Ship as Lifeboat Concept Disputed by ICV
A recent meeting at the National Transportation Safety Board in Washington, D.C. (attended by International Cruise Victims (ICV) Board representatives) discussed the new International Maritime Authority (IMO) policy of using “the ship as the lifeboat”, which drew the following response from ICV. ICV inform that the opening address to the meeting was given by the head of the IMO Safety Committee, Captain Andy Winbow. According to Kendall Carver, Chairman of International Cruise Victims (ICV)…
CMP Packs Decade of Tin-Free Experience
The International Maritime Authority has proposed a worldwide ban on tri-butyl tin (TBT) based antifouling paints, starting in January 2003. Confirmation of these dates is expected at the IMO diplomatic conference this October. Although some ship operators have already converted to tin-free antifoulings, most ship operators are waiting until the ban is confirmed before they decide a policy on the use of tin-free antifoulings. This is due to cost and performance considerations. It is clear that most ship operators are not informed about the available tin-free technologies and are not aware that there are products, which are equal in performance to TBT-based antifoulings.
Asian Agreement Thwarting Piracy to Take Effect
A landmark regional cooperation pact against marine piracy in Asia is set to take effect in early September. Singapore's foreign affairs ministry says 11 countries have now ratified the regional pact on combating piracy and armed robbery of ships in Asia. Singapore serves as the depository of the agreement and will host the group's information sharing centre which is a permanent body with full-time staff. Cambodia, Japan, Laos, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Burma, South Korea, Vietnam, India and Sri Lanka have all ratified the agreement. Brunei is also in the process of ratifying the pact. Officials say vessels plying the Malacca Strait are vulnerable to pirates and seaborne "terrorism".
