Marine Environment Protection for Southeast Asia Seas Project Launched
Seven ASEAN countries have formally launched an ambitious initiative aimed at improving the environmental health of the seas in the region, through the implementation of key International Maritime Organization (IMO) marine environment protection treaties. Senior decisions makers of maritime administrations of the beneficiary ASEAN countries (Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam) met for their first high-level regional meeting in Bali, Indonesia (25-27 June), to kick-start the “Marine Environment Protection for Southeast Asia Seas (MEPSEAS) Project”. IMO is implementing the project, with funding from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad).
Vessel PSC Fire Safety Check Coming
The 43 Maritime Authorities of the Paris and the Tokyo Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) on Port State Control will launch a joint Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) with the purpose to ensure compliance with SOLAS Chapter II-2/ Construction - fire protection, fire detection and fire extinction arrangements on board ships. This inspection campaign will be held for three months, commencing from 1 September 2012 and ending on 30 November 2012. In practice, the CIC will mean that during a regular port State control inspection conducted under the regional ship selection criteria within the Paris and Tokyo MoU regions, the fire safety arrangements, maintenance records and other applicable documentation will be verified in more detail for compliance with SOLAS Chapter II-2.
Singapore-Registered Ships Expected to Meet ISM Code
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) expects that all ships under the Singapore flag affected by the implementation of Phase II of the International Safety Management (ISM) Code, will be able to comply with the Code by the deadline. At present, about 99% of Singapore-registered ships that come under Phase II, have either already attained the necessary certification or are well in the process of doing so. The ISM Code was adopted by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in 1993. The Code calls for officers on board vessels and those who manage vessels to develop, implement and continually improve their safety and pollution prevention management, according to a set of specified guidelines.
Paris MOU To Enforce ISM Compliance
The Paris MOU on Port State Control will start strict enforcement of the ISM Code on 1 July during a 3-month Concentrated Inspection Campaign. Last month the Port State Control Committee of the Paris MOU agreed to verify compliance with the ISM on all ships due for an inspection in one of the ports within the region. No extensions will be granted to the ship types which become compliant on July 1, 2002. Other ship types which already have been certified in accordance with the ISM Code will also be subject to the inspection campaign to verify that the safety management system (SMS) is actually working on board.Port State Control officers in the MOU countries will be using a standard inspection form to verify critical areas of the management system.
