IFSMA Monthly Logs

The two day seminar on the Criminalisation of Masters and Seafarers was hosted by IFSMA at the Lloyds Maritime Academy on the 17^th and 18^th February.

IFSMA attended at IMO for 9^th session of Radiocommunications and Search and Rescue (COMSAR) from the 7^th to 11^th February and the 48^th session of the sub-committee on Ship Design and Equipment (DE) from 21^st to 25^th February.

The IFSMA Executive Council met in London on the 16^th February

COMSAR 9  was well attended and produced the following key outcomes.

Long-range identification and tracking of ships

The Sub-Committee held extensive discussions on long-range identification and tracking of ships (LRIT). The LRIT correspondence group has been tasked with considering and making recommendations on various issues relating to LRIT, including the need for multiple copies of the LRIT international database; the requirement for data security; whether a Contracting Government should be permitted to request LRIT information directly from an LRIT Tracking Service on any ship for which they are entitled to obtain LRIT information, or whether requests for information directly from LRIT Tracking Services should be limited to Administrations seeking information on ships flying their flag; and whether or not there should be a delay on the time taken to deliver the information.

Amendments to the IAMSAR Manual

Draft amendments to the International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue (IAMSAR) Manual were endorsed by the Sub-Committee for submission to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for approval and to the Maritime Safety Committee at its next session (MSC 80) for adoption. The draft amendments include the addition of a new section on underwater search and rescue and a comprehensive new section on mass rescue operations (MROs) - defined as search and rescue services characterized by the need for immediate response to large numbers of persons in distress, such that the capabilities normally available to search and rescue authorities are inadequate.

Amendments to HSC and DSC Codes

Draft amendments to the 2000 and 1994 International Codes of Safety for High-Speed Craft (2000 and 1994 HSC Codes) and the Code of Safety for Dynamically Supported Craft (DSC Code) were agreed. The draft amendments are intended to ensure the Codes include relevant provisions of the 1974 SOLAS Convention which are intended to apply to existing ships, in particular that the craft covered by the Codes should have a capability of distress and safety communications in accordance with the provisions of chapter IV of the SOLAS Convention, as amended.

Passenger ship safety

The Sub-Committee reviewed the tasks assigned to it in relation to the ongoing work by IMO on passenger ship safety and agreed to establish a correspondence group to further the work by the next session. Work by the Correspondence Group on Passenger Ship Safety will include: preparation of a comprehensive guide on recovery techniques; preparation of guidelines on how the SAR services may best provide on-board support as an aid to incident containment; preparation of contingency planning guidelines for co operation between companies operating passenger ships in areas remote from SAR facilities and relevant SAR services; development of functional requirements for SOLAS ships on systems used to recover persons from survival craft and the water; preparation of revised guidelines on the prevention and treatment of hypothermia; identification of concerns for training for SAR service personnel working in major incidents; and consideration of matters related to training of SAR personnel and seafarers with recovery responsibilities.

False alerts - reporting systems

The Sub-Committee agreed with the GMDSS Working Group's conclusion that reports of false alerts might best be handled at national level. The Rescue Co-ordination Centre (RCC) should report incidents to the relevant national Authority who should contact the offending party and ask for a report using the form developed by the COMSAR Sub-Committee. The national Authority should then take any necessary disciplinary or remedial action. The Sub-Committee noted that much progress had been made in reducing the incidence of false alerts through equipment design and published guidance.

Satellite services (Inmarsat and COSPAS-SARSAT)

Draft amendments to SOLAS chapter IV - Radiocommunications, to reflect the closure of the Inmarsat E service, were agreed for approval by MSC 80. A draft MSC circular on Closure of Inmarsat-E services by Inmarsat Ltd. was also agreed. The circular provides information relating to the termination of the L-Band EPIRB service as from 1 December 2006. A COMSAR circular superseding COMSAR/Circ.18 - Guidance on minimum communication needs of MRCCs was also agreed.

Indian Ocean tsunami crisis.

On the 9th of February COMSAR devoted the entire day to a special session on responses to the Indian Ocean tsunami crisis. Presentations were given by a number of Governments, non-governmental organizations and the IMO Secretariat to update delegates on the measures that had been taken, so far, in the maritime context and with plans that were currently being put in place to enhance maritime recovery and reconstruction activities.

Much discussion focused around the contribution that IMO might make towards the development of a tsunami early-warning system for the Indian Ocean, particularly in view of the robust and well-proven satellite and radio-based communication infrastructure that IMO had established, in co-operation with IHO and WMO, for the promulgation of maritime safety information to ships which had the ability to play an important role in the dissemination of tsunami warnings. It was agreed that IMO should participate in the wider efforts to establish a tsunami early-warning system for the Indian Ocean, being co-ordinated by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO.

The Sub-Committee agreed a COMSAR circular providing advice on the promulgation of tsunami and other urgent natural disaster warnings via the existing International SafetyNet and NAVTEX systems. A correspondence group was established to consider the issue of the promulgation of tsunami and other natural disaster warnings to vessels which are not subject to the 1974 SOLAS Convention, as amended.  (Note at the IFSMA Executive Council meeting (see below) the Secretariat was instructed to donate £300 to the IMO Tsunami Relief Fund  on behalf of the members.)

The report on the  meeting of DE 48 will be in the March Log book

The IFSMA Executive Council Meeting

The Council discussed administrative and IFSMA financial matters and adopted the Secretary General’s report as well as the report from the Hon. Treasurer.

The Council confirmed the arrangements for the Annual General Assembly to be held in Mariehamn, June 16^th and 17^th  2005

The invitation from CAMM to hold the 2006 AGA in Los Angeles was welcomed and will be put forward at the 2005 AGA for acceptance. CAMM has confirmed that the arrangements for all members to be able to attend will be met.

The Executive Council approved that a donation of £300.00 be made to the IMO Tsunami maritime relief fund.

The 1^st International Conference on the Criminalisation of Masters and Seafarers

This conference was most successful with excellent speakers covering a full range of issues. The key to the success of this conference was that we were able to complete the conference with some resolutions which will be taken to the Legal Committee of IMO.  Those resolutions are as follows.

1. That in the opinion of all the participants, criminalisation is a backward way to treat seafarers, and will not encourage good seafarers for the future.
2. It has become apparent that seafarers can be denied the normally accepted human rights that are available even to hardened criminals.
3. The poor esteem that the public at large appears to have of the shipping Industry may account for the apparent lack of concern shown by them for the way seafarers are treated.   
4. Part of the negative elements perceived of the industry is due to failure of the regulators in allowing sub-standard ships to trade.
5. It is important to work towards an International Instrument to protect seafarers. Deliberate crimes should not be co-mingled with accidents and seafarers should be treated fairly and genuine accidents must not become criminal acts.