Port State Control News

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) says it is encouraged by efforts made by IMO Member States to resolve some pressing practical challenges ahead of the global implementation of the 0.5 percent sulphur in fuel cap on January 1, 2020.Speaking after an IMO working group meeting last week, to which the industry submitted a number of constructive proposals to help ensure smooth and consistent implementation, ICS Secretary General, Peter Hinchliffe, remarked, “Although there is still much work to be done, last week’s IMO discussions were positive.

The shipping industry - as represented by its international trade associations (BIMCO, ICS, INTERCARGO, INTERTANKO and WSC) - calls on the Member States of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to make progress on key challenges around the global sulphur cap to avoid compromising safety or unfairly penalising individual ships. The trade associations have co-sponsored a number of submissions to IMO to help smooth the implementation of the global 0.5 percent sulphur in fuel cap, in advance of the critical meeting that will be held in London during the second week of July.

The Cook Islands flag, operated by ship registry Maritime Cook Islands (MCI), has shown positive flag state performance, as reported in the latest report on Port State Control in the Asia Pacific Region by Tokyo MOU. The data and figures were published in the new report on Port State Control in the Asia Pacific by Tokyo MOU. The Tokyo MOU is “one of the most active regional port State control (PSC) organisations in the world” and consists of 20 member authorities in the Asia-Pacific region.

Maritech Ltd. signed a sales and distribution agreement with French water microbiology company aqua-tools to meet “significant interest” in onboard ballast water testing from Greek shipowners.The agreement, which covers the training and supply of aqua-tools’ B-QUA test kit, was inked during the Posidonia 2018 event, in early June.“Greek shipowners are looking at the use of indicative-based monitoring as a means of assessing the efficiency of their ships’ ballast water treatment systems…

Leading classification society ClassNK has released its annual report on Port State Control. The report aims to assist ship operators and management companies in maintaining compliant operations by providing information about ships detained by PSC as well as deficiencies that were found on board from many port states in 2017. In line with the International Safety Management (ISM) Code, PSC inspections ensure that vessels departing the port meet international standards and have proved to be highly effective in eliminating substandard ships that are in operation.

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”.

At the stroke of midnight on January 1, 2018, the global shipping industry will be expected to comply with the IMO agreed upon 0.5% sulfur cap for bunker fuels with few waivers available.For vessels which have installed scrubbers, higher sulfur fuels may continue to be used. IMO’s recent agreement on the ban of carriage of non-compliant fuel assures that cheating will not be allowed providing that port states integrate this ban into their respective port state control inspection programs.All that said…

Qatar signed the Indian Ocean Memorandum of Understanding (IOMOU) on Portal State Control during its participation in the 21st Port State Control Committee Meeting held last week in Australia, where a delegation from Qatar’s Ministry of Transport and Communications took part.“Qatar’s membership in the Indian Ocean Memorandum of Understanding will take Qatar’s maritime transport sector from local arena to the international one, leading the region in portal state control field,” said Dr.

Liberia continues to deploy significant improvements to its state-of-the-art web-based client interface system, WayPoint, by enhancing certificate security features, introducing a QR Code symbol for electronic certificates and streamlining the procedure for document verification.WayPoint was launched in late-2016 to provide the owners and operators of Liberian-flag ships with secure, real-time, user-friendly access to their fleet details, as well as to facilitate International Convention certification applications.

The Liberian Registry has signed a framework cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the China Classification Society (CCS) as the latest step in its strategy to collaborate with long-term key industry stakeholders.Under the terms of the MoU, the Liberian Registry’s technical competence will be employed to help shipyards and shipowners improve their innovative strategies. The CCS MoU has a particular focus on innovation and technology within the international regulatory framework and maritime sector projects.

Classification society ClassNK has released the latest version of Good Maintenance Onboard Ships (October, 2017), a checklist designed to be used by ship masters, crew, ship owners and other key personnel to ensure vessels are safe, well-maintained and comply with regulations. ClassNK’s Director of Survey Operations Division, Yoshinori Kozeki, said, “This easy-to-use checklist is a result of our ongoing commitment to improve the safety of life and property at sea, and the prevention of pollution of the marine environment. The latest edition of Good Maintenance Onboard Ships includes clear explanations, photo examples as well as guidance on the latest updates in the industry.

The port State control regimes which carry out inspections on ships to monitor and enforce compliance with international regulations have pledged to strengthen their collaboration with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and amongst themselves. A recent workshop (24-26 October) for port State control (PSC) MoU/Agreement Secretaries and Database Managers and Member States, the seventh of its kind, was held at IMO headquarters in London, United Kingdom. Participants shared experiences…

Inspection training for Port State Control Officers in South and Central America is underway at an International Maritime Organization (IMO) workshop in Buenos Aires, Argentina (6-8 November). There are participants from: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama and Uruguay. Port State Control is the process, supported by IMO, by which officials in ports can board visiting foreign-flagged vessels to verify compliance with international safety and pollution standards.

The U.S. Navy has a well-deserved reputation for seamanship in trying conditions. Recently though, the Navy has suffered a series of marine casualties, including the fatal collisions involving two destroyers of the Pacific Fleet. On June 17, USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62), an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, was involved in a collision with the container ship ACX Crystal off Japan, resulting in the deaths of seven Navy crewmembers. The destroyer was severely damaged and is being returned to the United States via heavy-lift vessel for extensive repairs. On August 21, USS John S.

Liberia has been re-elected to the Council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a position it has held continuously since 2012. Commissioner of the Liberia Maritime Authority, Dr James Kollie, says, “It is very gratifying to see Liberia reconfirmed in its position as a leading maritime nation and decision-maker at the IMO. Liberia is among the most proactive and responsible maritime nations in the world, in accordance with its position as the leading quality open registry serving the global shipping industry and ensuring seafarers’ welfare.

ABS announced it had zero work-related lost time incidents during 2017. The corresponding Lost Time Incident Rate (LTIR) of 0.00 represents a significant milestone in the organization’s continuing journey to safety excellence. “Safety is the heart of our mission and remains at the core of all we do, so we are thrilled to realize this exceptional safety record result,” said ABS Chairman, President and CEO, Christopher J. Wiernicki. Wiernicki added: “This achievement adds to our already strong industry-recognized safety leadership.

The Danish Maritime Authority (DMA) and European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) are examining how online control of certificates could make Port State Control (PSC) inspections more efficient. This happens in the wake of the DMA’s implementation of digital certificates on Danish ships. Time is money, and PSC inspections are time-consuming since they include scrutiny of the ship’s certificates as well as inspection of its compliance with operational and safety regulations. But how to make PSC inspections more efficient without compromising safety? By enabling online control of certificates.

Palau International Ship Registry (PISR) has expanded its technology offering by linking with Pole Star to offer a comprehensive sanctions compliance and risk management service for its fleet vessels. Pole Star’s Purple TRAC is a comprehensive ship-centric economic sanctions compliance and risk management service used by shipping companies, ship financiers, insurers, port state agencies and ship registries. Using the latest technology it offers high level monitoring of assets designed to protect both the vessel and crew during operations.

Maritime Cook Islands (MCI), an international ship registry, is planning for another year of expansion after a solid performance in 2017. Despite the continuing challenging times in shipping, MCI says 2017 saw it make significant progress on several fronts. For 2017, MCI registered 130 new vessels. Our fleet grew by 3.6%; from 557 vessels at the end of 2016 to 577 (as of 13 December 2017). With 451,792 gross tonnage (GT) added for 2017, this brings the total GT for 2017 to 1,840,614 (as of 16 December 2017). This represents an increase of 3.76% from 2016’s total GT.

The concentrated inspection campaign (CIC) on safety of navigation was carried out in the Tokyo MoU region from 1 September 2017 to 30 November 2017. Within the campaign, Tokyo MOU member Authorities verified vital points of compliance in accordance with SOLAS Ch. V on all types of foreign merchant ships. During the CIC, member Authorities inspected a total of 6,720 vessels, of which 36 (0.54%) were detained as a direct result of the campaign. In total 157 (2.34%) ships were detained during the campaign.

Non-compliant discharge of oily water continues to be an environmental threat – and an expensive headache for the marine industry. With the tamper-proof Alfa Laval BlueBox SA, a standalone oil content monitor and data recorder, Alfa Laval is providing peace of mind to ship owners and operators. Despite many years of strict enforcement when it comes to oily water discharge limits, there are still high-profile cases that result in extreme fines or jail terms. Naturally, no company can afford to take risks when the consequences are of such magnitude.

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has published the latest version of its Flag State Performance Table, which can be downloaded free of charge via the ICS website. The Table provides a helpful indication of the performance of individual flag states worldwide, which analyses how the administrations included deliver against a number of criteria such as port state control records, ratification of international maritime Conventions and attendance at IMO meetings. This year, a new criteria on participation in the ‘IMO Member State Audit Scheme’ has been included.

In a bid to harmonize port state control inspection procedures that will lead to the elimination of substandard shipping in the West and Central Africa sub-region, the Abuja Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will host its 3rd Ministerial Conference and 9th Port state Control Committee Meeting with the aim of developing a unified system of Port State Control inspection procedure for the region. The Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control for West and Central African Region…