The deal requires ships to reduce the sulphur content of their fuels by close to 90%. Photo: Danish EPA

The EU Wednesday announced an informal agreement requiring, by law, that all ships operating in EU waters meet mandatory sulphur content limits of marine fuels in an effort to reduce harmful emissions from ships.

Under the provisional agreement and in line with Annex VI of the MARPOL Convention, ships operating in the EU’s “sulphur emission control areas”, including Baltic Sea, the North Sea and the English Channel, will have to lower the amount of sulfur used in marine fuel from 1% to 0.1% by 2015.  Meanwhile, ships operating in other EU waters will have to lower the amount of sulfur used to a less onerous 0.5% by 2020.

The agreement is based on international regulations adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 2008. However, a key result of the new agreement is that the limits will now become mandatory under EU law, and ships failing to meet the new limits will face fines high enough to cancel out any savings of not complying with the rules.  A formal EU decision on the agreement is expected this summer.

While environmentalists and health advocates are applauding the drastic actions, critics, including some of the Nordic region’s biggest companies, are saying that the new rule will largely have a negative effect on shipping costs and distort competitiveness in the region.

The European Commission estimated that meeting the new limits will cost the shipping industry between 2.6 billion and 11 billion euros ($3.3 billion-$14 billion), reports Reuters, however that number is far outweighed by the estimated public health savings of up to about 30 billion euros.

Air pollution produced by ships in Europe leads to an estimated 50,000 premature deaths each year says the European Council.

Opening address by IMO Secretary-General, Koji Sekimizu, Image: IMO

Maritime Safety Committee (MSC), 90th session, 16 to 25 May 2012 (High-level segment on arms on board)

Opening address by IMO Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Excellencies, distinguished delegates,

As I mentioned in my opening remarks to the meeting, this is the first ever high-level segment of the Committee and its importance is underscored by the presence here today of the President of the Assembly and the Council Chairman.  I am particularly pleased to welcome and receive the support of the host Government through the participation of the Secretary of State for Transport – the Right Honourable Justine Greening MP – and of many Ambassadors, High Commissioners, Vice Minsters and others who have indicated their wish to participate in this very important debate – I wish to express my sincere appreciation to you all.

Reports received by the Organization indicate that, although the number of attacks by pirates continues to increase, the proportion of attacks that are successful has decreased.  This may be due to a number of factors, including naval protection and better implementation of IMO guidance and Best Management Practices, including the use of Privately Contracted Armed Security Personnel (PCASP).  There is anecdotal evidence that the number of ships carrying firearms has increased.  On the basis of declarations of weapons carried and on their observations, naval forces estimate that around 25% of ships in the High Risk Area are carrying firearms, however it is also believed that a number of ships are not declaring the presence of private armed security for various reasons, including the lack of flag State approval.

The carriage of firearms on board merchant ships is a complex legal issue with Member States taking diverse positions.  The Committee has determined that the carriage of armed personnel is a matter for flag States to authorize, however it has also accepted that their carriage has legal implications for coastal and port States, particularly with respect to the carriage, embarkation and disembarkation of firearms and security equipment in areas under the jurisdiction of such port or coastal States.

Resolution A.1044(27) on piracy and armed robbery against ships in waters off the coast of Somalia endorses the position of this Committee that seafarers should not carry firearms and that the carriage of armed personnel on board ships for enhancing their protection should be left to flag States to decide, once a thorough risk assessment exercise has been carried out and following consultations with the shipowners concerned.

Amongst other things, the resolution strongly urges Governments which have not already done so:

.1 to decide as a matter of national policy, whether ships entitled to fly their flag should be authorized to carry privately contracted armed security personnel and, if so, under what conditions; and

.2 in their capacity as port or coastal States, to decide on their policy on the embarkation, disembarkation and carriage of privately contracted armed security personnel and of the firearms, ammunition and security-related equipment, and to promulgate it widely to other Member Governments, to industry, and to the Organization.

As a truly global industry with many stakeholders, shipping benefits from harmonization of procedures, adoption of common minimum standards and clarity with respect to national legal regimes.  However, while progress has been made on developing general guidance, policy on the use of Private Security Guards is not common among Member Governments and, across the shipping industry.  There are no agreed minimum performance standards for Private Security Guards and ships using them are subject to many, diverse legal regimes at present.

In order to stimulate debate on this important subject, we have issued MSC 90/20/5, which describes the current situation and outlines a number of related policy issues requiring further deliberation by this Committee.  While recognizing the reality of the situation in which Private Security Guards are employed and the diverse positions of Governments, there is a need to consider how the international community should deal with the issue of Private Security Guards and, in particular, the need to arrive at practical solutions to the issue.

Since the issue of Private Security Guards on board ships is of utmost sensitivity and requires detailed consideration of the policy issues involved, I considered it particularly helpful and appropriate, under this agenda item, for the Committee to engage in a high-level policy debate on this topic.

I invite all Member Governments representing flag, port and coastal States and States of seafarers, and shipowners to share their views on this issue of arms on board which is now critical for the international maritime community.

The outcome of your discussions today will provide the clear policy direction required for subsequent discussions on related, technical documents that the Committee and its Maritime Security and Piracy Working Group will be considering under this agenda item.

***

We have been dealing with piracy problems off the coast of Somalia for 5 years now.

Despite serious efforts by Governments, navies and the industry, the international community has not been able to stop Somali piracy.

We have seen significant developments over the last 4 years:

• Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor in the Gulf of Aden
• EUNAVFOR and strong action by international navies
• Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia and its working groups
• Implementation of Best Management Practices
• IMO-led Djibouti Code of Conduct
• Contact Group Trust Fund and IMO Djibouti Code Trust Fund

and still the industry is asking for the strong will of Governments to take action and end piracy.

Seafarers are suffering.  For insurance or trade partners, this may be just a matter of probability, but for seafarers it is a reality and a matter of life.

IMO has been actively advocating the strong will of Governments and, for example, the Council adopted the theme for last year’s World Maritime Day to be: “IMO: Orchestrating the response”.  But words of a slogan cannot resolve the matter.

We must create an effective and robust mechanism to prosecute and punish pirates.

We must ensure strong defence for merchant ships.

We must work together to help Somalia to build up their country and we must create a united front and stronger international regime to deal with and end piracy off the coast of Somalia.

This High-level segment was designed to discuss the current policy issue of private armed guards, but:

I hope that this High-level segment, with the participation of Secretaries of State, Ministers, Vice-Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, Ambassadors, High Commissioners, could also discuss the matter of piracy in general and may even go beyond the issue of arms on board, and come up with a clear indication of the determination of the international community to end piracy off the coast of Somalia.

I am looking forward to listening to your views, visions and leadership.

Thank you Mr. Chairman.

When asked about the Manila Amendments, a captain recently quipped, “What?  There’s new regulations for folders?!“ 

The Manila Amendments refer to new wide-ranging changes to the IMO (International Maritime Organization) Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW).  STCW is a comprehensive set of international regulations that attempt to ensure that all merchant mariners are held to a common standard – regardless of their country of origin or license.  These changes were agreed upon by governments in Manila in 2010 and will begin to be applied from January 01, 2012.  One of the more significant changes in the short-term are the new minimum STCW rest hour rules.

There are two changes to the STCW rest hour rules that will cause the greatest consternation on vessels.  One, the minimum amount of rest in any 7 day period has been increased from 70 hours to 77 hours.  Two, seafarers must always have 10 hours rest in any 24 hour period, with no exceptions, except during an emergency.  Previously, there was an exception that the hours of rest could be reduced to “not less than 6 consecutive hours” as long as the reduction did not extend beyond 2 days.  This allowed flexibility in the event operations were hectic – as they frequently are in port working cargo.  Now, there is an hour less of work allowed per day and less flexibility.

All the STCW work hour rules are designed to reduce fatigue and the accidents that result from tired mariners.  Unfortunately, the STCW hours are in juxtaposition to yet another IMO mandated code – the International Safety Management (ISM) Code.  Unlike the STCW work hour rules, the ISM Code virtually guarantees a heavier workload – paperwork that is.

The ISM Code mandates that each company that operates a vessel maintain a Safety Management System (SMS).  The SMS will contain procedures on all aspects of how a vessel is to be operated.  Everything from emergency procedures to the proper paint to be used might be included in a vessel’s SMS.  These procedures are invaluable to a merchant mariner first joining a company or vessel, as it provides a ready source of information that can be accessed easily.

As procedures are updated and refined, changes will be made to the vessel SMS.  Frequently, these changes are driven by the needs of the vessel crew.  Other times, changes may be made at the behest of shore side personnel in order to better track performance or prevent safety issues on a fleet wide basis.  In time, the SMS may become saturated with reports and inspections at the request of shore side personnel searching for that critical data point.

While the intent of added inspections and reporting may be good – for example, there may have been many accidents or near misses due to corroded handrails.  As a result, a company-wide program may be implemented for the monthly inspection and tracking of handrail condition.  While the man-hours required for such an inspection – say it is 1-2 hours per month – would not appear to be excessive and the decrease in handrail near misses/incidents desirable, the cumulative effect of many mandated inspections in addition to the normal workload may cause senior officers to become fatigued.

The solution to this issue might be two-fold – incorporating adjustments and management decisions both by shore side and vessel personnel.  Shore side personnel must understand that it is very easy to create substantial labor onboard the vessel through an innocuous email or inspection.  In this high-speed world of email, it is critical that requests for information from a vessel be well thought through before hitting the “send” button.

On the vessel side, senior officers frequently bear the brunt of inspections and information gathering, as they are normally more familiar with the vessel and operations.  With the limited labor pool (13 hours per day) allowed under the Manila Amendments, it will become increasingly necessary to spread the wealth and knowledge by incorporating junior officers into some of these processes.  While initially more labor intense due to the need to train the junior officers in the inspection process, in the long run you will have a labor pool more job-agile and less likely to fatigue.

The SMS is there to help companies and crews to manage their vessels more safely.  Let’s make sure that it stays to true to its origins and doesn’t evolve into a paperwork monster.

Captain Richard Madden is a maritime consultant and SUNY Maritime graduate with over 20 years of industry experience.  He holds a USCG Unlimited Master’s license and has sailed on government vessels, offshore towing vessels, tankers, container ships, coastal towing and general cargo vessels.  He is an actively sailing merchant mariner with a focus on safe operations.

The Costa Concordia pictured on Jan. 14. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and the European Cruise Council, on behalf of the global cruise industry, today announced the adoption three new safety policies to be implemented immediately by the cruise industry as identified in an Operational Safety Review launched in late January following the Costa Concordia disaster.

The three new policies, which are being adopted voluntarily by the industry and exceed even the strictest regulatory requirements currently in effect, address issues related to passage planning, personnel access to the bridge and lifejackets, and each policies will be reported to the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization (IMO) for consideration at their next session in May.

“As highlighted by these wide-ranging policies, we continue to take proactive measures to improve the safety of passengers and crew across the globe,” said Christine Duffy, president and CEO of CLIA.  “We look forward to working collaboratively to identify any additional operational issues that will achieve our longstanding goal of of continuous improvement and innovation in shipboard operations and safety.”

The three new policies include:

1)    Passage Planning – Although cruise lines have followed IMO guidance on passage planning for many years, our policy now deems this to be a mandatory minimum requirement and enhanced by endorsement of the best practices contained in the International Chamber of Shipping’s Bridge Procedures Guide.  Furthermore, under this policy each passage plan is to be thoroughly briefed to all bridge team members well in advance of its implementation and it is to be drafted by a designated officer and approved by the master.

2)    Personnel Access To The Bridge – To minimize unnecessary disruptions and distractions on the bridge, we have adopted a policy that bridge access is to be limited to those with operational functions during any period of restricted manoeuvring or when increased vigilance is required.

3)    Lifejackets – In addition to the statutory requirement of carriage of lifejackets for each person onboard, we have adopted a policy of carrying additional adult lifejackets onboard each cruise ship in excess of these legal requirements so that the number of additional adult lifejackets to be provided must not be less than the total number of persons berthed within the ship’s most populated main vertical fire zone.  This ensures that the number of lifejackets carried is far in excess of the number of persons actually onboard the ship.

The policies were reviewed by CLIA’s recently-announced panel of outside maritime and safety experts who are evaluating suggested policy improvements as part of the association’s continuous efforts to review and improve safety measures by developing comprehensive best practices for industry-wide implementation and ultimately, formal submission to the International Maritime Organization, as appropriate.

“The cruise industry is highly regulated and it is this regulatory regime, complied with onboard by our professional and committed officers and crews, that has given the cruise industry a truly remarkable safety record,” said Manfredi Lefebvre, Chairman of the European Cruise Council (ECC) and Member of the CLIA, who announced the policies at the Passenger Ship Safety event in Brussels.  “But as the Concordia incident demonstrates, there is no such thing as perfect safety. We do strive for a perfect commitment to safety.

“By bringing forward voluntary initiatives such as these, we significantly and immediately improve safety standards.  These initiatives are, we believe, fully supportive of the Commission’s goal of re-launching their ‘Quality Shipping Campaign’ through voluntary partnership agreements with the shipping industry as set out in its Maritime Policy 2009-2018. Specifically, we very much hope that the results of the Operational Safety Review as they are delivered over the coming months will give us fertile ground to grow our partnership with the Commission”

The new policies follow the industry’s announcement on January 27 of an Operational Safety Review in response to the Concordia incident.  As a result of the review, the industry has already resulted two previous policy changes which include the new Muster Drill Policy (February 9, 2012) and Enhanced Reporting Requirements to Ensure Consistency, Transparency of Marine Casualty Data (March 21, 2012).

Video message by IMO Secretary General Mr. Koji Sekimizu on the anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, recalling the improvements to passenger ship safety introduced as a result of that tragic night a century ago.

(From L-R) IMO Regional Coordinator for East Asia Brenda Pimentel, IMO Secretary General Koji Sekimizu, PTC’s Ambassador Carlos Salinas, IMO Senior Deputy Director for Technical Cooperation Division Pamela Tansey and Melanie Olayres at the IMO Regional Presence for Technical Cooperation in East Asia office.

Secretary General Sekimizu was warmly welcomed by PTC Chairman, Ambassador Carlos C. Salinas and other PTC officials; members of the IMO Regional Presence for Technical Co-operation in East Asia  headed by Regional Coordinator Atty. Brenda V. Pimentel; representatives of the Filipino Shipowners Association (FSA); and alumni of the World Maritime University and the International Maritime Law Institute.

Secretary General Sekimizu with Chief Engineer Fred Haboc, Training Director of PHILCAMSAT, at the training center’s full bridge simulator.

A brief closed-door meeting took place between the Secretary General and the IMO regional officers, followed by a tour of the Philippine Center for Advanced Maritime Simulation and Training, Inc. (PHILCAMSAT), an internationally-certified training center dedicated to the continuing professional advancement of Filipino seafarers.  Highly-impressed with PHILCAMSAT’s world-class training facilities, Secretary General Sekimizu experimented with one of its full bridge simulators.

The affair was capped with a welcome cocktail in his honor and a toast by PTC CEO Gerardo Borromeo. The Secretary General expressed his sincere gratitude for the warm reception he was accorded and mentioned that “there are a lot of similiarities between the Philippines with its over 7,000 islands and my country (Japan) where both are surrounded by oceans and are maritime countries. So although I am roughly 6,000 miles away, I feel so at home. “ He added that, “we should protect and take care of our oceans and make good use of them.”

He also assured everyone that in his capacity as IMO Secretray General, the organization shall remain committed to addressing relevant issues concerning the Philippine maritime industry such as  seafarer safety, training and development and the shipping industry’s role in environmental protection.

The Secretary General was also the Guest of Honor at a Lunch Forum hosted by the Filipino Shipowners Association (FSA) together with the Joint Manning Group (JMG) composed of various maritime associations and organizations in the Philippines.  Attended by various stakeholders from the Philippine maritime industry, the event focused on discussions concerning crucial maritime affairs including the STCW Manila Amendments, the EMSA report on the country’s compliance to STCW requirements, anti-piracy efforts, and the importance of Filipino seafarers to the world’s merchant fleet.

Earlier in his itinerary, he Secretary General made a courtesy call to Malacañang upon his arrival in the country, when he informed President Benigno Aquino III of IMO’s support for the further development of the country’s maritime industry.

Also present during the courtesy call to the President were Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario, Transportation and Communication Secretary Manuel Roxas, Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz, and Maritime Industry Authority Administrator Emerson Lorenzo and Ambassador Carlos Salinas.

Ambassador Gilberto Asuque offers a few words during the welcome toast for Secretary General Sekimizu as Ambassador Carlos Salinas, PTC Chief Corporate Strategy Officer Christina Salinas- Manzano and the rest of the guests listen on.

IMO Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu has pledged IMO’s support for the Philippines in all facets of the country’s maritime development. 

IMO – the International Maritime Organization – is the United Nations specialized agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine pollution by ships.

Web site: www.imo.org

Koji Sekimizu, IMO file photo

A senior United Nations official today called for a thorough investigation into the incident involving the Costa Concordia cruise ship that ran aground off the coast of Italy over the weekend.

“In the centenary year of the Titanic, we have once again been reminded of the risks involved in maritime activities,” Koji Sekimizu, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), said in a speech to the agency’s Sub-Committee on Stability, Load Lines and Fishing Vessel Safety.

Mr. Sekimizu expressed his condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the tragic incident that occurred on Friday near Giglio Island.

I would like to urge the Flag State administration to carry out the casualty investigation covering all aspects of this accident and provide the findings to the IMO.

Six people reportedly died and at least 16 are missing after the Costa Concordia’s hull was torn open after it ran aground. A total of 4,200 passengers and crew were on board the vessel, according to media reports.

“Causes of this accident are still not yet established,” noted Mr. Sekimizu. “We must wait for the casualty investigation and should not pre-judge or speculate at this stage.

“I would like to urge the Flag State administration to carry out the casualty investigation covering all aspects of this accident and provide the findings to the IMO,” he added.

Mr. Sekimizu voiced his appreciation to the Italian Coast Guard for their rescue operations over the night of the accident, adding that the IMO must not take this accident lightly.

“We should seriously consider the lessons to be learnt and, if necessary, re-examine the regulations on the safety of large passenger ships in the light of the findings of the casualty investigation,” he stated.

The IMO, based in London, is the UN specialized agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine pollution by ships.

Mr. Koji Sekimizu of Japan is the eighth Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization

In one of his first dealings as the new IMO Secretary-General, Mr. Koji Sekimizu of Japan, announced a number of changes in the structure of the IMO Secretariat in order to better address the various issues facing the global maritime industry.

“The biggest challenge I see in the coming years, in terms of management of the Organization, is how to improve the ‘delivery mechanism’ in the Secretariat to address the demanding issues we face, such as anti-piracy measures, the introduction of the mandatory Member State Audit Scheme and our ever-increasing workload,” said Mr. Sekimizu. “To address this will require effective human resource deployment and redeployment, the creation of new ways of handling our work and improvements to our working methods. It will also require close co-operation between the Secretariat and Member Governments.”

Among the changes, Mr. Sekimizu has transferred Assistant Secretary-General, Mr. Andrew Winbow, from the Administrative Division to the Director of Maritime Safety Division. Meanwhile, Mr. Jo Espinoza-Ferrey from the Marine Environment Division has been tasked to head the Administrative Division as its Director, and consequentially promoted Mr. Stefan Micallef to the post of Director of the Marine Environment Division.

In dealing with the issue of piracy, Mr. Hartmut Hesse has been appointed Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Maritime Security and Anti-Piracy Programmes, tasked with taking responsibility for the implementation of the Djibouti Code of Conduct and act as the IMO representative to conferences and meetings dealing with piracy issues. Mr. Hesse, who has been with the IMO for over 20 years, was formerly Senior Deputy Director of the Maritime Safety Division where he acted as liaison with other United Nations (UN) entities and relevant international organizations on counter terrorism issues, particularly the implementation of the UN Global Counter Terrorism Strategy and member of the UN Counter Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF), according to his LinkedIn profile.

Mr. Sekimizu has also reorganized the Sub-Division for Implementation and Coordination of the Maritime Safety Division into a Department for Member State Audit and Implementation Support in the Maritime Safety Division with Laurence Barchue appointed to head the new department.

Finally, the Secretary-General also decided to strengthen the functions dealing with internal audit and matters of ethics and appointed Mr. K-R. Min as the Senior Deputy Director in charge of the Internal Oversight and Ethics Office.

Further changes to the IMO Secretariat are as follows:

• Assistant Secretary-General/Director, Maritime Safety Division, A. Winbow
• Assistant Secretary-General/Director, Legal and External Relations Division, R. Balkin
• Director, Conference Division, O. O’Neil
• Director, Technical Cooperation Division, J. Zhu
• Director, Administrative Division, J. Espinoza Ferrey
• Director, Marine Environment Division, S. Micallef
• Special Adviser on Environmental Protection Standards, D. Du
• Head, Department of Member State Audit and Implementation Support, L. Barchue
• Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Maritime Security and Anti-Piracy Programmes, H. Hesse
• Senior Deputy Director, Internal Oversight and Ethics Office, K-R. Min
• Head, Executive Office of the Secretary-General, J. Thompson
• Head, Policy and Planning Unit, J. Loldrup

KL: IMO will shortly be attending the Conference of Parties [COP17] for the UNFCCC in Durban, what message is the Organization taking to that meeting?

EV: The main message will be to encourage the parties to UNFCCC to continue to entrust the International Maritime Organization with the control of greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping, and of course a central part of our message will be the successful outcome of MEPC62 this July when governments adopted amendments to Annex 6 to introduce mandatory energy efficiency measures for ships engaged in international trade.

KL: There seems to be concern that overall emissions from shipping may not fall even after the new IMO regulations take effect, but isn’t that a function of global demand for trade, and therefore outside the scope of any technical regulation?

EV: You’re absolutely right.  Due to the continued demand for shipping services that again is a result of world trade, or increase in world trade, the technical and operational measures can act the best lead to the establishment of shipping emissions, but it will not lead to an overall total reduction.  That is why IMO is continuing it’s work to control greenhouse gases with both to expand the technical measures to other ship types, and also working on a market-based measure to provide additional incentive for the shipping industry to invest in more fuel efficient ships, and to operate them even more fuel-efficiently than today.

KL: A recent study suggests that the volume of greenhouse gas emission reductions from international shipping resulting from applying the mandatory measures adopted by the IMO will be even greater than first envisaged.  Can you expand on that?

EV: Yes, I’m happy to expand on that.  Following the adoption in July, the IMO Secretariat commissioned a study to look into the detailed affects the adopted measures will actually produce, and it’s very promising that by 2020 we will see a reduction by 100 to 200 million tons, or between 10 and 17 percent reduction over business as usual.  And if you go further down the line to 2030, the reduction will be between 200 and 400 million tons, or in percent, an 18 to 27% reduction over business as usual.  If you go all the way down to 2050, we will see a reduction between 35 and 40% compared to business as usual.  Meaning that a ship in 2050 will be twice as efficient as it is today due to the new regulations.  The operational measures will have an immediate affect, while in the longer term, it will be the design index that will be the main driver of change.

KL:  The recent amendments to MARPOL Annex 6 that you referred to earlier have established the first-ever mandatory regime for an industry sector, is IMO organizing workshops or training to assist with their implementation?

EV: Actually, we have already had the two first workshops.  One took place in Singapore last week and as we speak, the second one is about to conclude in Durban, South Africa, so that is very fitting that we have one here and one in Durban.  We have planned activities of about 20 workshops over the next two years to assist, in particular, developing countries to implement and enforce the new measures.

KL: Is IMO’s work connected with other UN organizations such as UNIP?

EV: Yes, definitely.  IMO is part of the UN family, the UN system, and a lot of our work is very closely linked to the work of, in particular, UNEP, but also other UN agencies such as UNDP and of course our greenhouse gas work is closely linked to what happens in the global negotiations under UNFCCC.

To find out more about IMO’s work, find them online at www.IMO.org