IFSMA Res. 1/2002 - Humanitarian Assistance

The IFSMA 28th General Assembly at Vladivostok Russia,

RECALLING the recent M/V TAMPA incident where the vessel was made unseaworthy after rescuing over 400 persons in distress; well beyond the limits of its safety equipment, was denied a Port of disembarkation;

REALIZING that the Master had complied with obligations under international law and in the best of seafaring traditions, it is abhorrent that the vessel was not allowed to land those persons.

STRONGLY URGES IMO to support the Master’s ability to render humanitarian assistance and seek a port of disembarkation consistent with the safety of the vessel, crew and those rescued in the Master’s best judgement.

IFSMA Res. 2/2002 - ISM Implementation

The IFSMA 28th General Assembly at Vladivostok Russia,

NOTING that the International Safety Management Code (ISM) will become mandatory for all vessels over 500 gross tons on July 31, 2002

NOTING ALSO that feedback from vessels already having implemented the system indicates a substantial increase in administrative workload for ship’s officers.

OBSERVING that vessel safety may be improved by enhanced training and work procedures it should not be accomplished at the expense of the safe operation of the vessel at any time

RECOMMENDS that the human element including fatigue be considered in creating a vessel specific ISM code.

IFSMA Res. 3/2002 - Security Officer

The IFSMA 28th General Assembly at Vladivostok Russia,

NOTING the International Maritime Organization (IMO) proposal to designate an officer to enhance vessel security, IFSMA welcomes this positive initiative

RECOMMENDS that this position should be filled by a dedicated, certificated ship’s officer(s) with specialized training.

IFSMA Res. 4/2002 - Port of Refuge

The IFSMA 28th General Assembly at Vladivostok Russia,

RECALLING the frequency of recent incidents where vessels in distress have been denied a Port of Refuge or Safe Haven;

REALIZING that mishandling of these incidents for political reasons has caused more serious damage to vessels, unnecessarily threatened the lives of seafarers and has clearly damaged the environment.

RECOGNIZING that the Master’s first responsibility is the safety of the crew and protection of the environment, IFSMA

STRONGLY URGES IMO to support the Master’s ability to seek the best Port of Refuge or Safe Haven.

IFSMA Res. 5/2002 - Survival Craft Drills

The IFSMA 28th General Assembly at Vladivostok Russia,

NOTING the frequency of serious accidents involving survival craft whereby mariners have been seriously or fatally injured.

NOTING FURTHER that the SOLAS Convention (1974 as amended) has a requirement to have survival craft manned in the course of launching drills.

RECOGNIZING that having survival craft manned for launching drills is a major contributing factor to these casualties,

CONSIDERING how to improve inherent safety, IFSMA

STRONGLY URGES that the requirement in the SOLAS Convention for manned launching drills be deleted.

IFSMA Res. 6/2002 – Submarine Underwater Safety

The IFSMA 28th General Assembly at Vladivostok Russia,

RECALLING the accidents that have occurred to the submarines in recent decades through collisions with each other, fishing vessels and fishing gear;

BEING AWARE that the ineffectiveness of the modern submarines’ hydro acoustic systems makes their underwater operations dangerous for navigation, fishing, and other economic activities especially in costal areas;

REALIZING that nowadays the subs operational areas and areas, where intensive economic activities at sea are developing, coincide and that the problem of the nuclear submarines safe navigation is common for many countries if not to mention that it may become global;

CONSIDERING how to improve the inherent safety of the submarine operations in costal waters

1. RECOMMENDS The International Maritime Organization (IMO) initiate a comprehensive special survey on the “World Submarine Fleet Underwater Operations Safety and the Accident rate”.

2. STRONGLY URGES The International Maritime Organization (IMO) to promote discussions and consultations on the governmental and ministerial levels on the possible solutions.

3. INVITES The International Maritime Organization (IMO) after the survey appealing to the different information sources is finished, to adopt a resolution on the measures to be taken by the countries possessing the submarine fleets.

RECOMMENDS ALSO for the above-mentioned purposes to organize an international expert working group including IFSMA, IMO and other interested experts and organizations.

IFSMA Res. 7/2002 – The Negative Influence Of Tonnage On Ship Safety

The IFSMA 28th General Assembly at Vladivostok Russia,

NOTED with concern the apparent negative influence on the safety aspect of ship designing by the application of tonnage (net or gross) in financial matters such as port charges.

ANNOUNCED the formation of an IFSMA correspondence group in order to thoroughly investigate this matter and bring forward adequate recommendations.