With the increasing number of overseas Filipino workers being caught acting as “drug mules” in the illegal narcotics trade, president of the country’s Maritime Training Council (MTC) Clifford Paragua has urged Filipino seafarers not to squander their future by becoming couriers for drug lords in exchange for a few dollars.
“I am urging them (seafarers) not to succumb to the temptation of transporting illegal drugs while serving at sea. If they are caught, as they probably will be, they risk going to jail for a long time and ending their seagoing career and with it the chance to better themselves and their families,” said Paragua.
He said the rate being offered by drug syndicate is ridiculously low as Filipino sailors can easily earn double or triple the amount during a month’s honest work. Sources said overseas workers are offered between USD500 to USD2,000 to transport between 500 grams to a kilogram of prohibited drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine hydrochloride. An ordinary Filipino sailor serving aboard an international tanker or bulker gets between USD2,500 to USD3,000 a month depending on his specialty or rating.
“This is a one sided deal even if they are not caught as the drugs they transport can cause ruin the families of the people buying it. Drug lords stand to earn millions or even billions with the deal while they get just peanuts for doing something very high risk and illegal,” Paragua pointed out. And to ensure that Filipino sailors will not be fooled into carrying out this illegal activity, the MTC chief said the Department of Labor and Employment, together with other maritime stakeholders, are presently conducting anti-drug seminars for seafarers who are for immediate deployment abroad.
Sierra Leone Cancels Flag of Convenience on Fishing Trawlers
Sierra Leone is closing its international shipping registry to foreign-owned fishing vessels in a move intended to reduce illegal catches in its seas and around the world, the fisheries minister said on Thursday.
Officials said the West African country — notorious as a so-called "flag of convenience" with minimum enforcement of maritime regulations — was the first such nation in the world to implement the measure.
"When these vessels fly our flag they go to the open ocean and there’s nothing we can do about it," Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources Joseph Koroma told a news conference.
"We are saying enough is enough, the buck stops here."
The minister added that the ban on foreign-owned shipping would only apply to fishing craft. Other commercial vessels will still be able to register in the country.
Sierra Leone’s devastating civil war came to an end eight years ago. Now between 40 and 50 foreign-owned fishing vessels are signed up with a registry in New Orleans that allows them to fly the country’s green, white and blue flag.
Activists say these ships use the flag to disguise illegal activities and their identities, using banned fishing gear and operating inside an inshore fishing zone reserved for artisanal fishermen in Sierra Leone itself as well as much further afield.
Duncan Copeland, a campaigner from the Environmental Justice Foundation, said last year a Sierra Leonean-flagged ship was caught illegally fishing in the Cook Islands in the Pacific Ocean, thousands of miles from the country.
"Sierra Leone is now the first country operating one of these regulations to shut it down," Copeland said.
A survey by the Marine Resources Assessment Group estimated that "illegal, unreported and unregulated" (IUU) fishing costs Sierra Leone $29 million per year, in terms of lost revenue and other expenses.
Koroma said between 2005 and 2009 ship owners paid a total of just $46,000 for flag privileges. Due to a revenue sharing agreement with the registry in the United States, the government in Freetown received only around $10,000.
West Africa in general — with minimal government capacity for enforcement and close to the world’s largest fish market in Europe — is a haven for so-called pirate fishing.
According to the Environmental Justice Foundation, the Eastern Central Atlantic has the highest level of IUU fishing in the world, 40 percent higher than reported catches. The value of this fish is put at anything up to $500 million.
Officials in Sierra Leone say that two new fast patrol boats funded by the World Bank will help them enforce the new regulations in local waters. However, the fisheries minister said dealing with illegal fishing under their flag further afield would remain beyond their capacity.
"For the illegal vessels on the high seas, I must confess for the moment we don’t have the means," said Koroma.
SHIPTALK: A GLOSSARY OF SHIPPING AND MARITME TERMS
LIGHTER ABOARD SHIP – An ocean ship which carries barges. These barges are loaded with cargo, often at a variety of locations, towed to the ocean ship, sometimes referred to as the mother ship, and lifted or, in some cases, floated on board. After the ocean crossing, the barges are off-loaded and towed to their various destinations. The ocean ship then receives a further set of barges, which have been assembled in readiness. This concept was designed to eliminate the need for specialized port equipment and to avoid transhipment with its consequent extra cost.
LIGHTERAGE – Charge for conveying cargo by lighters or barges.
LOADED LEG – Subdivision of a ship’s voyage during which the ship is carrying cargo that is loaded with cargo. It is also known as Marks.
MANNING SCALES – The minimum number of officers and crewmembers that can be engaged on a ship to be considered as sufficient hands with practical ability to meet every possible eventuality at sea.
MARITIME LIEN – A claim attached to the res, i.e., the ship, freight, or cargo.
OILER – An unlicensed member of the engine room staff who oils and greases bearings and moving parts of the main engine and auxiliaries. Most of this work is nowadays done automatically and the oiler merely insures it operates correctly.
SEMISUBMERSIBLE – A ship able to submerge part of itself to load or discharge cargo that can be floated on or off. Usually semi submersible ships are heavy-duty vessels.
SHIFTING – This refers to movements or changing positions of cargo from one place to another – a dangerous situation at sea that can easily endanger the seaworthiness or cargo worthiness of the
ship.
SHIP’S ARTICLES – A written agreement between the master of a ship and the crew concerning their employment. It includes rates of pay and capacity of each crewman, the date of commencement of the voyage and its duration.
SHIPPER – Individuals or businesses who tender goods or cargo for transportation – usually the cargo owners or their representatives and not to be confused with the party issuing the bills of lading or the ship’s operator who is the carrier..
TIME CHARTER – A form of charter party wherein owner lets or leases his vessel and crew to the charterer for a stipulated period of time. The charterer pays for the bunkers and port charges in addition to the charter hire.
TOWAGE – Charges for the services of tugs assisting a ship or other vessels in ports or other locations; the act of towing a ship or other objects from one place to another.
VOYAGE CHARTER – A contract whereby the shipowner places the vessel at the disposal of the charterer for one or more voyages, the shipowner being responsible for the operation of the vessel.
WEEKLY PIRACY REPORT
31.10.2010:
0632: UTC: Posn: 09:57S-042:19E, Around 290nm SE of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania),(Off Somalia).
Armed pirates boarded a chemical a tanker. All crew retreated into the citadel from where they could control of ship. Unable to take control of the vessel the pirates left. At 1059 UTC, the master and the crew regained control of the ship. No damage to ship and no casualties.
31.10.2010:
1800 UTC: Posn: 09:17.5N – 013:17.0W, off Conakry pilot station, Guinea.
Five pirates armed with automatic weapons in a small speed boat chased and boarded a general cargo ship underway. Master immediately informed port control and the agent. Pirates entered the bridge, ordered the Master to stop the vessel and asked for the destination of the cargo. They searched the masters cabin, and stole the masters and 2nd officers personal belongings. Later a wooden boat came alongside and the pirates left the ship. Port control advised the ship to proceed 3nm away to drop anchor.
02.11.2010:
1237 UTC: Posn: 13:31.42N – 048:19.16E, Gulf of Aden.
A fishing vessel was reported hijacked by pirates.
02.11.2010:
1430 LT: Posn: 07:18.8N – 064:10.1E, around 850nm east of Eyl Somalia.
A mother vessel was seen lowering two skiffs that approached a tanker at 20 knots. Five to six armed persons in each skiff were sighted when the skiffs reached about 500 metres. Security team onboard fired hand flares and warning shots, resulting in the skiffs backing off.
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02.11.2010:
0420 LT: Belawan port, Indonesian.
Three robbers armed with long knives boarded a bulk carrier at berth during cargo operations. Duty crew on rounds noticed the robbers and approached them. The robbers threatened the duty crew with long knives, threw a liferaft overboard and escaped. OOW raised alarm and crew mustered.
02.11.2010:
0300 UTC: Posn: 03:58.6S – 043:49.0E, around 245nm east of Mombasa, Kenya, (Off Somalia).
Seven pirates armed with RPG and automatic guns in two skiffs chased and fired upon a bulk carrier underway with intent to hijack. Ship raised alarm. Armed security team onboard took preventive measures and fired rocket flares resulting in the pirates aborting the attempted boarding. No damages to the ship or injuries to crew.
03.11.2010:
1906 LT: Posn: 10:12.0N – 064:47.0W: Bahia de Barcelona anchorage, Puerto José Venezuela.
Six robbers armed with knives boarded an anchored tanker via the anchor chain. The robbers threatened the duty AB and took his walkie talkie and other personal belongings. The AB managed to inform the bridge. Alarm raised and crew mustered. The robbers escaped empty handed. Port control informed.
03.11.2010:
Posn: 05:15.0S – 043:39.0E, around 225nm east of Pemba island, Tanzania, (Off Somalia).
A merchant vessel was reported hijacked by pirates. Nine crew and twenty passengers taken hostages.
UPDATED LIST OF SHIPS CURRENTLY BEING HELD BY SOMALI PIRATES
Here is a fresh list of ships that are still being held by Somali pirates after a German merchant vessel, Beluga Fortune, was released. This list has been making the rounds recently.
* SOCOTRA 1: Seized on Dec. 25, 2009. The Yemeni-owned ship was captured in the Gulf of Aden after it left the port of Alshahr in Yemen. Six Yemeni crew.
* AL NISR AL SAUDI: Seized on March 1, 2010. The Saudi-owned 5,136-dwt tanker was on its way from Japan to Jeddah with one Greek and 13 Sri Lankan crew members.
* ICEBERG 1: Seized on March 29, Roll-on roll-off vessel taken 10 miles from the port of Aden. 24 crew.
* AL-BARARI: Seized on March 31. The small Indian trade boat was captured after it left Mogadishu. 11 crew.
* SAMHO DREAM: Seized on April 4. The 319,000-dwt Samho Dream was en route to the United States from Iraq when it was hijacked 970 miles east of Somalia. The Marshall Islands-registered ship is South Korean-owned, had a crew of five South Koreans and 19 Filipinos and carried 2 million barrels of crude oil. On April 21, Somali pirates threatened to blow up the supertanker unless a $20 million ransom was paid.
* RAK AFRIKANA: Seized on April 11. The St Vincent and the Grenadines-flagged 7,561-dwt cargo ship was hijacked about 280 miles west of the Seychelles. Owned by Seychelles’ Rak Afrikana Shipping Ltd.
* Three Thai fishing vessels — PRANTALAY 11, 12 and 14 — were hijacked on April 17-18 with a total of 77 crew.
* AL-DHAFIR: Seized on May 7. Yemeni fishing boat seized off Yemen. 7 crew.
* MARIDA MARGUERITE: Seized on May 8. The chemical tanker en route from Kandla in Gujarat to Antwerp in Belgium was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden with crew of 22 — 19 Indians, two Bangladeshis and one Ukrainian.
* ELENI P: Seized on May 12. The Liberia-flagged and Greek-owned ship, carrying iron and sailing from Ukraine to China via Singapore was seized in the Gulf of Aden. Crew of 2 Greeks and 22 Filipinos.
* GOLDEN BLESSING: Seized on June 28. The 14,445-dwt Singapore-registered chemical tanker was seized off East Africa on its way from Saudi Arabia to India. 19 Chinese crew.
* MOTIVATOR: Seized on July 4. A 13,065-dwt tanker, hijacked in the Red Sea, with 18 Filipino crew and carrying lubricating oil. It is Marshall Islands-flagged.
* SUEZ: Seized on Aug. 2. The Panama-flagged cargo ship was hijacked in the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) in the Gulf of Aden. The ship was carrying cement bags and had a crew of 23 from Egypt, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India.
* OLIB G: Seized on Sept. 8: Maltese-flagged merchant vessel seized in the IRTC. 18 crew — 15 Georgians and 3 Turks.
* LUGELA: Seized on Sept. 25/26: The Greek-operated 4,281-dwt cargo ship had a crew of 12 Ukrainians. It was sailing to Mauritius with a cargo of steel bars and wires.
* ASPHALT VENTURE: Seized on Sept. 29: The 3,884-dwt bitumen carrier was heading to Durban from Mombasa. 15 Indian crew. Managed by Mumbai-based Omci Ship Management Pvt and owned by Bitumen Invest AS of United Arab Emirates.
* FENG-GUO 168: Seized on Oct. 7: Fishing vessel, believed to be Taiwanese, seized 200 miles north of Mauritius. 14 crew.
* GOLDEN WAVE: Seized on Oct. 9. The South-Korean fishing vessel Golden Wave — formerly known as Keummi 305 — had a crew of 39 Kenyans, two Koreans and two Chinese.
* IZUMI: Seized on Oct. 10: The Izumi, operated by NYK-Hinode Line Ltd, The Panama-flagged ship was en route to Mombasa with a cargo of steel. 20 Filipino crew.
* YORK: Seized on Oct. 23: The Singapore-flagged, Greek managed, LPG tanker was seized 50 miles from Mombasa. The European naval force, EU Navfor, said the vessel had a crew of 17 — a German master, two Ukrainians and 14 Filipinos. The 5,076-dwt York was sailing empty after discharging her LPG cargo at the Shimanzi oil terminal in Mombasa.
Sources:
Reuters/Ecoterra International/International Maritime Bureau Piracy Reporting Centre/Lloyds List/Inquirer.net/www
Port State Control: UK Ship Registry Scores Self High
The UK Ship Register has reported that nine out of every ten port state control inspections of British-flag vessels have had a “satisfactory result”. This further supports the UKSR’s notion of operating a quality register for quality ships, highlighted by the high positions on the Paris and Tokyo MoU ‘White Lists.’
Over the last 12 months, the UK fleet has undergone nearly 850 Port State Control inspections in the Paris and Tokyo MoU regions. Of these, 55% recorded zero deficiencies and a further 35% recorded 1-5 deficiencies.
Paul Fairbrother, UKSR Manager, said “I’m delighted with these statistics for the last year as they demonstrate the high quality of vessels on the UK Ship Register and the commitment of owners to operate them at the highest possible standards.”
Aftermath Of Failed Cargo Explosives To USA: Philippines Pus Coast Guard On Red Alert
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has stepped up its maritime security measures in view of the foiled terrorist plot to the United States. When explosive parcels addressed to synagogues in Chicago, USA were unearthed aboard cargo planes in boud for the United States Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo, PCG commandant, directed all Coast Guard districts, stations and detachments to be more vigilant.
Tamayo ordered the entire Coast Guard personnel to remain very strict in the implementation of duly established layers of security in the ports and on board ships in close coordination and jointly with shipping, port authorities, Office of Transport Security (OTS)local military and police units, and other cognizant agencies.
He also ordered to further enhance target hardening through more strategic deployment/employment of boarding teams, Sea Marshals, K9s, Special Operations Groups, Explosive Ordnance Division, Anti-Terrorist Unit personnel, Field Station operatives, and to sustain the conduct of seaborne patrols.
Tamayo set out strict instructions that require ships’ agent to submit advance notice of arrivals of ship engaged in international trade at least 48 hours prior to their arrival inclusive of ship’s voyage particulars, complete list of crew/ persons on board and cargo on board as basis among others, in the conduct of port state control inspection. All operating units shall be equipped, and to widely disseminate updated Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Order of Battle (OB) and Philippine National Police Watch List
Passenger Vessel Hijacked In Indian Ocean
A maritime security alert has been issued following the reported hijack of a passenger vessel in the Indian Ocean.
The Comorian flagged MV Aly Zoulfecar was seized by pirates as it travelled between the Comoros Islands and Tanzania on 3 November. It has nine crewmembers on board and 20 passengers of mixed nationalities (reported as Tanzanian, Comorian and Malagasy).
The pirates likely intend to return the vessel to Somali waters but current reports indicate that it has run out of fuel. The captors have demanded fuel from the Tanzanian authorities but the development could be problematic for those seeking to secure the vessel’s release.
Preliminary reports indicate that the vessel has three British nationals on board and was seized in the vicinity of the Seychelles.
While the current average detention period for a vessel held by Somali pirates is just over 120 days, non-commercial yachts without proper kidnap and ransom insurance face a much lengthier detention period.
On 23 October 2009 a British couple, the Chandlers, were seized onboard their yacht ;the Lynn Rival in the Indian Ocean. The yacht was abandoned shortly after and they have been held on the land ever since, largely because of Somali fears of a possible rescue operation by the British forces.
Vessel operators are reminded that the Indian Ocean remains a high risk area of pirate attack, as far east as 80 degrees and as far south as 10 degrees.
Somali pirates have demonstrated their intent and capability to target vessels of all types and sizes over the past two years so even civilian yachts without the backing of a commercial operator should consider themselves a potential target for attack.
According to Andrew Mwangura, head of the Kenyan-based East African Seafarers Assistance Programme, which usually has accurate information of pirate activity in the region, his group had been advised that the yacht was boarded by pirates near the Seychelles.
“We do not yet know the name of the yacht and the gender of the crew, but we are trying to verify this information which we learned this evening (Monday),” he said. A separate report says the yacht was captured off the Kenyan coast near Lamu.
Two other British yachtsmen, Paul and Rachel Chandler were captured by pirates while sailing from the Seychelles for Tanzania in October 2009 and have been held hostage for ransom for over one year. The pirates abandoned their yacht which was subsequently returned to Britain but the British government has steadfastly refused to enter into negotiations with the pirates for their release, despite impassioned appeals that Mrs Chandler is in ill health.
Naval authorities continue to warn yachtsmen of the dangers of sailing anywhere in the area under threat by Somali pirates, who range more than a thousand miles from Somalia in search of rich pickings. Anywhere within 80 degrees east and 10 degrees south of Somalia is considered risky.
Dutch Ports Discount Dues For Clean Ships
As from January 2011, the Dutch ports of Amsterdam, Moerdijk, Dordrecht and Rotterdam will commence rewarding clean ocean-going ships by discounting their port dues. Each ship will be evaluated on the basis of the Environmental Ship Index (ESI), a new international standard for ships’ emissions into the atmosphere. Ships that perform better than the legal norm will be rewarded
The ESI has been designed by the ports of Le Havre, Bremen, Hamburg, Antwerp, Amsterdam and Rotterdam and reflects the environmental performance of ships in terms of the emission of air pollutants (NOx and Sox) and CO2. The system is available to other ports throughout the world, which can also reward ships in the same manner to encourage sustainable behavior in the shipping industry.
ESI certificates will be presented by the World Port Climate Initiative, which is a collective of 55 prominent ports that are working towards reducing air pollution and the reduction of CO2 in particular. This is being done under the auspices of the International Association of Ports & Harbours (IAPH), a division of the IMO and UN.
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