Maritime Safety News Archives - Page 3 of 259 - SHIP IP LTD

Notice to: Ship Owners / Managers/ Operators / Surveyors / Auditors

This Circular is issued to advise that IMO Resolutions MSC.540(107) and MSC.541(107) entered into force on 01 January 2025. Both these Resolutions concern amendments to the International Convention and the Code on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW).

Regulation I/1 of the STCW Convention – Definitions and clarifications

A new definition has been added:

  • Original form means a paper or an electronic form of any certificate required by the Convention, issued in the format approved by the Administration, provided that the minimum information, as required in paragraph 4 of section A-I/2 of the STCW Code, is readily available.”

 

Regulation I/2 of the STCW Convention – Certificates and Endorsements

Paragraph 11 has been replaced by:

  • Subject to the provisions of regulation I/10, paragraph 5, any certificate required by the Convention must be kept available in its original form on board the ship on which the holder is serving. If an electronic form is used, the minimum required data must be accessible as defined by the Administration in accordance with the STCW Code, which is necessary to initiate a verification procedure.”

 

Section A-I/2 of the STCW Code – Certificates and endorsements

Paragraph 4 has been replaced by:

  • In using formats which may be different from those set forth in this section, pursuant to regulation I/2, paragraph 10, Parties shall ensure that in all cases:
    1. all information relating to the identity and personal description of the holder, including name, date of birth, photograph and signature, along with the date on which the document was issued, shall be displayed on the same side of the documents;
    2. all information relating to the capacity or capacities in which the holder is entitled to serve, in accordance with the applicable safe manning requirements of the Administration, as well as any limitations, shall be prominently displayed and easily identified;
    3. the terms “front”, “back” and “overleaf”, as referred to in these provisions, are not applicable for certificates and endorsements in electronic form; and
    4. an official seal, photograph and signature of seafarer are not necessary for certificates and endorsements in electronic form.”

Act now

Ship Owners/ Managers/ Operators/ Surveyors/ Auditors should note the above and be guided accordingly.

Source : Dromon Bureau of Shipping (DBS) – Home

crewexpress stcw rest hours software


Optimising vessel operations has become crucial for the industry to achieve sustainability and decarbonisation goals. In the long term, large investments will focus on building ships ready for alternative fuels, but in the meantime, owners and operators are turning to digitalisation technologies to save fuel and emissions by becoming more energy efficient.

Owners and operators are also using faster low-latency satellite communications to tackle the challenges of retaining and retraining crew, and to keep track of growing fleets and changing trading patterns. Communications, digital applications and electronic hardware help to tackle these issues, enabling owners to offer career development pathways, almost limitless communications, and technology to make seafarer’s lives easier.

Shipping has turned to digital applications, low-latency connectivity, cloud-based solutions, artificial intelligence and machine learning, while tackling cyber risks with enhanced security.

New LEO constellations overtake established GEO

One company run by an established billionaire, who will soon be part of Trump’s new US administration, has transformed maritime satellite communications during 2024 with owners installing new technology to keep up.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX’s Starlink low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation has revolutionised maritime and offshore communications, providing fast connectivity with low latency to vessels, for crew welfare services and operational applications.

LEO satellite communications has taken the maritime sector to new heights in terms of providing connectivity and welfare support to seafarers. Starlink has become popular with the masses with shipmanagers, owners and operators increasing its deployment across fleets. Whereas two years ago, flat-panel antennas for Starlink were only just being tested, now it is difficult to find a ship without Starlink on board.

Another LEO constellation gaining traction is Eutelsat OneWeb, albeit at a slower pace, with early adoption on offshore vessels, drilling and production facilities. As this global coverage is implemented, more cruise and commercial ships will consider this as a viable alternative. Marella Cruises is investing in OneWeb to operate alongside Starlink on its cruise ships.

Despite the rise of LEO, there is still demand for reliable geostationary orbit (GEO) satellite communications and very small aperture terminal (VSAT) connectivity, but distributors are integrating these services into hybrid smart solutions, where connections will take the cost-efficient, secure pathways. There is also still a need for L-band through Inmarsat, Iridium and Thuraya for maritime safety and security communications.

Inmarsat has reacted to LEO competition by launching a combined hybrid of GEO with LEO and long-term evolution (LTE) in one package. Global container shipowners K Line and Hapag-Lloyd are testing out NexusWave with an eye to roll it out across their fleets.

Class raises requirements for cyber resilience

As the maritime industry adopts more digitalisation applications and ships become more connected, they come under greater risk of cyber attacks. Therefore, enhancing cyber resilience and security is essential to ship operators, owners and builders.

In 2024, the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) introduced unified requirements (URs) for cyber security and outlined how to demonstrate compliance with them. These URs, E26 and E27, are seen as new benchmarks for shipping’s response to its growing exposure to cyber attacks.

As of 1 July 2024, updated URs E26 and E27 require newbuild vessels and their connected systems to meet certain minimum and unified cyber-resilience standards.

UR E26 is aimed at ensuring the secure integration of both operational technology (OT), information technology (IT) and equipment in a vessel’s network, during the design, construction, commissioning and operational life of the ship.

This UR targets the ship as a collective entity for cyber resilience and covers five key aspects: equipment identification, protection, attack detection, response and recovery.

UR E27 is written to support manufacturers and OEMs of onboard operational systems and equipment in evaluating and improving their cyber resilience. This has led to suppliers and system integrators introducing upgrades to ensure cyber resilience. It also encouraged classification societies to develop and introduce their own interpretations of these URs.

Introducing IACS requirements and raising awareness and demand for enhanced cyber security has led to a trend of class societies acquiring companies with these skills. One of the main deals in 2024 was DNV’s acquisition of CyberOwl, which regularly reports on the shipping industry’s risks and responses to cyber attacks.

According to a study led by CyberOwl published in Q4 2024, a typical fleet of 30 cargo vessels now experiences an average of 80 cyber incidents a year. The study found the average cost of unlocking computer systems in the maritime sector reached US$3.2M.

We can expect more advanced and integrated solutions to be unveiled and new innovative cyber threats to emerge in 2025.

Source : Riviera


Belgian offshore contractor Jan De Nul said that its jackup installation newbuild Voltaire had suffered minor damage after being hit by typhoon Muifa at COSCO Shipping Shipyard in Nantong, China.

The eye of the typhoon passed over the shipyard during the night of September 14 to 15, causing the vessel to come loose from its moorings.

The company said that the incident caused no injuries, while the first sight assessments have shown limited damage to certain parts of the crane and the helideck.

The vessel has been safely moored back in the shipyard and further assessments are ongoing.

The Voltaire is said to be as large as the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The vessel, due for delivery in the second half of 2022, will be the second and largest jackup in Jan De Nul’s fleet built to transport, lift and install next-generation offshore wind turbines, transition pieces and foundations.

Source: https://splash247.com/jan-de-nuls-jackup-installation-newbuild-hit-by-typhoon-in-china/

CREWEXPRESS STCW REST HOURS SOFTWARE - Paris and Tokyo MoU have announced that they will jointly launch a new Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) from 1st September 2022 to 30th November 2022


A dry cargo vessel was first boarded and then robbed by armed criminals on 14 September in Guinea’s Conakry anchorage. Per Ambrey, three robbers with AK rifles and blades boarded the “Martina,” while the remaining two stayed on a boat. When they saw the pirates, the crew mustered in the citadel, and the criminals robbed the vessel. There were no reports of any crew member being injured. The ship wasn’t under the protection of naval guards at that time.

Cautious gains in the Gulf of Guinea

Per the recent IMB piracy report, of 58 incidents, only 12 had been reported in the Gulf of Guinea, 10 of which were referred to as armed robberies and the remaining only two as cases of piracy.

In early April 2022, yet another Panamax bulk carrier was reportedly attacked. Some pirates later boarded it at about 260nm off the Ghana coast. This shows that despite a drop in reported incidents, the threat of Gulf of Guinea kidnappings and piracy continues.

Pirates Attack A Dry Bulk Carrier
Image for representation purpose only

IMB PRC commends the positive and prompt actions of the Italian Navy that resulted in the crew members and ship getting saved. It urges Coastal response agencies and independent international navies to continue efforts to ensure this crime is addressed in the waters that account for 74% of crew members taken hostage worldwide.

Recently, the Government of Nigeria and global shipping stakeholders introduced a brand new strategy to end piracy, armed robberies, and kidnappings in the Gulf of Guinea or the GoG.

The strategy launches a mechanism that will assess the effectiveness of country-piracy initiatives and their commitments to the GoG.

Targeted at stakeholders who operate in the region, it’ll identify the areas for enhancements and reinforcements to eliminate piracy.

Source: https://www.marineinsight.com/shipping-news/pirates-attack-a-dry-bulk-carrier-off-the-coast-of-guinea/

 

 

CREWEXPRESS STCW REST HOURS SOFTWARE - Paris and Tokyo MoU have announced that they will jointly launch a new Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) from 1st September 2022 to 30th November 2022


Maritime security company Ambrey reported piracy attack at Conakry Anchorage, Guinea, which occurred early in the morning Sep 14. Three pirates armed with firearms boarded German general cargo ship MARTINA, anchored some 16 nm south of Conakry, from a boat, crew managed to muster in citadel, so no crew were injured or kidnapped. Pirates looted the ship and, understood, fled, unhampered. Shortly after attack, MARTINA heaved anchor and left anchorage, moving further of to sea. As of 1515 UTC Sep 15, the ship was either drifting, or anchored, 65 nm west of Conakry.

Source: https://www.fleetmon.com/maritime-news/2022/39533/german-freighter-attacked-looted/

 

CREWEXPRESS STCW REST HOURS SOFTWARE - Paris and Tokyo MoU have announced that they will jointly launch a new Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) from 1st September 2022 to 30th November 2022

 

 


nCircular Maritime Technologies International (CMT) from the Netherlands has debuted a brand new way of breaking up ships, where humans are not placed in danger.

At CMT’s proposed yard, no human lives will be put at risk as the ships will be taken out of the water and dismantled by a fully mechanised and automated system (pictured).

A proof-of-concept prototype is planned to be launched in the Netherlands soon with the company claiming it will then establish yards with international partners and attract business from shipowners by matching the price paid by South Asian competitors.

The proposed CMT yard runs on its own power and produces clean steel. The yard will reduce the size of the vessel step by step through various automated tools, up to the point where each part of the ship’s steel structure is reduced to many small pieces. The CMT yard will go from a 3D structure to a 2D material package of steel plates, a process the company says will be executed quickly and precisely, managed by tailored control tools and software, overseen by specialised CMT staff.

Among CMT’s backers are Damen Shipyards, Huisman Equipment, Jansen Recycling Group, and Sojitz Corporation.

Many in shipping have been demanding more advanced and greener recycling options in an industry that has had to contend with the exit of China, deemed the most environmentally conscious of the shipbreakers, four years ago.

Signing up for the SteelZero initiative earlier this year, Danish carrier Maersk said that more than 700 of its operated vessels are projected to be recycled in the next decade.

Speaking on the occasion, Palle Laursen, senior vice president and chief technical officer at Maersk, noted: “Global ship recycling volumes are projected to nearly double by 2028 and quadruple by 2033. Recycled steel will progressively be recognised as a viable raw material for steel consumers with net-zero emissions targets.”

Driving circularity in the steel industry, Laursen said, would help Maersk reduce its Scope 3 emissions.

Impending legislation from the International Maritime Organization such as EEXI and CII is widely anticipated to make a tranche of the global fleet obsolete.

Source: https://splash247.com/dutch-debut-clean-automated-ship-recycling-solution/

 

CREWEXPRESS STCW REST HOURS SOFTWARE - Paris and Tokyo MoU have announced that they will jointly launch a new Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) from 1st September 2022 to 30th November 2022

 


In the fourth in a series of interviews ahead of the Saudi Maritime Congress NMA director, Turki Al Shehri, spoke to Seatrade Maritime News about developments at the academy.

“This is a critical time for the Saudi maritime sector as we look towards its recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, and also build on the opportunities with emerging new technologies and pioneering ways of delivering maritime training and education as we strive to deliver the ambitions of Saudi Vision 2030 and beyond,” Al Sheri said.

The King Salman International Complex for Maritime Industries and Services (KSIC) alone is expected to contribute $17bn to Saudi Arabia’s GDP, deliver import substitution of $12bn, and provide 80,000 direct and indirect jobs by 2030. The Kingdom’s National Transport and Logistics Strategy, unveiled last year, calls for throughput at its container ports to quadruple from under 10m teu in 2020 to 40m teu at the end of the decade.

“The maritime sector will remain a critical enabler of the world economy and is largely experiencing significant growth in service requirements and operating margins. Recent events in Ukraine are, however, impacting long-term forecasting. We have remained focused in improving our capabilities, installing our simulation complex and updating our curriculum.”

The NMA was set up in 2016 in a partnership between national oil company Saudi Aramco and the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC), a Saudi training institute in existence since 1980, with branches in all major Saudi cities.

The Kingdom’s requirements for maritime expertise span the ports, container, bulk, tanker and logistics markets. The National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia (Bahri) is a top-five global VLCC operator. Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification plans call for the dramatic expansion of its west coast ports and inland logistics, to in order to capitalise on the Kingdom’s centrality to global trade flows.

Based at Ras Al-Khair on the eastern coast, 80 kilometers north of the country’s industrial hub in Jubail Industrial City, where NMA is based, KSIC is expected to be one of the largest shipyards in the world. “This proximity presents us with an advantage towards closer cooperation,” Al Shehri said.

“We currently train a number of members of the KSIC’s future workforce with skills in shipbuilding- related trades. Our pool of trainees come from a number of shipping companies and marine employers such as Saudi Aramco, Bahri and Rawabi Holding, among others,” he said.

NMA’s first cohort of ratings, comprised of 47 students, successfully completed Phase 1—Marine English Language—of their training program in July 2021. “The learners have been studying contextualised maritime English since November 2020 and are now ready to progress to technical training through the associate diploma in maritime studies, and are due to graduate in November 2021,” it said.

Today, women represent only 2% of world’s 1.2 million seafarers, while 94% of female seafarers are working in the cruise industry. “NMA will fully support the IMO’s gender ‘Women in Maritime’ programme, whilst keeping in mind the Kingdom’s traditions and customs. NMA will offer preferential placements for shortlisted female applicants. We will also facilitate maritime training for women that may wish to work in the maritime industry but may not be inclined to work at sea,” Al Shehri said.

“Looking to Vision 2030, consideration of diversity as a whole, not just how it relates to women, will be one of the challenges facing the sector. NMA will promote a maritime culture that encompasses diversity in its broadest sense and will reap wide-ranging benefits and rewards for Saudi society. I am very optimistic about the future of the maritime industry.”

Source: https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/crewing/saudi-nma-critical-component-kingdoms-maritime-development

 

CREWEXPRESS STCW REST HOURS SOFTWARE - Paris and Tokyo MoU have announced that they will jointly launch a new Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) from 1st September 2022 to 30th November 2022

 


Maritime education is evolving with changes in technology, and the transition has accelerated since the beginning of the pandemic. Many more courses are now available online including much of the STCW certificate coursework that seafarers need for licensing.

Classes that require an element of hands-on work can now be found in a “hybrid” or “blended” format with the practical elements conducted in-person and written instructions delivered electronically. Even basic simulation can be conducted remotely using virtual reality headsets, and the student can be thousands of miles away from the instructor.

Distance learning is an established phenomenon in the maritime industry. As a prime example, U.K.-based MLA College (formerly Marine Learning Alliance) has been providing undergraduate and graduate education for maritime professionals online since 2012. Through a partnership with the University of Plymouth, MLA offers Bachelor and Master’s degree programs in maritime operations, oceanography, hydrography and meteorology with an MBA option for those interested in business and management.

The flexibility of the online format has some advantages for globe-trotting maritime professionals. With three “start points” for coursework each year, students can begin their education at MLA when it fits their schedule. There’s no need to obtain visas or relocate across borders since the work can be done anywhere with Internet access.

“As education providers, it’s our responsibility to develop methods which allow quality education to all,” says Professor John Chudley, MLA College’s Rector.

Green Light from Regulators

Online coursework was well-established before the pandemic, but COVID-19 lockdowns exposed many more people to the idea. In the first year of the outbreak, millions of students around the world had to transition to a study-from-home model because schools were shuttered. This shift reached the highly-regulated realm of maritime training too.

In order to keep the industry moving, many flag states expanded the allowable scope of remote delivery for STCW coursework. Flag administrations approved more partially-online “blended trainings” and – for the first time ever – allowed remotely-proctored written exams. The green light from regulators reflects growing acceptance of an online delivery model though much of the hands-on coursework and the practical evaluations for mariners must still be done in person.

“Flag states are certainly much more receptive to applications now and more open-minded about what can be done,” says Raal Harris, Chief Creative Officer at leading training provider Ocean Technologies Group (OTG). “I think the dial is moving to accommodate more remote training – provided standards and learning outcomes are not compromised.”

Beyond COVID safety, remote learning has advantages for both the mariner and shipowner. When attending class online, there’s no need to buy an airline ticket to an academy or pay for a hotel stay during the course. Online training can even be completed during off-hours on board, giving the mariner more time off between hitches. It’s no surprise that OTG reports “more and more” demand for STCW approved e-learning courses, and other providers are seeing the same thing.

“Online training is now a rapidly growing market,” agrees Captain Özgür Alemda?, Founder & CEO of Maritime Trainer, a top training and assessment provider in the eastern Mediterranean. “Upcoming standards and new skillsets to meet regulations for decarbonization, ESG and digitization will require more learning and training, which is driving demand.”

The STAR Center, the Florida academy affiliated with the American Maritime Officers (AMO), has a long history of in-person instruction and prides itself on the strength of its on-campus programs and facilities. But it too is pivoting to meet the demand for online options.

“Students and companies are continually looking for high-quality online and blended programs in order to gain efficiencies,” says Jerry Pannell, the academy’s Director. “STAR Center has developed and is continually improving industry leading and recognized online and blended courses that meet regulatory requirements.”

Other U.S. training providers are tracking the same trend. Connecticut-based online training company Mariner Skills has been offering remote-learning STCW courses since 2015 and says that COVID lockdowns have changed the industry. “One of the largest impacts on maritime training after the pandemic is the near-universal acceptance of online training solutions,” explains CEO Anush Ramachandran.

The company has experienced nearly 100 percent year-over-year growth for the past two years, and Ramachandran credits the U.S. Coast Guard’s decision to allow remote proctoring for much of its expansion. The Coast Guard greenlighted digitally-monitored remote exams in 2020, and while the agency’s decision was aimed at reducing COVID risk it also removed the only travel requirement for written coursework – the in-person exam.

“For an online training provider like Mariner Skills, this opened the entire U.S. market, if not the global market,” Ramachandran says.

Mariner Skills has broad ambitions for its STCW courses. Modern maritime training incorporates hours of simulation, and most flag states require that this portion of the coursework be done in person. But by this fall Mariner Skills expects to roll out cloud-based simulation for many of its trainings through a partnership with a leading sim provider. “This will open up a large number of courses for online learning,” predicts Ramachandran.

VR & AR

Many expect that virtual reality and augmented reality (VR/AR) technology will democratize simulation and make it practical for remote learning programs. Off-the-shelf VR goggles create a reasonably realistic bridge experience for just $200 in equipment, and for some applications this level of fidelity is enough.

“I think there are trainings we could do at the entry level, like basic rules of the road,” notes Jon Kjaerulff, Director of Business Development for MITAGS, the U.S.-based training academy affiliated with the Masters, Mates & Pilots (MMP). “You could have students all over the country or a classroom of people, all wearing headsets. And all of them could be on the same virtual ‘bridge’ for the training.”

Kjaerulff thinks VR will eventually become part of the curriculum so long as it can be done in a way that meets industry and regulatory standards. The concept has already been used for practical applications in several nations including Norway, Japan and Australia. Since VR equipment fits in a shoebox and doesn’t break the bank, it can be acquired by individual companies for their own informal training or even purchased by mariners for practice on board.

“I believe VR and AR will become more mature, better understood and therefore more widely considered in the next three to five years with the help of developments in devices and technology,” says Captain Alemda? of Maritime Trainer, which has been building its own VR tools for several years. “But industry-wide adoption will certainly need to be supported by standards.”

In-Person Training

Traditional in-person learning still has a big role to play, especially now that pandemic restrictions have lifted and some academies are expanding their campuses and course catalogues. For example, MITAGS-West in Seattle has just created a one-of-a-kind damage control training module based on U.S. Coast Guard and Navy standards. Every naval force trains its sailors for hull breaches and flooding, and for good reason, but these hands-on lessons are missing from STCW education for merchant shipping.

MITAGS hopes that operators will see the practical value of having their mariners build damage-control skills with first-hand experience, just like they do for STCW-required safety and survival training. “We see the attraction of remote learning, but you know, there are certain things that are always going to be best in person,” says Kjaerulff. “I mean, I really would worry about somebody who got all their first aid training online.”

In addition to hands-on safety training, both MITAGS and STAR Center see a big future for in-person assessment programs, which put vessel operators’ seagoing employees to the test. This is an inherently hands-on process requiring qualified assessors and high-end simulation.

“Our assessment programs, including navigational watchkeeping, engineering and behavioral based competency, have continued to grow and expand,” says STAR Center’s Pannell. “More importantly, the acceptance from the maritime community of assessments and the follow-up training that may be identified has been encouraging.”

In-person training is thriving at Southern California’s Orange Coast College, which recently expanded its waterfront campus. OCC’s two-year program mints new mariners for yachts and commercial vessels, and some of its graduates go on to finish four-year degrees at state maritime academies. The college has its own marina with a fleet of 40+ small craft for underway training and assessments.

OCC’s program holds a MARAD Center of Excellence designation, one of 27 in the U.S., and the college is expanding to accommodate its success. In September 2021, OCC opened a new mariner training center with three classrooms, a full mission bridge simulator and a conference space. “It essentially doubled our campus size,” says Sarah Hirsch, Director of OCC’s Waterfront Campus. “Students can do their desk work, they can do their simulator training, then walk down to the waterfront and get on a boat.”

Jobs Waiting

OCC’s program emphasizes the practical side of the business, and students get exposure to local maritime enterprises across the spectrum. When they graduate – or even beforehand – they can choose where they want to go, says Hirsch. Word has gotten round, and her staff members sometimes have to fend off employers who want to hire away OCC’s students early. “You know, it’s every other day that someone sends us an offer,” she says. “We tell them we’ll pass on their contact info after graduation.”

Source: https://www.maritime-executive.com/magazine/training-goes-virtual

 

CREWEXPRESS STCW REST HOURS SOFTWARE - Paris and Tokyo MoU have announced that they will jointly launch a new Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) from 1st September 2022 to 30th November 2022

 


Regulating Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) has implications for safety, legal and facilitation instruments under the purview of the international Maritime Organization (IMO). The first session of a joint IMO working group to address common high-priority issues across various instruments was held in September (7-9), in remote session. The session was preceded by an IMO MASS Seminar (5-6 September) which brought together stakeholders to share insights and views.

The working group was established following a regulatory scoping exercise on Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS), that was designed to assess existing IMO instruments to see how they might apply to MASS and what gaps existed to permit their operation. The scoping exercise was conducted by the following committees: Maritime Safety committee (MSC), Legal Committee (LEG) and Facilitation Committee (FAL) – for relevant treaties under their purview.

autonomous shipping
Credits: IMO
MSC agreed on Road Map of developing a goal-based instrument regulating the operation of maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS), which, as a first step would be in the form of a non-mandatory Code for adoption in the second half of 2024 while a mandatory MASS Code is to be developed thereafter for entry into force on 1 January 2028.

The Joint Working Group developed a table – intended as a living document – to identity preferred options for addressing common issues, such as: role of MASS master and crew; responsibilities of Mass master and crew; competencies required for MASS master and crew; identification and meaning of term “remote operator” and their responsibilities.

A draft work plan was agreed, for approval by the three committees, which envisages the Committees reviewing the report of the first session and a second Joint Working Group to be convened in 2023.

The Joint Working Group agreed that a seminar on legal issues, including implications under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), would be beneficial.

The Joint MSC-LEG-FAL Working Group on Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) has been established as a cross-cutting mechanism to address common high-priority issues identified by the regulatory scoping exercises for the use of MASS conducted by the three committees.

Source: IMO

 

CREWEXPRESS STCW REST HOURS SOFTWARE - Paris and Tokyo MoU have announced that they will jointly launch a new Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) from 1st September 2022 to 30th November 2022

 


Jordanian officials have ordered an Egyptian-owned cargo ship to be detained at the port of Aqaba after the vessel grounded in the country’s marine reserve park. It is the second vessel in two months to cause damage to the reserve area with the Jordanian Maritime Authority reporting it is investigating the repeat occurrence of a vessel traveling outside the channel.

The Lotus, an 8,500 dwt general cargo ship was entering the port at 6:50 a.m. local time on Tuesday, September 13 when it grounded in the marine reserve. The preservation area, a prime location for tourists and divers, makes up about half the 16-mile coastline and lies near the entrance to Jordan’s only seaport.

The Jordanian Royal Navy assisted in removing the 356-foot vessel which is registered in Palau from the reef and escorted the ship to the dock in Aqaba for an inspection. The staff of the Jordanian Maritime Authority boarded the vessel to assess the situation. The head of the port authority told local media that they were “taking a measure to prevent the ship from traveling until the investigation is completed.”

The vessel was reported to be arriving empty with its AIS signal showing it was coming from Somalia. It was expected to load a cargo of potash at the fertilizer pier.

Noaman Al-Saifi, head of the Maritime Authority made an official statement reporting that they were sending divers to inspect the coral reef. “It’s too early to talk about damages, if there are damages,” he was quoted as saying by state media. Later in the day, however, the state-owned Al-Mamlaka TV was reporting that there is substantial damage to the reef.

In August, Jordanian authorities detained another Egyptian-run vessel, the Flower of the Sea, accusing the cargo ship of having spilled 11 tons of fuel oil in the same area. Jordanian media reports that both vessels are operated by Sea Gate Management with the Flower of the Sea having a history of detentions and deficiencies in prior port state inspections.

The 10,500 dwt vessel, also registered in Palau, was reported to have contaminated a section of the marine reserve on August 14 with the spill later washing up on Jordanian beaches and spreading to the Egyptian side of the Gulf of Aqaba. The case was referred to Jordanian prosecutors later in August.

Source: https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/jordan-detains-egyptian-cargo-ship-accusing-it-of-damaging-coral-reef

 

CREWEXPRESS STCW REST HOURS SOFTWARE - Paris and Tokyo MoU have announced that they will jointly launch a new Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) from 1st September 2022 to 30th November 2022

 


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