April 2007
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During April 2007 IFSMA attended the 11th session of the Sub-Committee on Bulk Liquids and gases BLG), and the Sub-Committee on Stability and Load Lines and on Fishing Vessels Safety (SLF) The Secretary General also attended the CAMM Business meeting in Puerto Rico, At the IMO Sub-Committee on Bulk Liquids and Gases 11th session held from 16-20 April 2007 work on reviewing regulations to reduce emissions of air pollutants from ships was high on the agenda and there was much debate on the proposed three-tier system approach for NOx emission limits applicable to new engines, under which
Existing Engines are more problematical because some pre-2000 engines would not be appropriate for modification and there would be significant practical difficulties due to the unavailability of parts, since some engine manufacturers are no longer in business. The issue of Sulphur and Fuel Oil Quality was also discussed and consideration of options for addressing sulphur emissions. Regulation 14 of MARPOL Annex VI, on Sulphur Oxides (SOx), currently includes a global cap of 4.5% m/m on the sulphur content of fuel oil and contains provisions allowing for special SOx Emission Control Areas (SECAS) to be established in which the sulphur content of fuel oil used onboard ships must not exceed 1.5% m/m. Alternatively, ships must fit an exhaust gas cleaning system. The Sub-Committee on Stability and Load Lines and on Fishing Vessels Safety (SLF) met for its 50th session from 30 April to 4 May 2007. The International Code on Intact Stability, 2008 (2008 IS Code) was agreed. Associated draft amendments to the SOLAS Convention and to the 1988 Protocol relating to the 1966 International Convention on Load Lines (LL), to make part A of the Code mandatory, were also agreed, for submission to the Maritime Safety Committee at its 83rd session (MSC 83) in October 2007, for approval with a view to subsequent adoption. The Sub-Committee also finalised draft explanatory notes to the 2008 IS Code, for approval by MSC 83. The 2008 IS Code is a revision of the Intact Stability Code (IS Code) which was adopted in 1993 by IMO Assembly resolution A.749(18) and later amended by the MSC in 1998. The revision of the Code, to introduce a mandatory part A, has involved restructuring it. Safety of small fishing vessels The Sub-Committee further developed the draft Safety recommendations for decked fishing vessels of less than 12 metres in length and undecked fishing vessels and referred relevant sections thereof to other Sub-Committees. I would like to mention here that IFSMA’s concern regarding Fishing vessels was referred to in one of the Resolutions of the 32nd AGA. Furthermore ILO will be discussing this subject next month and has invited IFSMA to attend. I am pleased to advise that Allan Graveson of Nautilus UK has agreed to represent IFSMA’s interest at ILO on this subject. Turning to my report in this year’s Annual Review there were three other important issues which related to:
Criminalisation of Seafarers In October last year at the IMO Legal committee, IFSMA attended in strength to hold on to what we had achieved and fight against the amendments that some delegations had proposed. The Legal committee agreed that it would be premature to make any changes now. In reality we have seen the Zim Mexico lll affair, and IFSMA strongly supported and praised the efforts of our USA Association CAMM in finally getting Captain Schroeder released. Our main effort now is to encourage the implementation of the ILO Maritime Convention, because once accepted as an International Convention, it is possible the guidelines for fair treatment of seafarers can gain tacit approval and become part of that convention. Notes on Secretary General’s speech at the CAMM Meeting in Ponce Puerto Rico April 11th and 12th 2007 Thanks were given to CAMM for inviting the IFSMA Secretary General to attend their Business meeting and he brought greetings from the President of IFSMA, Captain Christer Lindvall, and once again thanked them for hosting an excellent AGA meeting for IFSMA in 2006 at San Pedro, Los Angeles. IFSMA’s main purpose is to represent Shipmasters’ interests at IMO and ILO. In particular we are currently involved in the review of STCW and have focussed on
However, IFSMA continues to regard the issue on ‘fair treatment for seafarers’ as high priority. The day after Captain Schroeder’s release your Secretary General and his wife went to the port of Bridlington to attend the Memorial Service held each year to remember the tragic loss of seamen and lifeboatmen who died during the great storm of February 1871. Many ships were lost because they were overladen and it was this incident that turned public opinion in favour of Samuel Plimsoll’s crusade for all ships to require a Load Line survey and have a minimum freeboard mark to ensure they were safe. The history Plimsoll shows is how difficult it was to get many shipowners to even acknowledge the danger that existed, in spite of huge losses during the 19th century. Things have not changed that much since those times and together we must all put our efforts into trying to get Administrations, owners and others in the industry to stop criminalising Shipmasters and other seafarers for accidents that occur beyond their control. In addition to the Zim Mexico III incident we have had Erika, Tasman Spirit and the Prestige to name but a few. In these cases, as with the case of Captain Schroeder, there is a limit to what an international organisation such as IFSMA can do, but we can and we do support local associations in many ways. CAMM must be commended for the work they did to help Captain Schroeder, and IFSMA was pleased to support these efforts and will continue to do so whenever it is possible in the future. Together we can make a change.
Rodger MacDonald |
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