IMO Endorses Shipping Industry's 12-step Plan for Crew Changes
The need for ships to change crews and for the world's 1.2 million seafarers to be able to fly home at the end of their periods of service have emerged as two of the biggest challenges facing the shipping industry as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.To help governments put in place coordinated procedures to facilitate the safe movement of seafarers, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) issued a 12-step plan to 174 member states, providing them with a roadmap to freeā¦
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 survivorsā¦
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 Seafarersā 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. āThe wide ratification of the Convention would have materially assisted the welfare of seafarers as well as addressing the security concerns of port states.ā 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 Seafarersā 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.
Pilots and Shipowners Join Forces on Pilot Ladder Safety
The International Maritime Pilotsā Association (IMPA) and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) have joined forces to update a brochure aimed at shipping companies and seafarers, reminding them of the vital need to ensure that ladders used for pilot transfers are safe and always rigged correctly. The revised brochure ā āShipping Industry Guidance on Pilot Transfer Arrangementsā ā is supported by a wide range of other international shipping bodies. It takes account of the latest amendments to the Safety of Life at Sea Convention (SOLAS) concerning pilot laddersā¦
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).
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.
