The Dutch government has suffered another setback in its already widely criticized plan to use chartered ferries or cruise ships to help alleviate the overcrowding in refugee centers across the country. After initially announcing the plan last week, it has been met with a barrage of critics both from residents and local government to aid organizations, yet at least one of the ships is believed to already be sailing to the Netherlands due to start its role as a floating accommodations center next week.

The local council in the municipality of Zaanstad near Amsterdam today withdrew its permission to dock one of the chartered ferries at their pier. City officials said the 21,500 gross ton ferry, Aurelia could not be accommodated at their facilities. They said the 42-year-old ferry registered in Cyprus would produce “too much nitrogen,” and that under the regulations the port would not be able to handle the pollution coming from the ship. In May, the local council had said it was looking into the idea of accepting a ship to address the housing crisis.

Similarly, the port of Vlissingen had also been suggested as another location for one of the vessels. The southern city near the border with Belgium however this week said that it would not be able to accept one of the vessels. Residents had demanded that the city government reject the ship after the widespread criticism of the plan in recent days.

The Dutch government, however, has called the current situation an asylum crisis. The country has accepted an estimated 40,000 refugees from Ukraine in addition to other nationalities that have sought refuge in the country. Reports indicate that the centers are overflowing across the country unable to provide shelter for some of the new arrivals. One report said people are sleeping outside at least one center on the lawn with no shelter from the elements.

Last week, Eric van der Burg, a justice minister who is charged with dealing with refugees, was quoted in the media saying that they had come up with the idea of chartering three vessels, which he referred to as cruise ships, to temporarily house a few thousand of the refugees. Asked where the ships would dock he said that was still under discussions suggesting that the ships might be anchored offshore. He said they were exploring using shuttle services to transport the residents to shore but still aid groups compared the plan to imprisoning the people. An aid group described the idea of placing asylum seekers offshore as absurd.

The minister said last week that the government had already chartered the vessels and that they were heading to the Netherlands. He said they had acted quickly to ensure the availability of the vessels. The AIS signal for the one vessel that was identified for the program, the Aurelia, shows that it is docked in Marseille, France but was expected to depart for Spain and presumably continue on to the Netherlands.

In April, city officials in the Netherlands chartered a Holland America Line cruise ship as one of their first temporary housing locations along with two river cruise ships from AmaWaterways. The charter for the Holland America Volendam was extended through the summer but the cruise line reports the vessel will not extend the charter and will return to cruising in late September.

Other countries have also turned to the use of ferries to accommodate some of the influx of people. Estonia chartered a ferry in the spring and recently another one arrived in Scotland. Groups in Scotland also criticized the effort for the small size of the cabins, but the shipping company responded by saying that the people accommodated aboard would also have the use of the lounges and public spaces. Estonian officials in the spring said the ships worked well with the public spaces and meeting rooms providing the ability to provide counseling and services aboard the ship and the cafeterias or restaurants made it possible to provide basic meal services.

Source: https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/dutch-plan-to-use-ferries-to-house-refugees-suffers-setbacks

Earlier this year, a group of female students at Korea Maritime & Ocean University filed a complaint with the Human Rights Committee against the university for gender discrimination.  They alleged they were not given a fair opportunity to participate in the field exercise program for marine technicians.

This work placement program is run by shipping companies partnered with the university.  Traditionally, the ratio of female students has always been lower than male students. However, in the past five years, 80 percent of the male applicants received an offer while only 39 percent of female applicants did.

This led to a disparity in the employment rate between the genders. During the same period, the employment rate of male graduates reached over 80 percent but the rate of female graduates recorded just above 61 percent. The rate of female graduates who completed the field exercise program was way above that at 85.2 percent.

The university told the Human Rights Committee during investigation that the inclination to select more male candidates is due to the “vocational characteristics of the shipping industry”. As the shipping industry has long been a male-dominated one, it is claimed the companies running the program do not have sufficient facilities for women, such as toilets or locker rooms on their ships.

On June 13, the Human Rights Committee found that the university’s “sexist customs” are “systematically excluding women in the maritime labor market” and therefore, made the recommendation for the school to be more inclusive via a change of policy.  The Committee also recommended that the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, which has a seat at the university’ board, to conduct a check on the partnering shipping companies and report on the gender ratio of crew members who have marine technician licenses.

The university accepted the Committee’s finding and said it will work towards a sustainable solution.

Deep-rooted male-dominant culture

Han Chul-hwan, international logistics professor at Dongseo University, pointed out that this case showed the “very anachronistic tradition” in the industry. “It’s appalling that an educational institution that trains aspiring marine technicians keeps an outdated, sexist tradition like that,” he said during an interview with Maritime Fairtrade.

Prof. Han attributed this tradition to Confucianism.  He also suggested that the labor-intensive nature of the shipping industry, where perceived male qualities such as strength, toughness and stamina are valued, could have worsen the situation.

“South Korea is a society where the male-centered Confucianist culture is deep-seated,” he said. “The culture has been long established in many industries, and the shipping industry is one of them. So-called ‘macho’ culture still exists throughout the industry, for example, frequent after-work gatherings and drinking sessions led by men. It is not an environment that welcomes women.”

He added: “The shipping business has traditionally been about sailing in the ocean, by fighting against any bad weather conditions. This is why men, who are considered to be stronger than women, have been more preferred. Many of the existing cabins and facilities on ships are built for men. If shipping companies were to hire more women, they need to pay an extra cost to build facilities for them.”

Prof. Han said it will take time to change mindset as the process involved upending long-held tradition and culture.

“I admire the committee’s decisions, but we all need to have a new mindset to solve the gender inequality problem in the industry,” he said. “We hear about gender equality or diversity, but many businesses, even educational institutions, still maintain male-centered traditions.”

He noted that there is now less demand for manual work because of automation and technology advancements and this development is good for leveling the gender discrimination playing field.

“Ports and ships are becoming smarter than before with the help of information technology,” he said. “Traits like being careful and multi-tasking abilities, other than just brute strength, are now prioritized in the field. The shipping companies also should find ways to actively hire more female talents following the changing trends.”

Han added that hiring more female talents will also be a solution to the labor shortage caused by the aging population and low birth rate in South Korea.

Source: https://maritimefairtrade.org/korean-female-maritime-students-file-complaint-against-university-for-gender-discrimination/

The United States government, through the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), in partnership with the National Coast Watch System (NCWS), concluded July 15, its one-week review of facilities, equipment, and training programs provided to enhance the Philippines’ maritime domain awareness.

The in-depth review allowed DTRA to better understand the various aspects of the NCWS and further enhance DTRA experts’ knowledge of specific regional maritime security challenges through meetings with personnel from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Coast Guard Weapons, Communications, Electronics, and Information Systems Command (CGWCEISC), and NCWS in Manila, Negros Oriental, Palawan, and Cebu.

These site visits also enabled DTRA to witness the integration and cooperation between NCWS personnel and PCG District Visayas Stations and observe the effectiveness and condition of communication and sensor equipment to guide future upgrades for each site.

During a visit to the National Coast Watch Center (NCWC) in Manila, DTRA briefed CGWCEISC Coast Guard Deputy Commander Arnoldo M. Lim on the outcomes of the visit which are expected to contribute to a more effective and capable NCWS.

“Our common goal is to achieve optimum maritime domain awareness,” NCWC Director Rear Admiral Roy Echeverria said.

“This review’s outcomes are critical because maritime domain awareness requires precise coordination and communication to execute the mission successfully. Optimal enforcement often requires cooperation between multiple agencies within the Philippine Government or foreign partners,” DTRA International Project Officer U.S. Navy Commander Bryan Kroncke said.

“DTRA understands these requirements and is proud to partner with the Philippines, through the NCWS, to provide the tools necessary to address maritime security threats.”

A long-time partner of the Philippine government, DTRA played an important supporting role in establishing the NCWS. DTRA was responsible for constructing the NCWC in Manila, Regional Coordination Centers (RCCs) in Cebu and Palawan, and many other manned and unmanned sites around the archipelago.

DTRA also worked closely with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Coast Guard Weapons, Communications, Electronics, and Information Systems Command (CGWCEISC) to ensure that the NCWS can meet current and future maritime security challenges.

Since 2012, DTRA has provided more than $64 million to the NCWS for the acquisition of advanced equipment and the training of personnel, enabling it to become the premier maritime security entity in the Philippines.

“This successful review would not have been possible without the cooperation of NCWC and their impressive and professional personnel,” Commander Kroncke added. “DTRA looks forward to continue supporting the NCWS in their efforts to become a regional maritime security leader.”

Source: https://maritimefairtrade.org/philippines-u-s-conduct-maritime-security-review/

Yesterday marked the second anniversary of the grounding of the Wakashio bulk carrier off Mauritius, the most high profile shipping casualty of the decade so far. Two years on, legal cases continue to mount.

A coalition of around 1,700 citizens living around where the giant vessel broke up are filing a case to the Supreme Court in Mauritius demanding the Japanese owner of the newcastlemax pay more in damages than the earlier agreed sum of $16.8m.

Latest data shows 2,321 local claims out of around 5,000 filed have been processed.

Preliminary findings of the Japan Transport Safety Board (JTSB) on the accident, which saw more than 1,000 tons of bunker fuel wash ashore when the ship broke in two, show a long list of errors. The captain hove to shore so his crew could get a wifi signal. Investigators also believe the ship did not have the right chart onboard. Moreover, the wrong chart was used and with the wrong scale as well.

Source: https://splash247.com/wakashio-claims-row-escalates/

Finally, after 10 years the Italian Republic will honor the late Costa Cruises crew member Giuseppe Girolamo, with the highest award for Civil Valor. The award honors Giuseppe’s act of exceptional courage that clearly manifest solidarity, recognizing his heroic act to save others during the Costa Concordia disaster.

The official announcement from the Italian Government about the recognition was received on 12 July, two days after what would have been Giuseppe’s 40th birthday.

“The medal finally gives dignity and value to the generous and grandiose gesture of this extraordinary young man,” said Michele Longo – former mayor of the Municipality of Alberobello.

Giuseppe Girolamo was a 30-year-old musician and was among the 32 victims of the Costa Concordia shipwreck. He did not hesitate in the panic following the sinking of Costa Concordia to give his seat in the lifeboat to a family with two children, despite not being able to swim.

Giuseppe played as a drummer aboard the cruise ship, he enjoyed dancing and entertaining passengers and officers.  That fateful evening, after the ship struck rocks off the coast of Giglio Island, following the abandon ship signal, Giuseppe managed to find a place on one of the lifeboats. However, a family remained, with two small children. The young Italian drummer didn’t hesitate for a moment and left his place on the lifeboat by letting them board and save themselves.

Giuseppe’s father said that his son was aware of two things; That this was the last lifeboat and that he did not know how to swim. However in that tragic moment, he reasoned with his heart, he gave his life to save two young children.

The mother of the saved children Antonella Bologna describes Giuseppe as an angel who descended to help her in that desperate moment.

“There was a man dressed in black, in a corner, and I remember saying to him: Please, you have to pick us up, I have two children. In the widespread panic he managed to stay calm and help us. I think he was an angel or he seemed one to me. Because it was only thanks to him that we were able to get into the third lifeboat and take the final seats. After that he disappeared.

Giuseppe drowned, sucked by the water that night.

Ten years later, the citizens of Alberobello and his fellow shipmates still mourn Giuseppe Girolamo and celebrate his heroic gesture.

Source: https://crew-center.com/costa-concordia-crew-member-honored-gold-medal-civil-valor-giuseppe-lost-his-life-save-two-children