Danish Maritime Officers Set a New Team
The union Danish Maritime Officers (DMO) has set a new team, with a new director, new chairman and deputy chairman, and has the ambition to increasingly serve its memberâs interests internationally.New chairman is Jens M. Sorensen, who has sailed training ships as a mate and navigator for 20 years and worked with anti-piracy as a risk consultant for more than a decade. The new deputy chairman is Jens Lundgaard, tow master with Maersk Drilling.âAs current events clearly show, maritime personnel need a strong union.
New Guidance Aims to Curb Maritime Pilot Transfer Fatalities
A guide to maritime pilot transfer safety has been updated amid industry concerns about poorly rigged ladders causing severe injuries or fatalities.The âShipping Industry Guidance on Pilot Transfer Arrangementsâ, produced by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) in partnership with the International Maritime Pilotsâ Association (IMPA), features a new section with the International Maritime Organization (IMO)âs guidance on combination embarkation platform arrangements. Provisions for a âtrapdoor arrangementâ in combination laddersâŚ
Unsafe Mixed Migration by Sea
Unsafe mixed migration by sea continues to claim many lives, despite the strenuous efforts made by Governmental and naval rescue services, often supported by merchant vessels, abiding by the long-standing tradition and legal obligation to go to the rescue of persons in distress at sea. The complexities of this humanitarian challenge were discussed on Monday (30 October) at a meeting hosted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), bringing together representatives of UN agencies, the maritime industry and European Union naval forces. For the rescued and seafarers alike, the experience can be harrowing. A modern merchant vessel is unsuited to carrying large numbers of survivorsâŚ
NI Issues ECDIS Recommendations
The ECDIS Group's core message: Shipping companies should establish ECDIS-use guidance within their Safety Management Systems. The ECDIS Training Group is an industry body made up of leading international shipping organisations and co-ordinated by The Nautical Institute (NI). NI CEO Philip Wake MSc FNI described the document as âan invaluable point of reference for those keen to establish and follow best practice in relation to ECDISâ. âAs our industry moves away from depending solely on paper charts, this guidance provides important clarification in terms of the competencies required for what has become a vitally important navigational and decision support tool,â he explained.
Crew Leave Transit Visa Hassles Disappoint ISF
The International Shipping Federation (ISF) concerned at low implementation levels of ILO Convention 185. Speaking in Manila, at a seminar organised by the International Federation of Shipmasters' Associations (IFSMA), ISF Director of Employment Affairs, Natalie Shaw, explained that the ILO Seafarersâ Identity Documents Convention (ILO 185) - which ISF helped to negotiate on behalf of employers in 2003 - was adopted as part of a package of measures following the terrorist attacks in 2001. âThe wide ratification of the Convention would have materially assisted the welfare of seafarers as well as addressing the security concerns of port states.â said Mrs Shaw.
ISF Disappointment at Slow Implementation of ILO 185
The International Shipping Federation (ISF), which represents maritime employers globally, says that the low level of implementation of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 185, concerning the facilitation of shore leave and crew transits, is a continuing source of disappointment. Speaking in Manila this week, at a seminar organized by the International Federation of Shipmasters' Associations (IFSMA), ISF Director of Employment Affairs, Natalie Shaw, explained that the ILO Seafarersâ Identity Documents Convention (ILO 185) - which ISF helped to negotiate on behalf of employers in 2003 - was adopted as part of a package of measures following the terrorist attacks in 2001.
Lloydâs Maritime Academy, Ship Management
The trend towards outsourcing of ship management services over the past 20 years has created a knowledge gap in shipping companies which once operated a top-to-bottom system to support their fleet. Rodger MacDonald, secretary general of the International Federation of Shipmastersâ Associations and course director of the Lloydâs Maritime Academy Diploma in Ship Management says additional education is vital in helping seafarers make the transition to best-of-breed ship managers. âIn recent years, competitive pressures have caused many shipowners to contract out some of their services to ship management companies. This has removed the opportunity for their employees who would like to develop a career in ship management, at a time when the industry is crying out for good managers,â he said.
IMO Bravery Award Presented to Searose G Seafarers
The inaugural IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea has been presented to two seafarers who risked their lives to save others in a dramatic rescue operation in gale-force winds. Second Officer Mustafa Topiwala of the 83,155 dwt Bahamas-registered oil/bulk ore carrier Searose G and Captain Zvonimir Ostric (who was on the vessel as onboard trainer at the time of the incident) were selected to receive the inaugural 2007 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea, in recognition of their part in the rescue of survivors from the sunken vessel Teklivka, in the eastern Mediterranean, in March 2006. They were nominated by the Bahamas and by the International Federation of Shipmasters' Associations (IFSMA).
Background to Shipping Initiative Seminar Scheduled
Just three years after its introduction, the five-day Background to Shipping seminar from leading training provider Lloydâs Maritime Academy is now established as a major foundation course for both experienced practitioners and industry newcomers. Enrolment is under way for the ninth seminar in the series, which takes place in central London from December 3-7 and, like its predecessors, is attracting staff from some of the worldâs best-known shipowners, ship managers, and related service providers. Almost 200 delegates have attended the eight previous courses, with shipping professionals joined by support sector personnel ranging from bankers, insurers and lawyers to freight forwarders and port operators.
IMO Award to be Awarded to Searose G Seafarers
rescue in severe weather. the eastern Mediterranean, in March 2006. and by the International Federation of Shipmasters' Associations (IFSMA). winds. picking up three crew members. Teklivka were lost. the scope of their normal duties. ship, descending to a liferaft filled with oil and water. during the rescue. November 30, 2007 in London. certificate citing the act of exceptional bravery performed.