Sea Views: Iacs warns over inconsistent PSC information

The International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) has expressed concern on behalf of 'the classification community' of the lack of consistency in the presentation of ship detention information.

In an address to the Committee of the Tokyo Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control (PSC), Robin Bradley, permanent secretary of IACS, told committee members that PSC detention statistics were increasingly used as a common measure of performance by authorities taking decisions aimed at eliminating substandard ships.

He said that this information needed to be accurate and presented in a consistent manner, free of ambiguity.

"In particular, accurate and fair assessment of class responsibility in such cases is essential. Inaccurate or ambiguous reporting of data could provide cover for owners who are responsible for serious deficiencies and continue to evade their responsibilities."

He went on to say that PSC authorities had developed a 'class responsibility assessment criteria' – which was designed to identify class-related deficiencies that lead to vessel detention.

The Paris MoU class-filtering criteria had been accepted by the Tokyo MoU in principle.

He then mentioned that the latest US Coast Guard (USCG) revision of their class-filtering criteria had drawn ISM deficiencies into the same category as statutory surveys and that the USCG criteria was simply and clearly expressed. He urged the Tokyo MoU to consider them as a model that greatly assisted detention analysis.

He concluded stating that the power and influence of PSC could only grow, "A weighty responsibility rests with PSC inspectors and the MoU's.

"It should be remembered that classification societies do not have policing powers. Class and PSC are significant partners in the endeavour to raise and maintain high standards of marine safety and pollution prevention; but the vessel owner has the ultimate responsibility for the ship and its condition," he said.

New ships deal for Bandar Abbas: According to the Tehran Times, the managing director of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRSL) has signed an agreement with Germany for a $188 million investment deal to build six new ships under German supervision.

The ships are to be constructed by the Persian Gulf Shipyards Co in Bandar Abbas. The newspaper quoted the official as saying that Iran's merchant fleet was healthy but the average age of 40 per cent of its tonnage was over 20 years.

This, he said, made it internationally uncompetitive and he added that Iranian shipyards were also set to win international business in future.

Intertanko concerned over war risk hike: The International Association of Independent Tanker Owners has made a statement regarding the sharp rise in war risk insurance following the events of September 11.

It says that insurers declared a very large geographical area to be excluded from ordinary war risk insurance and they were requiring substantial additional premiums to maintain cover in those excluded areas. Moreover, a very substantial mid-term increase had been loaded on ordinary annual war risk premiums.

The statement goes on to say that, naturally, tanker owners were concerned over the extensive exclusion area and the very substantial increases. There was further concern that the current situation should not be used to 'milk' the shipping industry to cover losses in other sectors.

Concerns regarding proper differentiation in premiums based on risk within the excluded areas also existed.

Shortly after the terrorist attacks Intertanko and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) met with war risk underwriters to voice the industry's concerns with regard to the war risk insurance situation.

Whilst sharing the concerns voiced by other ship owners' groups seeking to get authorities involved in war risk insurance issues, Intertanko said that its Insurance Committee had not found it appropriate to urge governmental involvement in the provision, pricing or structuring of marine war risk insurance, but it intended to continue its dialogue with insurers on behalf of members on these issues.

Intertanko's statement concluded saying that it had also placed substantial efforts in keeping its membership apprised of developments in relation to war risk chartering provisions and the legal consequences of various charter party provisions.

Intertanko had engaged in dialogue with major charterers, on behalf of members, to emphasise the importance of proper allocation of the expenses relating to war risk insurance.

Seabulk reports second consecutive quarterly profit: Seabulk International has reported a net income of $2.9 million, or $0.27 per diluted share for the quarter ended September 30, 2001.

In the year-earlier period, which included a gain of approximately $4.2 million, or $0.42 per share from asset sales, the company had a net loss of $3.1 million, or $0.31 per diluted share.

Revenues of $89.7 million in the current quarter were up 10 per cent from $81.6 million a year ago. Operating income of $18.6 million was double the $9.3 million earned in the third quarter of 2000.

Gerhard Kurz, president and chief executive, commented, "The third quarter saw a continuation of our strong second quarter performance and marked our second consecutive quarterly profit."

IMO announces review on ship security: In the wake of the September 11 attacks, the legal committee of the International Maritime Bureau (IMO) is to review the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation, 1998, and the Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Fixed Platforms located on the Continental Shelf, 1998 (the SUA Treaties).

The committee, which met for its 83rd session early this month, agreed to include the review of the SUA Treaties as a priority item in its work programme for the next biennium (2002-2003).

The main purpose of the SUA convention is to ensure that appropriate judicial action is taken against persons committing unlawful acts against ships, which include the seizure by force, acts of violence against persons onboard ships and placing of devices onboard a ship that are likely to destroy or damage it.

The convention obliges contracting governments either to extradite or to prosecute alleged offenders and the protocol provides similar regulations relating to fixed platforms located on continental shelves.

IMO secretary general, William O'Neil, speaking at the opening of the session, told the committee that the shocking events of September 11 could not be ignored by an international organisation such as the IMO which has, as an integral part of its mandate, the duty to make travel and transport by sea as safe as possible.

He noted that he was consulting on the need to review the measures already adopted by the IMO to combat acts of violence and crime at sea.

The SUA convention has been ratified by 56 states as of October 1, and the SUA Protocol by 51.

Frank Kennedy is a marine consultant based in Dubai.