Contracting Government News

The Japanese Coastguard has contracted Transas and its representative Marix k.k as Application Service Provider (ASP) for the National Data Centre (NDC). The NDC will be operational by 31st December 2008. Transas has developed a complete range of Long Range Identification Tracking (LRIT) products and services for contracting governments and shipowners. The design of the Transas LRIT software allows a flexible and custom installation according to national requirements. This can range from a wholly outsourced service to a mixed architecture whereby Application Service Provider services are hosted by Transas yet the National Data Centre and data storage resides in the contracting government’s chosen location. Transas performs conformity testing for onboard LRIT terminals.

One of the numerous provisions in the December 2002 amendments to the International Convention on the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS Convention) requires ships subject to the Convention to maintain a continuous synopsis record as of July 1, 2004. All is not going smoothly though. Owners and operators should prepare to take individual action prior to the deadline. The continuous synopsis record is intended to provide an on-board record of the history of the ship. m. The date on which the ship ceased to be registered with that nation. Any changes relating to entries in the continuous synopsis record are to be made by the flag administration within three months and provided to the ship so that the information remains current.

The master of a ship can be designated as the Ship Security Officer (SSO) in implementing the provisions of the mandatory International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code, IMO's Flag State Implementation (FSI) Sub-Committee has unanimously decided to recommend to the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC). The FSI Sub-Committee, which meets this week at IMO's London Headquarters, considered the issue following concerns raised by Contracting Governments to the 1974 International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and by the shipping industry as to whether the ISPS Code, as drafted, would prevent the master of the ship being designated as the SSO. The ISPS Code will become mandatory in July of this year under amendments to SOLAS adopted in December 2002.

The IMO issued a Circular providing additional guidance relating to implementation of SOLAS Chapter XI-2 and the ISPS Code. Among other things, the guidance provides recommendations for ships calling at a port of a State that is not a Contracting Government and reminds all parties that the requirement for ships to keep records of their last 10 calls at port facilities only applies to calls made on or after July 1, 2004. Source: HK Law

Far-reaching international maritime security measures developed and adopted by IMO enter into force on 1 July 2004. The security measures, which include the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code), are in the form of amendments to the 1974 Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention and are aimed at enhancing maritime security on board ships and at ship/port interface areas. They were adopted by a Conference on Maritime Security in December 2002. Other amendments to SOLAS entering into force on the same date include requirements for the fitting of water ingress alarms in holds, ballast and dry spaces on bulk carriers and requirements for radar transponders to be fitted in liferafts carried on ro-ro passenger ships.

Like most other tasks involving two or more parties, maritime security becomes less difficult if each party understands what the others are going to be doing. The method for achieving this understanding in the marine sector, under both the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code and the U.S. Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA), is by means of the Declaration of Security. Declaration of Security (DoS) is defined by the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention as "an agreement reached between a ship and either a port facility or another ship with which it interfaces, specifying the security measures each will implement". Maritime security regulations promulgated by the U.S.

Standards and recommended practices for dealing with stowaways have been adopted as amendments to the Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL Convention)Ships are to be thoroughly searched for stowaways on leaving high-risk ports and measures to prevent stowaways secreting themselves on board are to be tightened, following the adoption by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) of new international standards and recommended practices to deal with the problem.The new measures, which will be incorporated into the Convention on Facilitation of Maritime Traffic (FAL Convention), stipulate that Contracting…

for a successful outcome to the conference is high. 9th to 13th September 2002. chapter XI. recommendatory. of the risks must be made in each particular case. in threat with changes in vulnerability for ships and port facilities. facility security assessments. essential components. life or damage to the port facility's economy or environment. assets and infrastructure in order to prioritise security measures. within a port facility that may be a likely target. accurately evaluate risk. facilities. drills will naturally play an important role. by the Administration or Contracting Government, as the case may be. the Contracting Government would set the appropriate security level. situations, respectively. appropriate security measures for the ship and for the port facility.

Experts in maritime security from around the world have completed an exhausting week-long meeting in preparation for a Diplomatic Conference later this year which is expected to adopt a completely new regulatory regime designed to prevent ships and their cargoes becoming the targets of terrorist activities. The second meeting of the intersessional working group on maritime security of the IMO's Maritime Safety Committee met at IMO headquarters last week (September 9th to 13th) to continue its work in refining a raft of measures to be put before the Conference in December. The new measures are centered around a proposed International Ship and Port Facility Security Code…