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IFSMA attended two meetings at IMO this month: The 47th Sub Committee on Stability and Load Lines and on Fishing Vessel Safety (SLF) and the 9th Sub Committee on Dangerous Goods, Solid Cargoes and Containers (DSC). IFSMA was also represented by Eddie Agbakoba at the Port Reception Facilities Forum
Overseas IFSMA was represented by Arnolds Zantmans at the 17th meeting of EMRF held in Riga, Latvia.
SLF discussed a number of key topics but the focus for IFSMA was the review of the Intact Stability Code, with particular reference to MSC 78 which had concurred that MSC/Circ707, the Guidance for the shipmaster for avoiding dangerous situations in following and quartering seas, should be revised and that this document should be a stand alone document rather than part of Intact Stability code. The result of these discussions in SLF was the re-establishment of the Correspondence Group under the co-ordination of Germany. This group will prepare a draft revision of MSC Circ 707 for submission at SLF 48.
Captain Bjorn Haave represented IFSMA at the DSC meeting which ran into October and we still await the final outcome of this sub committee meeting. However a number of issues were discussed including the review of the Bulk Carrier code and the development of a manual on loading and unloading solid bulk cargoes for terminal representatives.
Some countries reported on the deficiencies discovered in the results of inspections on packaged dangerous goods. There seemed to be an alarmingly high percentage of deficiency ranging from 30% to 45% of those recorded and labelling and marking of packages seemed to be the main problem.
In the Intertanko led forum on Port Reception Facilities, the concern or perceived view that managers of marine terminals do not have the best interests of the ship and environmental as a priority. One problem may be the IMO’s choice of the ambiguous word Adequate as a measure of in best describing the requirements of waste facilities to be provided for ships. The Forum’s aim is to lobby for improved response to the ship’s needs for proper waste management facilities.
Rodger MacDonald
Secretary General
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