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ifs a sma annual re eview 2011 ­ 2012 the ifsma ann nual review is an indepe endently pro oduced gazine published by ifs sma the inte ernational fe mag ederation of shipmast ters associa ations ted ain edit by capta willi wittig proo ofread by mrs roberta howlett m prin nted by print too germany ifsm executiv council ma ve pres sident capta christer lindvall ain l dep puty presiden captain koichi akatsu nt k uka vice president captain jero e c ome benyo vice president mr marcel van den broe e v ek vice president captain rem boissel do e c mi ombreval vice president captain mar e c rcos castro vice president captain bjor haave e c rn vice president captain han sande e c ns vice president captain willi wittig e c ifsm secretariat ma secretary general captain rodger m m macdonald e ohn secretary general designate captain jo dickie assi istant secret tary general captain pa r owen l aul adm ministration officer mrs roberta how o wlett ifsm support ma ted by its national mem n mber associations and individual members is the serv ving shipma asters inter rnational vo oice with co onsulative status at bot the th inter rnational ma aritime organ nisation imo and the in o nternationa labour or al rganisation ilo international fe ederation of shipmaste f ers associa ations 202 lambeth ro oad lond se1 7jy united kingdom don y phone +44 20 7261 045 2 50 fax +44 20 7928 903 2 30 ema ail hq @ifsma.org web bsite www w.ifsma.org © ifsma the internationa federation of shipma al n asters associations june 2012 all rights re a eserved no part of the publicatio may be used reproduced stored in an on u d in nformation retrieval sy ystem or tr ransmtted in any n manner wha m arsoever with hout the express written permission of if m fsma all the articles in this publication have been supplied by contributers and ifsma canh s c a not give any warrenty express or implied as to the n y e accuracy of the articles or for any er a t o rrors omissions or mis-statemen negligen or otherwi m nts nt ise relating thereto according ifsma sh not be lia o gly hall able for any direct in ndirect or co onsequential loss or da amage suffer red by any person as a result of relying on a statemen in or a a f any nt omission fro these ar o om rticles opin nion express sed in articles are not necessar the opinio oft he in a n rily ons nternational federa ation of shipm masters ass sociations c ongsberg.com © cover photo www.km.ko m

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ifsma annual review 2011 2012 contents an introduction to ifsma ifsma secretariat 2 3 7 12 14 18 19 22 27 29 1 velkommen till köbenhavn danmark captain christer lindvall secretary general`s report 2011 2012 captain rodger m macdonald english as a working language during manoeuvring captain matthias meyer the captain under pressure captain michel bougeard social communication network for seafarers julian pohl marpol annex vi deafeating lean shipping initatives captain s v subhedar safety of large passenger vessels marcel van den broek developing maritime leadership through cross mentoring mario stadelmann human face of piracy seafarer s perspective captain raffat zaheer

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ifsma a annual review 2011 2012 w an int duc on a trod ctio t ifs a to sm ifsm secre ma etariat ifsma the internationa federation of shipma al n asters asso ociations was formed in 1974 w w when eight associations of ship pmasters decided to unite their me embers m he n al from across th world in a single professiona coordin nated body this non-profit apoli y itical organisation dedi icates itself solely to the interest of the s ts serving ship pmaster mo than 16 ore ,000 of who make u this om up fede eration they come from about 65 countries either 5 through their national as ssociations or as individual mbers mem ifsma exist to uphold internatio ts onal standar rds of fessional com mpetence fo seafarers the federa or prof ation s polic is to ensu safe ope cy ure erational pra actices to p prevent hum injury protect the marine enviro man m onment and safety of lif and prope at sea fe erty its headq quarters is in london close to iimo the in nternational maritime org ganisation ultative status as a non n-governifsma gained consu mental organ m nisation at im in 1975 which ena mo ables it to re epresent the unfiltered views of its members an protect e v m nd th heir interests in an unfettered way a secretary general s y and a team of active or former sh a o hipmasters r represent if fsma at imo and help the fed deration to function effectively the e ere these agents of if a fsma attend the four d main imo committees namely th maritime safety m he e committee maritime en c m nvironmental protection committe the lega committee and the fa ee al e acilitation co ommittee this team is also active in the nine sub-comm t e e mittees of im mo the or rganisation s working and drafting groups a g council meetings and ass c semblies © ifsma 2

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ifsma annual review 2011 2012 velkommen till köbenhavn danmark opening address by captain christer lindvall ifsma president to the 38th annual general assembly on behalf of ifsma i want to welcome you all to copenhagen especially to our new secretary general captain john dickie and others who are attending an ifsma aga for the first time in this connection i will also say that we are very grateful to söfartens ledare the danish maritime officers for inviting us to copenhagen and their home country denmark at the same time i will also send a thank you to our last year s host in halifax the company of master mariners of canada cmmc for their hospitality we also send our deepest condolences to norway after the terrible bombing in oslo and individual killings of young people on the island of utöya last summer as i usually do i will give you a brief presentation of copenhagen copenhagen or in danish københavn is the capital of denmark and its most populous city with a population of 1,931,467 as of 1 january 2012 with the completion of the transnational Øresund bridge in 2000 copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund the sound region within this region copenhagen and the swedish city of malmö are growing into a combined metropolitan area copenhagen is situated on the islands of zealand and amager first documented in the 11th century copenhagen became the capital of denmark in the beginning of the 15th century during the 17th century under the reign of christian iv it became a significant regional centre denmark is still a monarchy with the reign of queen margarethe copenhagen is a major regional centre of culture business media and science as indicated by several international surveys and rankings life science information technology and shipping are important sectors and research development plays a major role in the city s economy its strategic location and excellent infrastructure with the largest airport in scandinavia kastrup have made it a regional hub and a popular location for regional headquarters and conventions copenhagen has repeatedly been recognized as one of the cities with the best quality of life it is also considered one of the world s most environmentally friendly cities the water in the inner harbour is clean and safe for swimming 36 of all citizens commute to work by bicycle every day they cycle a combined 1.2 million km since the turn of the millennium copenhagen has seen a strong urban and cultural development this is partly due to massive investments in cultural facilities as well as infrastructure and a new wave of successful designers chefs and architects the danish maritime officers history and roots goes back to 1874 when the association of shipmasters in denmark was founded to be a member you were obliged at that time to have a shipmaster s certificate once again we can look back to a very hectic and successful year we are getting involved in more and more areas our present secretary general captain rodger macdonald will as his last task give us a more detailed report before he retires i will come back to this after his report i often get asked the question why should we as an organization deal with safety matters in a wider context why can t we leave it all to the administrations it is because 1 our health working environment safety and security is important for us as well as for our passengers 2 to improve the competitiveness for us as officers and for the serious ship-owners 3 to improve our image as ship officers in the eyes of the general public 3

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ifsma annual review 2011 2012 the four major cornerstones of international requirements for shipping are included in solas marpol stcw and mlc 2006 the latest is not ratified yet only 26 states have ratified it out of the necessary 30 all four are based on the requirements in unclos we as ifsma therefore have to participate and to have an impact wherever the decisions are taken i.e at un imo ilo eu when it later comes down to a national level it is already too late to have any influence or say in the matter on january 1 imo appointed a new secretary general mr koji sekimizu to relieve imo secretarygeneral admiral efthimios e mitropoulos later in our agenda the executive council will propose that the aga elect mr sekimizu as an honorary member of ifsma there are two recommendations in my opinion which are valid even today after we have seen a lot of large passenger vessels which also have had the hull ripped open after a grounding including costa concordia and also in line with the ifsma statement after the accident 1 that the newly appointed bulkhead committee should enquire and report among other matters on the desirability and practicability of providing ships with aa double skin carried up above the water line or as an alternative with ba longitudinal vertical watertight bulkhead on each side of the ship extending as far forward and aft as convenient or cwith a combination of a and b any one of the three a b and c to be in addition to watertight transverse bulkheads 3 that the committee should consider and report generally on the practicability of protection given by sub-division the object being to ensure that the ship shall remain afloat with the greatest practicable proportion of her length in free communication with the sea source www.anesi.com/mersey1.htm source www.imo.org the world maritime day theme for 2012 is imo one hundred years after the titanic which will focus on the organization s roots in respect of safety of life at sea one of the consequences of the sinking in 1912 of the titanic in which more than 1,500 people lost their lives was the adoption two years later of the first international convention for the safety of life at sea the solas convention the 1914 version of the convention was gradually superseded respectively by solas 1929 solas 1948 solas 1960 the first adopted under the auspices of imo then known as imco and solas 1974 solas 1974 is still in force today amended and updated many times this year s world maritime day theme will provide an opportunity to take stock of the developments in maritime safety since that disaster and to examine which areas of ship safety should be given priority in the years to come the british inquiry lord mersey s report after the titanic disaster in april 100 years ago contains in total 24 recommendations which were presented in july 1912 if costa concordia with about 4300 passengers and crew has not been grounded in shallow waters we would have seen a disaster with far many more deaths than was the outcome ­ with some 30 lives lost ifsma believes that the massive media speculation ­ much of it highly ill-informed ­ will serve to direct attention away from the long-standing concerns over aspects of the design construction and operation of large passenger ships moreover evacuation systems should be studied for practicality of removing as many as 8000 people from newer vessels during an emergency and a critical look at the concept of the ship being its own lifeboat should be included stcw the manila amendments to the stcw convention entered into force on january 1 and i want to remind you about the annual day of the seafarer on the 25th june which is now approved by the imo council ifsma held the 5th workshop in connection with the education and manning conference in manila in no 4

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ifsma annual review 2011 2012 vember last year the theme was train safer seafarers enhancing professional standards with effective maritime resource management presentations were given by martin hernqvist from the swedish club academy mrm and rod short and tim wilson representing globalmet i and john dickie conducted the workshop fatigue and manning a new resolution 1047 27 on principles of safe manning was adopted by the imo general assembly unfortunately solas chapter v on navigation regulation 14 were not changed as was decided earlier that the safe manning certificates should be issued in accordance with the new resolution instead it was changed to take into account at the last msc before the assembly which of course takes the effectiveness of the resolution away piracy since we last met we have participated in the un contact group concerning somalia pirates in working groups 1 -3 where we have discussed armed guards the guidelines for coastal states and port states etc the european commission dg-move in cooperation with the danish presidency of the council of the eu organized a seminar in brussels on 28 and 29 march 2012 piracy and armed robbery at sea entitled `piracy the curse of maritime transport ifsma chaired one session participants from ifsma were captain fritz ganzhorn and me captain rune mortensen and captain van wijnen were present we were also informed that the eu is taking steps to raid the pirates on the beaches of somalia we can also see that the djibouti agreement regarding capacity building together with the compliance with the bmp are having an effect with less hijackings and more pirates being arrested and sentenced still we cannot be certain that all attacks are reported captain willi wittig will on behalf of ifsma participate in a security meeting in ottobrunn germany at the end of this month support organisations there are some new welfare organizations which have been established in connection with the increased criminalization of seafarers and if they are attacked or been held hostage by pirates for example organisations such as save our seafarers maritime piracy humanitarian response seafarers rights international isps-code this year we have been living under the rule of the isps ­ code for 10 years which has in most cases been a burden to the seafarers especially when it comes to the possibilities to go ashore while in port this will be the theme for this year s manila conference as well as at a conference in london later this year criminalisation we see an increasing number of shipmasters being arrested on doubtful grounds and whole crews are sometimes being detained here as a federation we have a very important task to assist our members and even those who are not members because in the future the same thing could happen to our members and become accepted practice last year we introduced our mastermarinerprotect program however only members can be covered by the protect program code of conduct we are working on a code of conduct for shipmasters together with the centre of maritime studies hochschule bremen germany whether it should be introduced and supported by ifsma or not is not yet decided until we see the final product and the liabilities ifsma takes onboard finally other areas which are prioritized fatigue and manning lsa navigation in arctic waters asbestos in ships´ construction enclosed spaces ecdis e-navigation stcw model courses and changes in the guidelines to the ism ­ code etc it is with these words that i open the annual general assembly and once again thank our danish colleagues for their invitation i hope it will be a fruitful aga and will move ifsma s standing forward source www.maritimeaccident.org 5

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recommendations the following recommendations are made they refer to foreign-going passenger and emigrant steamships water-tight sub-division 1 that the newly appointed bulkhead committee should enquire and report among other matters on the desirability and practicability of providing ships with aa double skin carried up above the water line or as an alternative with ba longitudinal vertical watertight bulkhead on each side of the ship extending as far forward and aft as convenient or cwith a combination of a and b any one of the three a b and c to be in addition to watertight transverse bulkheads 2 that the committee should also enquire and report as to the desirability and practicability of fitting ships with a a deck or decks at a convenient distance or distances above the waterline which shall be watertight throughout a part or all of the ship s breadth and should in this connection report upon suitable means by which the necessary openings to such deck or decks should be made watertight whether by watertight doors or watertight trunks or by any other and what means 3 that the committee should consider and report generally on the practicability of protection given by sub-division the object being to ensure that the ship shall remain afloat with the greatest practicable proportion of her length in free communication with the sea 4 that when the committee has reported on the matters before mentioned the board of trade should take the report into their consideration and to the extent to which they approve of it should seek statutory powers to enforce it in all newly built ships but with a direction to relax the requirements in special cases where it may seem right to them to do so 5 that the board of trade should be empowered by the legislature to require the production of the designs and specifications of all ships in their early stages of construction and to direct such amendments of the same as may be thought necessary and practicable for the safety of life at sea in ships this should apply to all passenger carrying ships lifeboats and rafts 6 that the provision of the lifeboat and raft accommodation on board such ships should be based on the number of persons intended to be carried in the ship and not upon tonnage 7 that the question of such accommodation should be treated independently of the question of the sub-division of the ship into watertight compartments this involves the abolition of rule 12 of the life saving appliance rules of 1902 8 that the accommodation should be sufficient for all persons on board with however the qualification that in special cases where in the opinion of the board of trade such provision is impracticable the requirements may be modified as the board may think right in order to give effect to this recommendation changes may be necessary in the sizes and types of boats to be carried and in the method of stowing and floating them it may also be necessary to set apart one or more of the boat decks exclusively for carrying boats and drilling the crew and to consider the distribution of decks in relation to the passengers quarters these however are matters of detail to be settled with reference to the particular circumstance affecting the ship 9 that all boats should be fitted with a protective continuous fender to lessen the risk of damage when being lowered in a seaway 10 that the board of trade should be empowered to direct that one or more of the boats be fitted with some form of mechanical propulsion 11 that there should be a board of trade regulation requiring all boat equipment under sections 5 and 6 page 15 of the rules dated february 1902 made by the board of trade under section 427 merchant shipping act 1894 to be in the boats as soon as the ship leaves harbour the sections quoted above should be amended so as to provide also that all boats and rafts should carry lamps and pyrotechnic lights for purposes of signalling all boats should be provided with compasses and provisions and should be very distinctly marked in such a way as to indicate plainly the number of adult persons each boat can carry when being lowered 12 that the board of trade inspection of boats and life-saving appliances should be of a more searching character than hitherto manning the boats and boat drills 13 that in cases where the deck hands are not sufficient to man the boats enough other members of the crew should be men trained in boat work to make up the deficiency these men should be required to pass a test in boat work 14 that in view of the necessity of having on board men trained in boat work steps should be taken to encourage the training of boys for the merchant service 15 the operation of section 115 and section 134 a of the merchant shipping act 1894 should be examined with a view to amending the same so as to secure greater continuity of service than hitherto 16 that the men who are to man the boats should have more frequent drills than hitherto that in all ships a boat drill a fire-drill and a watertight door drill should be held as soon as possible after leaving the original port of departure and at convenient intervals of not less than once a week during the voyage such drills to be recorded in the official log 17 that the board of trade should be satisfied in each case before the ship leaves port that a scheme has been devised and communicated to each officer of the ship for securing an efficient working of the boats general 18 that every man taking a look-out in such ships should undergo a sight test at reasonable intervals 19 that in all such ships a police system should be organised so as to secure obedience to orders and proper control and guidance of all on board in times of emergency 20 that in all such ships there should be an installation of wireless telegraphy and that such installation should be worked with a sufficient number of trained operators to secure a continuous service by night and day in this connection regard should be had to the resolutions of the international conference on wireless telegraphy recently held under the presidency of sir h babington smith that where practicable a silent chamber for receiving messages should form part of the installation 21 that instructions should be given in all steamship companies regulations that when ice is reported in or near the track the ship should proceed in the dark hours at a moderate speed or alter her course so as to go well clear of the danger zone 22 that the attention of masters of vessels should be drawn by the board of trade to the effect that under the maritime conventions act 1911 it is a misdemeanour not to go to the relief of a vessel in distress when possible to do so 23 that the same protection as to the safety of life in the event of casualty which is afforded to emigrant ships by means of supervision and inspection should be extended to all foreign-going passenger ships 24 that unless already done steps should be taken to call an international conference to consider and as far as possible to agree upon a common line of conduct in respect of a the sub-division of ships b the provision and working of life-saving appliances c the installation of wireless telegraphy and the method of working the same d the reduction of speed or the alteration of course in the vicinity of ice and e the use of searchlights mersey wreck commissioner 30th july 1912 source www.anesi.com/mersey1.htm [reproduction of the court s recommendations pp 72-74 of the report

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ifsma annual review 2011 2012 secretary general s report 2011 2012 by captain rodger m macdonald ifsma secretary general criminalization of shipmasters and seafarers criminalization still remains a major issue for ifsma and this was emphasised at the halifax 37th aga when it was highlighted as resolution 1/201 this resolution prompted the ifsma secretariat to establish a working relationship with seafarers rights international sri to aid our efforts to deal with this problem ifsma has passed on to sri all the relative file notes we have on criminalization issues and from the several positive meetings held we have shared information to help support seafarers in criminalization incidents sri were able to help us gain more reliable information on the current incidents in spain and panama that were discussed in halifax we have since sought help from sri on two cases namely the rak carrier and rena sri have been in contact with both crews and are monitoring the legal proceedings ifsma was given a small feature about criminalization in the january/february 2012 edition of the sri newsletter we had a long discussion on how the shipmaster is being held accountable for every incident and is seen to be responsible for all the mishaps involved in shipping yet at the same is losing both authority and respect in the role played whilst in command piracy imo world maritime theme 2011 piracy imo orchestrating the response a 27/res.1044 piracy and armed robbery against ships in waters off the coast of somalia piracy continues to be a major concern for ifsma and three resolutions relating to piracy were adopted at the ifsma 37th aga held in halifax these resolutions have been acted on throughout the year in addition to the support given to imo ifsma is involved in a number of other groups that are specifically concerned with piracy ifsma are supporters of the maritime piracy humanitarian response programme mphrp is a pan-industry alliance working together with one aim namely to assist seafarers and their families with the humanitarian aspects of a traumatic incident caused by a piracy attack armed robbery or being taken hostage ifsma is also an active member of the imo working group 3 wg3 of the contact group on piracy off the coast of somalia cgpcs which held its fifth session at the u.s department of state on 28 february 2012 and was attended by the ifsma president the international maritime bureau imb have published their latest report on pirate attacks which were 102 incidents in the first quarter 2012 and is down from 142 in the same period last year somali pirates accounted for nearly half of these attacks it seems the reduction in overall attacks is primarily attributed to the disruptive actions and pre-emptive strikes by the navies in the region and this emphasizes the importance of the navies in deterring and combating somali piracy furthermore the imb said the deployment of private armed security guards and greater use of pirate deterrents such as razor wire heightened monitoring watches when entering danger areas by crews on board vessels had also helped curb somali attacks however somali attacks have spread and been reported as far as mozambique and the seychelles as source coastguard.dodlive.mil 7

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ifsma annual review 2011 2012 well as off kenya tanzania the arabian sea off oman and the west coast of india and the western maldives imb also believes that moves by the european union to expand its anti-piracy mission to target pirate weaponry ashore was a welcome move that could further threaten the somali piracy model sadly west africa also remains a piracy hotspot and attacks in the gulf of guinea have increased in recent months as the area spanning a dozen countries is a growing source of oil cocoa and metals being shipped to the world s markets nigerian piracy is increasing in incidence and although the number of reported incidents in nigeria is still less than somalia the level of violence against seafarers is dangerously high elsewhere the imb said there had been a noticeable increase in the number of armed robbery attacks in the indonesian archipelago rising to 18 incidents in the first quarter from five in the same period last year at the imo assembly the following resolution was adopted a 27/res.1044 piracy and armed robbery against ships in waters off the coast of somalia the 2011 tsunami disaster in japan the final resolution adopted in halifax was resolution 5/2011 nuclear disaster in japan ifsma continues to monitor this situation and captain koichi akatsuka will present an update at the copenhagen aga in june 2012 detailed discussions concerning the development of enavigation was discussed at the imo navigation subcommittee nav 57 held june 2011 it was recognised that it is very much in its infancy and that there is a considerable amount of work yet to be undertaken however it was recognised that technology is rapidly advancing ahead of regulations some progress was made in the development of the e-navigation strategy implementation plan which aims to integrate existing and new navigational tools solas regulation v/22 also at nav 57 sub-committee regarding the issue of vague expressions in solas regulation v/22 on navigation and bridge visibility ifsma intervened stressing the importance of regulations so as to ensure adequate visibility to afford safe navigation the ifsma intervention was sighted by delegations when discussing the report of the sub-committee and the intervention was recorded the sub-committee agreed draft proposed amendments to solas regulation v/22 on navigation bridge visibility voyage data recorders detailed and intense discussions took place concerning the performance standards for voyage data recorders vdrs ifsma intervened stressing the importance of the confidential nature of the recorded information whose prime purpose is post-accident investigation the intervention was intended to protect shipmasters from unwarranted scrutiny by regulatory authorities and employers/charterers support for impa ifsma was able to undertake a considerable amount of lobbying in support of the international marine pilots association impa with respect to an unwarranted and selective critic by the delegation of the bahamas ifsma argued that the exchange of information between pilot and master was essential and should be continuous giving rise to an essential `mental connection source rotarygleneira.blogspot.com key issues arising from other imo meetings the navigation sub-committee nav 57th session ecdis and e-navigation the ifsma secretariat attended all meetings of the industry training group which is focused on ecdis training this group produced an industry ecdis guidance but work is still continuing and will also focus on e-navigation source www.impahq.org 8

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ifsma annual review 2011 2012 marine environment protection committee mepc 63rd session marpol amendments marpol on regional port reception arrangem3ents adopted the mepc adopted amendments to marpol annexes i ii iv v and vi which are aimed at enabling small island developing states to comply with requirements for port states to provide reception facilities for ship waste through regional arrangements parties participating in a regional arrangement must develop a regional reception facilities plan and provide particulars of the identified regional ships waste reception centres and particulars of those ports with only limited facilities the amendments are expected to enter into force on 1 august 2013 the mepc adopted the 2012 guidelines for the implementation of marpol annex v and 2012 guidelines for the development of garbage management plans the guidelines are intended to assist in the implementation of the revised marpol annex v regulations for the prevention of pollution by garbage from ships which was adopted at mepc 62 in july 2011 and is expected to enter into force on 1 january 2013 the mepc designated the strait of bonifacio as a particularly sensitive sea area pssa in other matters the mepc approved a number of ballast water management systems and adopted guidelines related to the implementation of both the ballast water management and ship recycling conventions other annex vi issues the mepc adopted guidelines for reception facilities under marpol annex vi and guidelines addressing additional aspects to the nox technical code 2008 with regard to particular requirements related to marine diesel engines fitted with selective catalytic reduction scr systems guidelines for implementation of energy efficiency measures adopted the mepc adopted four sets of guidelines intended to assist in the implementation of the mandatory regulations on energy efficiency for ships in marpol annex vi which are expected to enter into force on 1 january 2013 2012 guidelines on the method of calculation of the attained energy efficiency design index eedi for new ships 2012 guidelines for the development of a ship energy efficiency management plan seemp 2012 guidelines on survey and certification of the energy efficiency design index eedi and guidelines for calculation of reference lines for use with the energy efficiency design index eedi the guidelines adopted will support member states in their uniform implementation of the amendments to marpol annex vi regulations for the prevention of air pollution from ships adopted in july 2011 which add a new chapter 4 to annex vi on regulations on energy efficiency for ships to make mandatory the energy efficiency design index eedi for new ships and the ship energy efficiency management plan seemp for all ships sub-committee on fire protection fp 55th session draft solas amendments on breathing apparatus and communication agreed the sub-committee also agreed the following draft amendments to solas regulations ii-2/10 and 15 for approval at msc 90 and subsequent adoption regulation 10 fire fighting to add a new paragraph to 10.4 fire-fighter s communication to require a minimum of two two-way portable radiotelephone apparatus for fire fighter s communication to be carried portable radios on tankers and those intended to be used in hazardous areas shall be of an explosion-proof type regulation 15 instructions on-board training and drills to add a new paragraph 2.2.6 to require an onboard means of recharging breathing apparatus cylinders used during drills to be provided or a suitable number of spare cylinders to be carried to replace those used facilitation committee fal 36th session shore leave circular approved the committee approved a circular on facilitating shore leave and access to ships removing unnecessary restrictions imposed by divergences in the implementation of the isps code noting that the circular was written in recognition of the importance of the human element without prejudice to the immigration procedures of member states the circular notes that port states while giving effect to the special measures envisaged to prevent security incidents affecting ships or port facilities and to exercise control over access to their territories have to recognize that shore leave for seafarers constitutes their right ­ not a privilege the circular states that states should endeavour to establish standard practices regarding requirements related to the identity documents which provide public authorities with information about the individual member of the crew seeking access to the shore based facilities 9

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ifsma annual review 2011 2012 administrations should render particular attention to ensuring unbiased and non-discriminatory practice in exercising control and allowing access to shore irrespective of vessels flags and nationalities of individual crew members revised stowaway guidelines agreed the committee approved a draft fal resolution on revised guidelines on the allocation of responsibilities to seek the successful resolution of stowaway cases and agreed to submit it to the msc for consideration the guidelines update and revise those adopted in 1997 resolution a.87120 and take into account the amendments to the fal convention to incorporate standards and recommended practices on dealing with stowaways which were adopted in january 2002 and entered into force in 2003 and other developments such as the adoption of the international ship and port facilities isps code sub-committee on dangerous goods solid cargoes and containers dsc the msc instructed dsc to consider proposals concerning measures for the safe transportation of solid bulk cargoes by ships there is immediate concern in this respect following the serious loss of life 44 in total that was reported in 2010 involving three bulk carriers that sank while engaged in the transport of nickel ore allegedly due to cargo liquefaction affecting the ship s stability similar safety concerns were also expressed with respect to iron ore cargoes since the dangers of cargo liquefaction have long been known to the shipping industry the question of why the phenomenon is resurfacing now would be a legitimate one there must be provided some satisfactory answers before more accidents of the same nature occur sub-committee on stability and load lines and on fishing vessels safety slf 54th session the `costa concordia incident on january 13 2012 had just occurred when this sub-committee met in january of course little can be formally discussed until the factual report from the italian administration has been submitted but the delegates could not avoid the images of the tragedy involving a capsized large cruise ship with still suspended lifeboats and liferafts portrayed in all the newspapers and on all the television channels this media criticism lasted all week and the shipping industry now has the task to restore the faith in shipping of the public at large sub-committee on ship design and equipment de there was agreement on a new draft solas requirements for the recovery of persons from the water on all ships the draft new solas regulation iii/17-1 to be submitted to the maritime safety committee msc in may for approval would require all ships to be provided with plans and procedures to recover persons from the water taking into account the guidelines there was also agreement on the draft revised code on noise levels on board ships this code sets out mandatory noise level limits for machinery spaces control rooms workshops accommodation and other spaces on board ships and revises the previous version published in 1973 resolution a.468xii work also continued on the development of a mandatory code for ships operating in polar waters polar code which is intended to cover the full range of shipping-related matters relevant to navigation in waters surrounding the two poles ­ ship design construction and equipment operational and training concerns search and rescue and equally important the protection of the unique environment and eco-systems of the polar regions legal committee leg 99th session guidelines on dealing with crimes at sea to be developed the committee overwhelmingly agreed to develop guidelines on the collation and preservation of evidence following an allegation of a serious crime having taken place on board a ship or following a report of a missing person from a ship and guidelines on the pastoral and medical care of victims these guidelines should cover all types of ships not only passenger ships and importantly no liability should be attributed by the guidelines to the master officers or crew should it be found that any evidence be lacking or contaminated through inexperience in collecting evidence the issue should also be brought to the attention of the maritime safety committee msc given possible implications for training liability issues from offshore oil exploration further discussed the committee revisited the issue of liability and compensation connected with transboundary pollution damage from offshore oil exploration and exploitation activities it recognized that bilateral and regional arrangements are the most appropriate way to address the matter and agreed that there was no compelling need to develop an international regime on the subject 10

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ifsma annual review 2011 2012 the debate on the issue follows the much publicized deepwater horizon incident in 2010 as well as the 2009 incident on the montara offshore oil platform located in the australian exclusive economic zone in which a well blew out leading to a significant oil spill the llmc convention sets specified limits of liability for claims against shipowners claims for loss of life or personal injury and property claims such as damage to other ships property or harbour works taking into account the experience of incidents as well as inflation rates the limits set in the 1996 protocol have in recent years been seen to be inadequate to cover the costs of claims especially those arising from incidents involving bunker fuel spills the new limits are expected to enter into force 36 months from the date of adoption on 19 april 2015 under the tacit acceptance procedure the convention provides for a virtually unbreakable system of limiting liability shipowners and salvors may limit their liability except if it is proved that the loss resulted from his personal act or omission committed with the intent to cause such a loss or recklessly and with knowledge that such loss would probably result appointment of the imo secretary-general the imo assembly endorsed the decision of the imo council in june to elect mr koji sekimizu japan as imo secretary-general to start a four-year term on 1 january 2012 the outgoing secretary-general mr efthimios e mitropoulos greece ends his second four-year term on 31 december 2011 the assembly also adopted a resolution expressing deep appreciation for the work of mr mitropoulos as secretary-general and designating him secretarygeneral emeritus of imo with effect from 1 january 2012 day of the seafarer the imo assembly adopted a resolution on the day of the seafarer establishing 25 june of each year as the day of the seafarer recognizing the invaluable contribution seafarers make to international trade and the world economy often at great personal cost to themselves and their families the resolution invites governments shipping organizations companies shipowners and all other parties concerned to promote and celebrate the day in an appropriate and meaningful manner the day of the seafarer has now been included in the annual list of united nations observances other meetings attended by the secretariat the secretary general represented ifsma at the imo reception for world maritime day held at imo london on 29th september 2011 the assistant secretary general represented ifsma in the paris iala meeting during the week 19th to the 23rd september 2011 workshop in manila in november ifsma held another of its successful annual workshops in manila the workshop focused on the question training safer seafarers enhancing professional standards with effective maritime resource management the course was presented by the ifsma president and the secretary general designate john dickie lastly i would like to take this opportunity of thanking all of you for your much appreciated support during my tenure as secretary general of ifsma i am now retiring and `swallowing the anchor but i am leaving you in the very capable hands of my successor captain john dickie captain rodger m macdonald ifsma secretary general © ispic 2008 11

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ifsma annual review 2011 2012 english as a working language during manoeuvring by captain matthias meyer ppc port pilot consulting bremerhaven germany present situation in germany currently there are nine pilot associations in germany members of the german associations are serving as sea pilots or as harbour pilots supervisory authority for the federal government is the waterways and shipping authority the directorate northwest of the waterways and shipping authority located in aurich is responsible for the pilot associations operating at the river ems and the river weser while the directorate north located in kiel is responsible for the association in the river elbe the two associations at the kiel canal and the pilot association serving the ports of wismar rostock and stralsund only in the port of hamburg and the port of bremerhaven harbour pilot associations with pilots specialised in manoeuvring ships with or without tugboats exist these two associations belong to the state of hamburg or bremen respectively supervisory authority is the respective senate government of the city state in all german ports the communication language between the tugboat master and the pilot is german the german command vocabulary differs from port to port e.g in the port of bremerhaven there is no mandatory command vocabulary for manoeuvring and it can be assumed this applies also to other german ports if the master of any vessel calling into a german port is a non-native german speaker the communication between pilot and the masters of tugboats is simply impossible for him to understand particularly with regard to the safety of the vessel the present diversity of spoken dialects and non-standardised phrases are not helpful notwithstanding the communication problems the master remains responsible for the vessel at all times in 2004 a large number of hamburg harbour pilots founded a company for professional pilot training this company provides successful courses for all other german pilots in the description of one of their courses manoeuvring with tugs capt kurt steuer emphasizes english as a working language for manoeuvring with tugs as a contribution to transparency and safety tug masters the job of a tug master in germany has changed a lot during the past years since the tugs are not only used as port-tugs anymore but also at sea e.g in operating and assisting in offshore constructions the working language in the offshore business is generally english and all crew members have to communicate in english during operations tug masters and crew members of leading german companies are in a continuous training process to use the english language as working language some of the tug masters and their crews are working on different tugs in different german ports consequently the master of a tug has to understand all commands in all german ports including the language varieties of the pilot s commands in the different ports for this reason the tug master s point of view is that an integration of commands in the smcp is highly welcomed in addition the performance of a tug has changed from a one propeller assisting vessel of 20 to bp to large 3 propulsion power packets with 100 to bp and some thousand hp making it even more important to have a 12

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ifsma annual review 2011 2012 common understanding of language to avoid accidents and to protect the environment vessel masters as already mentioned the master of a vessel calling into a german as well as an international port often is not able to understand the communication between the involved parties but he remains responsible for the manoeuvring of the vessel with or without tugs due to these facts and in respect to transparency and safety of the vessel and the environment the working language has to be standardised as a part of the imo smcp phrases pilots © ppc during the manoeuver without tug assistance the pilot has time to explain his intentions to the master and the master can decide whether he agrees to the decision of the pilot in practice the master will follow the advice and the pilot will act as usual the communication base in english enables the master during the whole manoeuvre to understand the intention of the pilot and he can if necessary overrule the decision of the pilot as he will remain always responsible during the manoeuvre with tug there is usually no time to discuss and agree to a decision one command is following the next and it is impossible to intervene or to stop the action and bring the speed down to point zero if the situation might require it not only for this reason a working language understandable for all shipmasters is essential a working language as a part of imo standard marine communication phrases smcp has to be developed and educated to all involved parties improving the quality of the manoeuvres and consequently the safety of the vessel the port and the environment conclusions due to the imo stcw professional standards the requirements for all above-mentioned parties are the same all involved masters commanding the vessel commanding the tug or serving as pilot are holding the same licence due to this standard the communication skills should be on b1 level in accordance with cefr common european framework of reference for languages to improve the safety of the vessel and the traffic on the waterways to provide a better legal protection for the master and last but not least to protect the environment a standard vocabulary has to be developed and added to the imo standard marine communication phrases part a 4 further reading heinrich/steinecke seelotswesen-das regelwerk verlag schiff und hafen 2011 pilot during manoeuvring pilots conduct their duties with the utmost diligence nevertheless it must be the target of a pilot as a nautical expert and advisor of the vessel master to perform his duty in a manner that the foreign master can understand and agree any of the advices and decisions it is a part of the pilot s obligation to translate his orders before giving any orders on behalf of the master to an involved third party into the international working language that is english graf/steinecke seeschifffahrtsstrassenordnung delius klasing 2009 cockraft/lameijer collision avoidance rules 7 edition 2012 peter hahne diplomarbeit smcp diploma thesis about smcp bremen university of applied sciences 2007 kurt steuer manövrieren mit schlepperhilfe hamburg 2009 imo stcw code imo smcp 13

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