RMI Maintains Qualship 21 Status
The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) has been recognized on the United States Coast Guard's (USCG's) QUALSHIP 21 roster for 2019-2020. The USCG program rewards vessels for commitment to safety and quality when calling at ports in the United States (US).Only flag States which maintain a port State control (PSC) detention ratio of 1.00% or less over a three-year period and also meet a stringent set of judgement criteria are eligible for the program.A vessel registered in a flag State with QUALSHIP 21 certification may apply to be certified for QUALSHIP 21 by completing an application found on the USCG website. The RMI is the only leading registry to have maintained this position for 15 consecutive years…
2018 Maritime Risk Symposium – Energy and Maritime Risk
Energy.It seems that energy touches every aspect of our lives from heating our homes to ensuring that fresh produce is available at grocery stores. It powers our cars and allows industry to move products around the world. The connection between energy and risk to the maritime environment has been a growing area of discussion, research and analysis. The United Kingdom’s Royal Navy, within its Joint Doctrine Publication (JDOP 0-10) 5th edition UK Maritime Power, captured this issue superbly: “Fossil fuels and minerals are an important resource in the maritime environment. New deposits of oil and gas, as well as mineral wealth, are discovered under the seabed each year, and improvements in technology will facilitate future exploitation.
Maritime Ports Pushed to Up Cyber Security
Resilience planning, Info Sharing Take Spotlight“Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.” That old chestnut gets turned on its head when it comes to port cyber security. It’s more like “Oh what a tangled web we’ve woven, so much harder to stop data stolen.”Ports today have the physical aspect of security pretty well nailed shut - gates, locks, fencing, alarms, cameras, drones, etc. As Chris Mason, Rajant Corp.’s director of sales for EMEA, notes, “Every…
Interview: Rear Admiral Paul Thomas, USCG
Rear Admiral Paul Thomas develops and maintains policy, standards and program alignment for waterways management, navigation safety, boating, commercial vessels, ports and facilities, merchant mariner credentialing, vessel documentation, marine casualty investigation, inspection and port state control activities. He serves as the Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy overseeing three Coast Guard directorates: Inspections and Compliance, Marine Transportation Systems, and Commercial Regulations and Standards. A specialist in Marine Safety, Security and Environmental Protection, he has served at the Marine Safety Center in Washington, DC and many others before that. His other tours include, among others, service as Commanding Officer of USCGC CAPE ROMAIN.
ClassNK Receives Expanded Authorization from U.S. Coast Guard
The world’s largest classification society ClassNK announced that it was granted expanded authorization from the United States Coast Guard (USCG) on 25 December 2012, and will now be able to carry out a full range of surveys for the SOLAS, MARPOL and AFS conventions, as well as ISM Audits on behalf of the United States flag administration. The announcement was made following a visit by ClassNK Executive Vice President Dr. Takuya Yoneya to USCG Headquarters in Washington D.C. on 7 January 2013. During the visit Dr.
Spill Prevention and Response Protocols Formalized
The Thirteenth U.S. Coast Guard District and Washington state (Ecology) have formalized protocols for improved coordination of their oil pollution prevention and response efforts in Washington state waters. Capt. Myles Boothe, Chief, 13th Coast Guard District Marine Safety Division; and Dale Jensen, Ecology’s spills program manager, signed the protocols last Friday at the 13th Coast Guard District office. In May 2001, Governor Gary Locke and USCG Rear Adm. Erroll M. Brown signed a Memorandum of Agreement to work together to achieve a coordinated and efficient working relationship. The new protocols for Washington waters apply to all oil spill incidents and include information sharing…
Closing the Gap
"How are you doing?" When it comes to meeting international shipping regulations, this question can be hard to answer. Unless one asks and answers this question every six months, the training and certification gap quickly becomes too large to address, and the costs start to increase. Semiannual gap analysis is essential. The ISM Code and revised STCW'95 Convention now require significantly higher levels of training and assessment for shipboard and on-shore personnel, and all must be backed up by the paperwork to prove it. But tracking these complex requirements for companies with ships sailing into international and near-coastal waters can pose heavy financial burdens to corporate operations.
