their daily lives, yet they are often unable to access the internet while at sea or in some ports. Seafarers who cannot access the internet often ask me if they have a legal right to internet access.

Seafarers’ rights are defined by the general maritime law, international Conventions that have been accepted by national law, national statutes and regulations, and seafarers’ employment agreements. None have so far explicitly created a seafarer’s right to internet access.

Currently, the International Transport Workers’ Federation’s standard agreements, the Philippine POEA standard contract, and the International Bargaining Forum agreements

do not contain requirements to provide seafarers with internet access.

The most important relevant international Convention, Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC 2006) comes the closest by recommending, but not requiring, seafarers’ access to the internet. In Guideline B3.1.11, paragraph 4(j), MLC 2006 recommends that consideration should be given to providing seafarers “reasonable access to … email and internet facilities, where available, with any charges for the use of these services being reasonable in amount”.

It is not surprising that MLC 2006 does not explicitly require internet access for seafarers. MLC 2006 was the product of a 2001 agreement between unions and shipowners, called the Geneva Accord, to consolidate and update existing International Labour Organization Conventions and recommendations. It was not intended to create new concepts that were not contained in existing instruments.

When MLC 2006 was being negotiated, between 2000 and 2005, email and high speed internet were relatively new technologies that were not widely used by seafarers. For example,

Facebook, the most commonly used social media by seafarers, wasn’t generally available until 2006, when it was opened to anyone with an email address aged 13 or older.

MLC 2006 contains a fast track (by international organisation standards) for amendments, but even the expedited process can take at least three years. The Convention is more easily amended if a proposed amendment reflects a customary maritime practice.

Historically, seafarers’ rights were developed out of commercial customs and practices. Seafarers’ rights laws reflected shipowners’ self-interest in protecting seafarers as a way to recruit and retain skilled and responsible people for seagoing careers.

Some shipowners have already recognised the value of providing their crews with free or low cost access to the internet.

They know that today’s pool of candidates for seafaring professions consider access to the internet as vital to their daily lives, and that it is a key element in attracting people to seagoing careers.

A preliminary step towards amending MLC 2006 so that it requires that seafarers have access to the internet would be to follow the current practice of incorporating terms in some seafarers’ employment agreements.

Los derechos de la gente de mar a disfrutar de acceso a Internet EL acceso a Internet se ha convertido en un aspecto importante de la vida de las personas en todo el mundo. Naciones Unidas y varios países, como Costa Rica, Estonia, Finlandia, Francia, Grecia y España, consideran que el derecho de acceso a Internet constituye un derecho fundamental.

Hoy en día, sin acceso a Internet resulta muy difícil participar en actividades sociales, económicas, políticas y educativas, así como recibir noticias.

Los marinos son profesionales capacitados y cualificados que dependen del acceso a Internet para muchos aspectos de sus vidas cotidianas y, sin embargo, a menudo no pueden disfrutar de dicho acceso cuando están navegando o en algunos puertos. Los marinos que no pueden acceder a Internet muchas veces me preguntan si tienen un derecho legal a dicho acceso.

Los derechos de la gente de mar están estipulados en la legislación marítima general, en los convenios internacionales que han sido reconocidos por legislaciones nacionales, en los estatutos y reglamentaciones nacionales, y en los contratos de empleo de los marineros. Hasta el momento, en ninguno de esos instrumentos consta de forma explícita el derecho de la gente de mar a disfrutar de acceso a Internet.

Actualmente, ni los convenios estándar de la Federación Internacional de los Trabajadores del Transporte, ni el contrato estándar de la POEA (la Administración Filipina del Empleo en el Extranjero), ni los contratos del Foro Internacional de Negociación incluyen requisitos de proporcionar acceso a Internet a la gente de mar.

El convenio internacional pertinente más importante, el Convenio sobre el trabajo marítimo

de 2006 (CTM, 2006), es el que más se acerca con una recomendación —pero no un requisito— para ofrecer acceso a Internet a los marineros. En la Pauta B3.1.11, apartado 4(j), el CTM 2006 recomienda que se tenga en cuenta la posibilidad de proporcionar a la gente de mar «un acceso razonable a... los servicios de correo electrónico e Internet, cuando los haya, a precio razonable».

No es de extrañar que el CTM 2006 no exija de forma explícita el acceso a Internet para la gente de mar. El CTM 2006 fue el resultado de un acuerdo de 2001 entre sindicatos y armadores, conocido como el Acuerdo de Ginebra, para unificar y poner al día los convenios y las recomendaciones de la Organización Internacional del Trabajo que existían entonces. No pretendía crear nuevos conceptos que no estuviesen incluidos en instrumentos existentes entonces.

Cuando se estaba negociando el CTM 2006 —entre los años 2000 y 2005—, el correo electrónico y la Internet de alta velocidad eran tecnologías relativamente nuevas que no eran muy utilizadas por la gente de mar. Por ejemplo, Facebook, la red social más usada por los marinos, no estuvo disponible de forma general hasta 2006, cuando se empezó a permitir su uso a cualquier persona de más de 13 años con una dirección de correo electrónico.

El CTM 2006 ofrece un procedimiento rápido (dentro de lo normal para las organizaciones internacionales) para la introducción de enmiendas, pero incluso ese procedimiento acelerado puede llevar al menos tres años. El convenio se puede enmendar más fácilmente si la enmienda propuesta refleja una práctica marítima habitual. A lo largo

de la historia, los derechos de la gente de mar se han desarrollado a partir de costumbres y prácticas comerciales. Las leyes sobre los derechos de la gente de mar reflejan el propio interés de los armadores en la protección de los marinos como una forma de atraer y conservar a trabajadores cualificados y responsables para carreras profesionales marítimas.

Para la industria marítima actual, la contratación y conservación de marinos sigue siendo una prioridad. Aimilia Papachristou, Damian Stantchev e Ioannis Theotokas presentaron en 2014 ante la Asociación Internacional de Economistas Marítimos un artículo en el que se exponía que los marinos consideran que la separación de sus familias y una comunicación inadecuada con sus familiares y amigos cuando están navegando son los factores más importantes que impiden la permanencia.

El estudio también puso de relieve que el 85,3 por ciento de los marinos encuestados utilizaba alguna red social.

Algunos armadores ya se han dado cuenta del valor de ofrecer a sus tripulaciones acceso a Internet gratuito o con un coste bajo. Saben que los candidatos actuales a profesiones marítimas consideran el acceso a Internet una parte fundamental de sus vidas cotidianas y que es un elemento clave para atraer a la gente a las profesiones marítimas.

Un paso preliminar para enmendar el CTM 2006 de modo que se requiera facilitar a los marinos el acceso a Internet sería seguir la práctica actual de introducir condiciones sobre la materia en algunos contratos de empleo de la gente de mar.

海員上網的權利 訪問互聯網已成為世界各地 人們生活的一個重要方面。 聯合國和一些國家，包括哥 斯 大 黎 加、 愛 沙 尼 亞、 芬 蘭、法國、希臘和西班牙， 都認為訪問互聯網是一項基 本權利。

當各方在 2000 年至 2005 年 談 判《2006 年 海 事 勞 工 公 約》時，電子郵件和高速互 聯網是相對較新的技術，尚 未 被 海 員 們 普 遍 使 用。 例 如，海員們最常用的社交媒 體 Facebook 直 到 2006 年 才 普遍可用，那年 Facebook 向 13 歲或以上、有電子郵箱的 任何人開放。

當今，若不能訪問互聯網， 就很難參與社會、經濟、政 治和教育活動，或者獲得新 聞。海員們是受過教育的高 《2006 年海事勞工公約》包 技能專業人才，他們在日常 含 了 一 條 進 行 修 訂 的 快 車 生活的許多方面依靠上網， 道（按照國際組織的標準而 但他們往往在海上或在某些 言） ，但即使快速過程也可能 港口無法訪問互聯網。那些 需要至少三年。如果擬議的 無法訪問互聯網的海員經常 修訂反映習慣海事實踐，那 問我：他們依法有沒有上網 麼《公約》更容易修訂。從 的權利？ 歷史上看，海員的權利源自 海 員 的 權 利 是 由 一 般 海 事 商業習俗和慣例。規定海員 法，已被國家法律、法規和 權利的法律，反映了船東在 規章接受的國際公約，以及 保護海員、據此招聘和留住 海員就業協議規定的。迄今 從事航海事業的高技能和負 這些都沒有明確規定海員訪 責任的人才方面的自身利益。 問互聯網的權利。 招聘和留住海員仍然是當今 目前，國際運輸工人聯合會 航 運 業 一 項 高 度 優 先 的 重 （ITF）的標準協議，菲律賓 點。 在 2014 年 國 際 海 事 經 POEA 標準合同，以及國際 濟 學 家 協 會（IAME） 會 議 協商論壇（IBF）的協議都不 上宣讀的一篇論文中，三名 包含向海員提供互聯網訪問 作 者（Aimilia Papachristou, 的要求。 Damian Stantchev 和 Ioannis 最 重 要 的 相 關 國 際 公 約 Theotokas）透露，在他們的 《2006 年 海 事 勞 工 公 約 》 研究中，海員們反映，與家 （2006 MLC）在這方面相對 人的分離，以及在海上與親 最到位，它推薦（但不要求） 友通信不足，是阻礙他們留 讓海員訪問互聯網。 《2006 年 下的最重要問題。該研究還 海事勞工公約》導則 B3.1.11 顯 示，85.3% 的 受 訪 海 員 使 第 4（j）段建議，應考慮向 用某種形式的社交媒體。 海員提供「合理的……電子 郵件和互連網設施，如有這 有些船東意識到了為他們的 些設施，使用這些服務的任 船員提供免費或低價上網的 價值。他們知道，在當今的 何收費額應合理」 。 航海職業候選人看來，訪問 《2006 年海事勞工公約》沒 互聯網對於他們的日常生活 有明確要求讓海員上網這一 是至關重要的，這是一個吸 點 並 不 奇 怪。 《2006 年 海 事 引人們投身航海事業的關鍵 勞工公約》是工會和船東之 因素。 間在 2001 年達成的《日內瓦 協定》的產物，目的是整合 向著修訂《2006 年海事勞工 並更新原有的國際勞工組織 公約》邁出初步的步伐，使 （ILO）公約和建議。它的目 其要求讓海員有機會上網， 的不是要創建原有文書並未 將是跟進將其納入一些海員 的就業協議的現行實踐之舉。 包含的新概念。

Права моряков на доступ в Интернет ДОСТУП в Интернет стал важной частью жизни людей по всему миру. ООН и несколько стран, в том числе Коста-Рика, Эстония, Финляндия, Франция, Греция и Испания, рассматривают доступ в Интернет в качестве фундаментального права человека. Без него становится все сложнее принимать участие в социальной, финансовой, политической и образовательной деятельности, а также узнавать последние новости. Моряки представляют собой интеллигентный, образованный слой населения и нуждаются в Интернете для выполнения многих из своих повседневных действий, однако зачастую они не могут выйти в Интернет, находясь в море или в некоторых морских портах. Моряки без доступа в Интернет часто спрашивают у меня, предусмотрено ли их право на этот доступ в законодательстве. Права моряков регулируются общим морским правом, международными конвенциями, которые утверждены государственным правом, нормами и положениями национального законодательства, а также трудовыми соглашениями моряков. Однако ни в одном из этих законов не содержится четкого определения права моряков на доступ в Интернет. В настоящее время стандартные соглашения Международной федерации транспортных рабочих (International Transport Workers’ Federation, ITF), стандартные контракты Филиппинского управления по трудоустройству за рубежом (Philippines Overseas Employment Administration, POEA) и соглашения Международного переговорного форума (International Bargaining Forum, IBF) не содержат требования о предоставлении морякам интернет-доступа. Самой главной в этом отношении международной конвенцией является Конвенция о труде в морском судоходстве 2006 года (MLC

2006), которая рекомендует, но не требует предоставления морякам доступа в Интернет. В параграфе 4(j) инструкции B3.1.11 MLC 2006 рекомендуется рассмотреть возможность предоставления морякам «разумно необходимого доступа к… электронной почте и Интернету, где это возможно, причем плата за такой доступ должна быть умеренной». Неудивительно, что MLC 2006 не содержит четкого требования о предоставлении морякам интернет-доступа. Конвенция MLC 2006 была составлена на базе соглашения Geneva Accord, заключенного в 2001 году между профсоюзами и владельцами судов и призванного объединить и привести в актуальное состояние существующие конвенции и рекомендации Международной организации труда (International Labour Organization). Ее целью не было создание новых концепций, которые не содержались в существовавших на тот момент официальных документов. В ходе подготовки MLC 2006, происходившей в период между 2000 и 2005 годами, электронная почта и высокоскоростной Интернет были относительно новыми технологиями и еще не имели широкого распространения среди моряков. Так, самая популярная среди моряков социальная сеть Facebook не была общедоступной вплоть до 2006 года, когда она стала открытой для каждого пользователя старше 13, имеющего адрес электронной почты.

MLC 2006 предусматривает процедуру оперативного внесения изменений (согласно международным организационным стандартам), однако даже ускоренный процесс занимает как минимум три года. Внести в конвенцию изменения проще, если предлагаемое изменение отражает привычную практику, принятую в судоходстве. Исторически

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сложилось так, что права моряков разрабатывались на основе торговых обычаев и практик. Законы о правах моряков отражали интересы судовладельцев, состоявшие в необходимости защиты моряков как способе набора и удержания квалифицированных и ответственных людей в области судоходства. Набор и удержание моряков на рабочих местах и сегодня является основной сферой внимания морского судоходства. В документе, представленном на рассмотрение Международной ассоциации морских экономистов (International Association of Maritime Economists) в 2014 году, его авторы Аймилия Папахристоу, Дамиан Станчев и Иоаннис Теотокас рассказали, что в ходе проведенного ими исследования моряки в качестве основной причины, не дающей им подолгу оставаться на своей работе, назвали оторванность от семьи и недостаточную связь с родственниками и друзьями во время морских рейсов. Исследование также показало, что 85,3 процента моряков-респондентов являются пользователями различных социальных сетей. Ряд судовладельцев уже признали важность предоставления своим экипажам бесплатного или недорогого доступа в Интернет. Им известно, что современные кандидаты на морские вакансии считают доступ в Интернет абсолютно необходимым аспектом повседневной жизни и ключевым элементом привлекательности работы в морском судоходстве. Предварительным шагом на пути к внесению в конвенцию MLC 2006 положения о требовании предоставления морякам интернетдоступа должно стать выполнение текущей практики включения соответствующих условий в некоторые соглашения о трудоустройстве моряков.

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7 the sea Jan/Feb 2016

FOCUS ON FAITH n BY ADAM BOULTER

Blessed are those who mourn At the start of winter in the UK, we have a string of festivals and services aimed at remembering the dead. On Remembrance Day, All Souls Day and The Day of the Dead, we remember those who have died and mourn their loss.

The gospels make it clear that we should mourn, that this will bring us blessings and comfort. Yet mourning the death of someone you have loved is often a lonely and grim business, made all the worse by being far from home. So how can we help ourselves, and our colleagues and friends to grieve for their dead and be comforted?

To begin with we need to accept that being upset is healthy, and that the processes of grief should not be rushed or hidden.

Meanwhile, we need to carry on with life; time does not stop and life does go on, but we must be gentle with ourselves.

Practically, that means living in a regular pattern: eating good food, going to bed and trying to sleep in the patterns you are used to, taking moderate exercise, and avoiding alcohol and drugs.

Spiritually, it means finding someone to talk to or email who you can trust, and performing the rituals of grief as fully as you can; for instance: if you can't be at the burial, then try

悼念的人是有福的

to find some time on the same day to remember the person who has died and say goodbye to them and to pray. Then when you get home, visit the grave and family. We need these actions and stable regular life to be able to start to come to terms with death, and then we will start to be blessed with comfort.

Grief does not pass quickly, rather it comes and goes, like waves gradually fading; loved ones who have died are always with us, and we would not want it any other way. However, those waves can take us by surprise, and it is worth noticing that often grief strikes unexpectedly nine months to a year after a death and six to seven years later as well. The anniversaries can also be hard, so be careful around those times, make sure you have friends around if you can, and mark the occasions.

The death of a loved one is always hard and we are called to support each other at these times, but if your friend turns to you and talks about their grief, just listen; don't immediately turn the conversation to your problems, and do not offer solutions, rather listen and comfort them. We cannot understand our own grief let alone someone else’s, but we can be there with others, making it all less frightening and lonely.

The Revd Adam Boulter is MtS port chaplain for Aqaba, Jordan.

Bienaventurados los que lloran En Reino Unido, en esta época del año tenemos una serie de festivales y actos para conmemorar a los muertos, desde Remembrance Sunday y la Conmemoración de los Fieles Difuntos hasta el Día de los Muertos. En ellos recordamos a quienes han fallecido y lamentamos la pérdida.

El evangelio deja claro que debemos llorarlos, que eso nos reconfortará y nos traerá bendiciones. Pero llorar la muerte de alguien a quien hemos amado a menudo es algo solitario y duro, todavía peor si estamos lejos de casa. Así que, ¿cómo podemos ayudarnos y ayudar a nuestros compañeros a llorar a sus muertos y sentirse reconfortados?

Para empezar, necesitamos aceptar que sentir tristeza es algo saludable y que los procesos de duelo no se deben apurar ni ocultar, y tampoco publicarlos en Facebook.

Mientras tanto, necesitamos seguir adelante con nuestra vida; el tiempo no se detiene y la vida continúa, pero debemos cuidarnos.

En la práctica, eso significa que debemos

seguir con nuestras costumbres habituales: comer bien, ir a la cama y dormir de acuerdo con los hábitos que teníamos, hacer ejercicio con moderación y evitar el alcohol y las drogas.

Desde el punto de vista espiritual, significa que debemos encontrar a alguien con quien hablar, con quien comunicarnos por correo electrónico, alguien en quien confiemos, y vivir los rituales del duelo en la mayor medida posible. Por ejemplo, si nos resulta imposible acudir al entierro, podemos tratar de encontrar un momento en el mismo día para recordar a la persona que ha fallecido, despedirnos de ella y rezar.

Después, cuando estemos de vuelta en casa, podemos visitar la tumba y a la familia.

Necesitamos realizar estos actos y llevar una vida estable y ordenada para empezar a superar la muerte de alguien y, después, empezaremos a sentirnos reconfortados.

El dolor no pasa rápidamente, al contrario, viene y va, como olas que poco a poco se van haciendo más pequeñas. Los

seres queridos que han fallecido están siempre con nosotros, y no querríamos que fuese de otra manera. Sin embargo, esas olas pueden aparecer por sorpresa y debemos tener en cuenta que el dolor a veces surge de forma inesperada entre nueve meses y un año después de la muerte de alguien o, incluso, entre seis y siete años más tarde.

Los aniversarios también pueden ser duros, así que debemos tener especial cuidado en esas fechas, asegurarnos de tener amigos a nuestro lado si es posible y conmemorar la ocasión.

La muerte de un ser querido siempre es difícil y tenemos que apoyarnos los unos a los otros en esos momentos. Si un amigo acude a ti para hablar de su pérdida, escúchalo.

No lleves la conversación inmediatamente a tus problemas y no ofrezcas soluciones, solo escucha y consuela. No podemos entender nuestro propio dolor y mucho menos el de los demás, pero podemos estar ahí para los demás, haciendo que sea menos solitario y aterrador.

每年的這個時候，我們在英 國有一連串緬懷死者的節日 和儀式，從陣亡將士紀念日 和萬靈節，到亡靈節，我們 懷念逝者，哀悼他們的離世。 福音書清楚地表明，我們應 該 悼 念， 這 將 帶 給 我 們 祝 福和安慰。然而，哀悼你曾 經愛過的人的離世往往是一 種孤獨和嚴峻的經歷，而遠 離家園使這一切變得更糟。 那麼，我們如何才能幫助自 己，幫助我們的同事和朋友 哀悼逝者、得到安慰呢？ 首先，我們必須接受這樣一 點： 感 到 難 過 是 健 康 的， 經歷悲痛的過程不應操之過 急、不應隱藏，也沒有必要 在 Facebook 公開廣播。與此 同時，我們需要繼續生活。 時間不會停步，生活還要繼 續，但我們一定要溫柔對待 自己。 在實際意義上，這意味著過 有規律的生活：吃好的食物， 按時上床，試著按照你習慣 的 方 式 睡 眠， 做 適 量 的 運 動，以及避免酒精和毒品。 在精神上，這意味著找到人 傾訴，或者發電子郵件給你 可以信任的人，以及盡可能 完全地進行哀悼儀式；例如， 如 果 你 不 能 出 席 葬 禮， 那 就試著在葬禮當天抽出一些

時間緬懷逝者，向他們說再 見，並且祈禱，然後在你回 家後上墳和拜訪家人。我們 需要這些行為，需要穩定、 規律的生活，才能開始逐漸 接受死亡的現實，然後我們 將開始得到安慰。 哀慟不會很快過去，而是會 來 來 去 去， 像 波 浪 一 樣 逐 漸消退；我們總是會記得逝 去的親人，這符合我們的心 願。然而，哀慟的波浪可能 會讓我們措手不及，同時值 得注意的是，悲痛往往在親 人離世九個月至一年後意外 來襲，在六到七年後也是如 此。 周 年 紀 念 日 也 可 能 很 難，所以要小心那些日子， 在可能的情況下確保您身邊 有 朋 友， 並 且 要 紀 念 這 些 日子。 心愛的人離世總是很困難 的，我們有義務在這樣的時 候相互支持，但如果你的朋 友找你傾訴他們的悲痛，你 應該只是傾聽；不要馬上把 話題轉到你的問題，也不要 提供解決方案，只需傾聽和 安慰他們。我們無法理解自 己的悲傷，更何況別人的悲 傷，但我們可以陪陪他們， 使悲痛過程不那麼可怕和 孤獨。

亞當 • 博爾特牧師

( Rev’d Adam Boulter)

Блаженны те, кто скорбит В это время года в Великобритании проводится множество мероприятий и служб в память об усопших – от Поминального воскресенья и Дня поминовения усопших до дня мертвых. Мы вспоминаем усопших и скорбим о потере. В Евангелии говорится о том, что мы должны скорбеть, ибо это блаженство и утешение. Однако скорбь об ушедшем дорогом для нас человеке часто сопровождается одиночеством и унынием – чувствами, которые еще более обостряются вдали от дома. Как помочь самим себе, своим коллегам и друзьям, скорбящим об ушедших близких, найти утешение? Прежде всего мы должны принять тот факт, что грусть – это естественное чувство, и что его нельзя торопить, скрывать или же публично демонстрировать на Facebook. Мы должны продолжать жить – ведь время не ждет и жизнь продолжается, – но при этом бережно относиться к самим себе.

Фактически это означает жить, как прежде: есть вкусную еду, ложиться в постель и пытаться заснуть, как обычно, заниматься спортом, избегать алкоголя и наркотиков. В духовном смысле это означает найти собеседника или друга по переписке, которому вы можете доверять, и далее выполнять все «ритуалы скорби» в полном объеме. Например, если вы не можете присутствовать на похоронах, найдите время, чтобы в тот же день вспомнить усопшего, попрощаться с ним и помолиться, а потом, когда вернетесь домой, посетить его могилу и близких. Эти ритуалы, как и стабильный, привычный образ жизни, нужны нам для того, чтобы смириться с фактом смерти, после чего мы начнем жить в блаженстве и утешении. Горе не проходит быстро: оно имеет обыкновение периодически возвращаться, но постепенно слабеть, как волны у берега; наши любимые умершие люди навсегда останутся с

нами, и мы сами не хотим, чтобы было по-другому. Однако эти «волны» могут настигнуть нас неожиданно, и стоит заметить, что горе часто застает нас врасплох через девять месяцев, через год после смерти близкого человека, через шесть-семь последующих лет. Непросто вынести и годовщины смерти, поэтому постарайтесь быть осторожнее в такие периоды, собрать вокруг себя друзей и помянуть усопшего. Смерть близких – это всегда горе, и в эти периоды мы призываем друг друга на помощь. Если ваш друг просит поговорить с ним об усопшем, просто выслушайте его; не старайтесь сразу же сменить тему разговора, не предлагайте решений, а просто слушайте и утешайте. Нам порой непросто разобраться в собственном горе, не говоря уже о чьем-либо чужом, но мы можем одним своим присутствием сделать горе менее пугающим, а скорбящего – менее одиноким.

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 Jan/Feb 2016

Clampdown on unapproved lights

Renewed call for UK criminal investigation

THE US Coast Guard (USCG) has warned of the dangers of unapproved lights on recreational and commercial vessels, especially in view of increasing numbers of LEDs lights being fitted on vessels.

The USCG says navigation lights must meet regulatory requirements relating to intensity, colour, and location. All other lights on vessels must not be mistaken for navigation lights, must not impair the visibility or distinctive character of navigation lights, and must not interfere with the ability to maintain a proper lookout.

Complex jurisdiction means crimes at sea can go unsolved and unpunished

T

HERE have been renewed calls for a British police investigation into the disappearance of Rebecca Coriam, who allegedly fell overboard from the Bahamas-registered Disney Wonder in March, 2011.

The member of the UK Parliament for the seafarer’s home town of Chester, Chris Matheson, is among those calling for a review of the evidence; he is reported to have said there is a “real possibility” she was murdered. Ms Coriam disappeared while the ship was off the Pacific coast of Mexico on March 22, 2011. Her credit card, which was not found among her personal belongings, was used after she vanished.

Nautilus International general secretary Mark Dickinson commented: “The disappearance of Ms Coriam is just one of a number of crimes at sea which fail to be properly investigated due to the

complex nature of jurisdiction in the global maritime industry, which is made worse due to the lack of regulatory control by some ship registers including many flags of convenience.”

The seafarers’ union believes the British police should be required to investigate all serious criminal incidents on UKregistered ships wherever they are; on all ships in UK waters, and any serious criminal incidents involving UK citizens at sea.

Mr Dickinson noted that, in the US, the FBI must be informed about any maritime incidents, in any jurisdiction, which involve US citizens, no matter where a ship is registered. He supported a call by senior Labour politician Lord Prescott for similar legislation to be introduced in the UK. Mr Dickinson added that the UK could, if it wanted to, investigate crimes on

British ships in any waters but that did not always happen.

“In June 2010, South African cadet Akhona Geveza died after falling overboard from the UK-registered containership Safmarine Kariba off the coast of Croatia,” he said.

“On the morning of her death Ms Geveza was due to meet with the ship’s captain following allegations of sexual assault on board. She never made it to that meeting and we have never been convinced by the Croatian authorities’ investigation, which concluded that Ms Geveza committed suicide. The British Police were ready to investigate but they were never asked to do so. Despite the incident taking place on a UK-registered ship, and following repeated calls from the union, the UK Government claimed it had no jurisdiction to launch a separate investigation.”

Nautical Institute launches new safety concept

Credit: Kees Torn

Container shipping in dire straits

Box ships can expect three more years of overcapacity

SLOWING global trade and a bloated order book for large capacity vessels mean that container shipping is set for another three years of overcapacity and financial pain, according to independent consultant Drewry.

It says a recent slowdown in world trade has forced it to halve its forecast for container shipping growth for this year to just 2.2 per cent and to revise down estimates for future years.

Meanwhile, an additional 1.6 million teu of new capacity is being added to the fleet this year, boosting its overall capacity by 7.7 per cent.

“The container shipping industry is in the midst of an overcapacity crisis which will worsen next year,” commented Neil Dekker, Drewry’s director of container shipping research.

“How carriers and tramp owners address the overcapacity situation will influence the duration of the crisis.

Shipping lines will need to idle a much larger portion of the fleet than they have hitherto been prepared to do. Otherwise, short of an unexpected recovery in traffic volumes, container shipping is set for several years of overcapacity and mounting financial losses.”

In a bid to respond to overcapacity

and low freight rates major container shipping company Maersk Line says it plans to reduce its network capacity and postpone new investments. The measures include not exercising the previously announced options to build six 19,630 teu vessels and two 3,600 teu feeder ships and postponing a decision on options it has for eight 14,000 teu vessels.

A company statement said: “In light of the lower demand these initiatives will allow Maersk Line to deliver on the ambition to grow at least in line with the market to defend its market leading position.”

Illegal fishing ‘abuses’ uncovered SLEEP deprivation, inhuman hours and low pay have been alleged in an investigation of undocumented migrants working on prawn and whitefish trawlers operating from Ireland, conducted by the UK newspaper, The Guardian.

It claims that undocumented Ghanaian, Filipino, Egyptian and Indian fishermen are manning boats based in ports from Cork to Galway, in the Republic of Ireland.

The fishermen described a catalogue of abuses, including being confined to vessels unless given permission by their skippers to go on land, and being paid less than half the Irish minimum wage that would

apply if they were legally employed. They also spoke of extreme sleep deprivation, having to work for days or nights on end with only a few hours’ sleep, and no proper rest days.

The Guardian said its evidence suggested that some boat owners and crewing agencies are smuggling African and Filipino workers into Ireland through the UK, bypassing Irish immigration controls. It says: “Agents and owners appear to be exploiting a loophole designed for international merchant shipping, which allows nonEU seafarers to transit through the UK for up to 48 hours if they immediately

www.missiontoseafarers.org

move on to join vessels working in international waters. These transit arrangements are not intended for fishermen working in national waters or constantly coming in and out of Irish ports.”

Many of the workers told The Guardian that they lived in fear of deportation and were told to stay on their boats in port because the owners would be fined if they were spotted and stopped by the authorities.

Some workers said they were controlled by debt to the agencies that recruited them, which charged them substantial and illegal placement fees to arrange visas, jobs and itineraries. themissiontoseafarers

A new book from the Nautical Institute (NI) builds on a concept first introduced in the aviation industry that was responsible for a massive reduction in accidents. The NI said that the concept will enable seafarers to make the best use of their physical and mental abilities in the challenging shipboard environment.

Launching Human Performance and Limitation for Mariners, in Manila in November, NI president Robert McCabe said: “It will give mariners insights into physical and psychological difficulties they may face.

“In aviation the concept of human performance and limitation (HPL) has been credited with great advances in safety,” Capt McCabe explained. “Pilots came to understand the realities of human limitations and their implication for delivering consistent overall performance. This publication will help seafarers to benefit from those advances.

“Although we seek to learn and benefit from these lessons out of the aviation industry, we recognise two major differences with the maritime industry,” continued Capt McCabe. “First, on vessels we are subjected to different motions and effects such as noise, heat, and vibration. The second, and more significant difference that this book describes, is the ship is home for our maritime professionals for many months at a time.

There are challenges to life on board, including living in a multicultural environment.

“This book sets out exactly what is going on if mariners face fatigue and the dangers it can put them in,“ he added.

“It has been written to help individuals gain an insight into physical and psychological traits and help mariners understand the limitations of their bodies and minds in this special environment.” @FlyingAngelNews

Shipmanager kick starts recruitment drive MUMBAI-BASED ship management company MMS Maritime India (MMSI) said it plans to recruit more Indian seafarers, after its parent company, Japanese shipowner Meiji Shipping Group, announced the expansion of its tanker fleet.

MMSI chief executive Dr Sanjay Bhavnani said he expected four new 28,000 dwt medium-range tankers to be delivered to Meiji by the beginning of 2016. “MMSI currently employs around 300 crew and we are looking to recruit a further 80-90 seafarers from India to help man these four new ships,” he said.

“The positions we are seeking to fill will be across the full spectrum of roles from officers and masters to chief engineers. A number of senior positions will be filled from our existing workforce to ensure the ships have the right levels of experience and expertise.”

Poor comms caused ferry fireball injuries A UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) report into a serious fire on a ferry has highlighted the need for good communications between crew and shore-based fire-fighters.

Two crew members and a fire-fighter were seriously injured when an uncontrolled fire broke out in the furnace of the port thermal oil heater on the DFDS ferry Dieppe Seaways as she was approaching the Eastern Ferry Terminal at Dover on May 1, 2014.

The vessel was met on arrival at the berth by a team of fire-fighters but, said MAIB, liaison between the crew and the fire-fighters was incomplete.

When entry into the space was attempted, a backdraught resulted in a fireball that caused a number of casualties. MAIB says a crack in the thermal oil heater coil allowed thermal oil to enter the furnace, resulting in an uncontrolled furnace fire.

Cosco rescues Filipino seafarers THE UK-registered, Chineseowned containership Cosco Shanghai rescued 21 Filipino seafarers from their lifeboat when the 1999-built Philippines-flagged 4,593gt cargoship Foxhound sank in bad weather in the Vitiaz Strait off Northern New Guinea in October.

According to the Manila Bulletin, the men were landed at Port Botany, Sydney, Australia, and were assisted by the Philippine Consulate General, who arranged medical checks and repatriation.