Malacca Strait anti-piracy patrols start next week
INDONESIA - Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia will next week begin co-ordinated military patrols in the Strait of Malacca, one of the world’s most important shipping lanes. However, the initiative falls short of the joint patrols that many anti-piracy campaigners have called for, and they do not allow vessels from neighbouring states to enter each others waters in hot pursuit of pirates. Policing of the strait came into sharp focus after warnings from Singapore of the danger of an attack by militants who could turn a tanker into a floating bomb. But some security experts reject the claims, saying that there is no evidence that pirates and terrorists are linking up in the Malacca Strait to launch a terror attack against shipping. Reuters reported Indonesian armed forces chief General Endriartono Sutarto as saying: “I will go to Batam on Tuesday and inaugurate the pact with the military commanders from Malaysia and Singapore.” Batam is an Indonesian island near Singapore and the southern end of the Strait of Malacca. Last month, Indonesian and Malaysian naval chiefs agreed to create a task force made up of forces from both nations operating under their national commands. © 2000 - 2003 informa asia publishing ltd. all rights reserved.

Petronas chairman Azizan dies
THE chairman of Malaysian state-owned energy company Petronas, Azizan Zainul Abidin, died this morning at the age of 69. Azizan, whose death was described by Second Finance Minister Nor Mohamed as “a major loss for the companies and the country”, was widely credited with reviving the fortunes of Malaysia International Shipping Corp. The national shipping line currently operates 124 vessels of 4.6Mdwt, specialising in the shipment of palm oil, petroleum and LNG. The soft-spoken chairman was also credited with initiating the policy of expanding MISC’s crude oil carrying capacity, which led to the acquisition of American Eagle Tankers in July 2003. The purchase from NOL boosted MISC’s status as a global oil carrier. Azizan studied at the University of Malaya, and at Oxford University and the Royal College of Defence in the UK. He was made Petronas chairman in 1988 after retiring from the civil service. © Lloyd's Register - Fairplay Ltd 2004

Courageous officer appeal dismissed
SINGAPORE’S Chief Justice, Yong Pung How, yesterday dismissed an appeal by two officers of the Singapore Navy who were found guilty by a district court of an error of judgement in a collision that claimed four naval officers. The two were appealing against their conviction. They both escaped a jail sentence as there was no evidence of “gross negligence.” However Chua Chue Teng and her supervisor on the bridge, Ng Keng Yong, were fined of S$8,000 ($4,700 and S$10,000 respectively. The naval patrol ship RSS Courageous collided with P&O Nedlloyd container ship ANL Indonesia in the Singapore Straits in January last year. A part of the patrol vessel’s aft portion was ripped off. The Chief Justice rejected defence counsel’s argument that Chua’s conviction should be set aside as she was a trainee and was under supervision. © Lloyd's Register - Fairplay Ltd 2004

Korean seafarers in jobs protest
A protest to highlight the lack of a governmental seafarers’ policy was held today by the seafarers union FKSU. The protest, held in front of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, is in response to what the union believes is the poor support of the seafarers’ by the government. In a statement, Korean seafarers said they were worried that employment opportunities would suffer following shippers' signing of long-term transport contracts with Japanese shipping companies. The FKSU has asked the ministry to block the recent contracts in favour of South Korean bulk shipping companies. The union said the ministry should implement a "necessary fleet system for Korea" to stabilise employment of Korean seafarers as prospects have been weakened by the introduction of many foreign seafarers into the Korean fleet. Around 1,000 seafarers were present at the protest today. © Lloyd's Register - Fairplay Ltd 2004

We must be pragmatic in tie-ups on security
CANADA is set to be Malaysia’s latest partner in intra-regional security. Following IGP Tan Sri Bakri Omar’s recent visit, Canada’s famed RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) will relocate its regional headquarters to Malaysia. The RCMP is both successful and unique, incorporating operations at federal, provincial and municipal levels. The force has already been providing training in undercover operations in this region, and Bakri had led a team to learn more. Canadian High Commissioner to Malaysia Melvyn MacDonald said his government wanted to base the regional RCMP unit where it could do the most good. He added that a Canadian expert on chemical, biological and nuclear response management is also here to contribute to the South-East Asia Regional Centre for Counter-Terrorism. Canada’s approach is clearly pragmatic: to make the most of existing resources in a region with multiple needs. Bilateral cooperation with Malaysia is also based on common security concerns. Much of this region has progressed beyond the traditional aid relationship between donor and recipient. The theme has now developed more meaningfully into one of active partnership for mutual benefit, the essence of international cooperation. Security is perhaps the best area to demonstrate these new realities. There are new threats and challenges to be met and overcome, and these make no distinction between countries that are rich or poor, North or South, developed or developing. Malaysia’s own position is also borne out of pragmatism, since security is a vital area that brooks no compromise or partiality. Since independence, we as a nation have cooperated with other countries that are genuinely interested to assist without strings attached. With its redoubtable Mounties, Canada is a country both able to help and willing to do so without incurring unacceptable political costs or compromises on the part of Malaysia. As a fellow Commonwealth country, it should also be sensitive to issues of national sovereignty. Malaysia has looked at the security practices of other countries as part of efforts to absorb all available lessons. It is important that we should be prepared and able to learn from both the successes and failures of others. Malaysia’s new Maritime Enforcement Agency to be launched next year, for example, is modeled on the Italian Coast Guard. Malaysia had also studied the US and Japanese models in initial comparative assessment. Each country’s combination of needs is different, and so are its available resources. A country like Malaysia would do well to study different national practices, as was done, to design something of an eclectic mix that best suits its specific needs. (11 July 2004) © 1995-2004 Star Publications (M) Bhd

MPA reminded chemical terminal operators.
Singapore's MPA has reminded chemical terminal operators of the importance of cargo segregation. A Port Circular issued July 7 highlights the risks of failing to comply with the requirements of the IBC and BCH Codes and the usefulness of USCG's Compatibility Chart as a guide to the identification of incompatible cargoes. The Circular reminds shipowners, ship masters, and owners and operators of chemical terminals of their responsibilities and asks terminal operators to report to MPA any occasions when chemical tankers arrive at their terminals with improperly segregated cargoes. Hazardous Cargo Bulletin - Informa Publishing ©2004

IMO's approval for tankers sailing into Western European waters.
The IMO has given its approval to new requirements for tankers sailing into Western European waters. Talks within the IMO sub-committee at the Safety of Navigation conference, held in London last week, consented that all oil tanker types above 600gt, with heavy grade oil in transit should comply with the new scheme as of July 1, 2005. The scheme was recommended by delegates from Belgium, France, Ireland, Portugal, Spain and the UK and requires that all tankers, irrespective of construction type report to the nearest coastal station upon entry to Western European waters. The proposal stems from a provisional agreement made by the IMO in October of last year, which suggested parts of Western Europe's waters were assigned 'Particularly Sensitive Sea Area' (PSSA) status. This area, covering the Shetland Islands in the north, through to Portugal in the south, is expected to be confirmed in October. The proposal has yet to achieve approval from the IMO Safety Committee, scheduled to meet in December, but it is widely expected that it will be accepted. Hazardous Cargo Bulletin - Informa Publishing ©2004

Philippines development study
A Japanese funding agency will carry out a study on shipping development for the Philippines including the possibility of finance for coastal fleet renewal. In an agreement signed with the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) yesterday, the Japan International Co-operation Agency will also forecast transport demand, including volume of cargo and passengers as well as sizes of ships. The study, which will commence in October this year, is to be completed within 13 months at a cost of about $2M. The project is expected to boost the administration's 'Strong Republic Nautical Highway', through the development of identified routes listed in the Sustainable Logistics Development Programme project of the state-run Development Bank of the Philippines. © Lloyd's Register - Fairplay Ltd 2004

ITF warns of ISPS Code misuse
THE ITF has alleged that some cruise ship operators are misusing provisions of the ISPS Code to force crew to perform tasks normally performed by port workers. “This has happened with reference to Carnival ships,” ITF General Secretary David Cockroft told reporters in Singapore today. He referred to passengers' luggage and other equipment that needs to be loaded or offloaded and which according to the ITF should be performed by port workers.The press briefing was held after the ITF had concluded a meeting of the powerful Fair Practices Committee. “Port workers are thus deprived of legitimate work,” he added. ITF port workers’ unions have also warned that the ISPS Code should not be undermined by using it as a “backdoor way” to bring in casual labour and self-handling. The use of casual labour that does not meet security standards would compromise security, ITF said in a statement. The committee said it would create 'maximum awareness' of fraudulent job advertisements for employment on cruise vessels. “If anyone needs to clarify whether a job advertisement is genuine, they can contact ITF,” Cockroft said. © Lloyd's Register - Fairplay Ltd 2004

Signs of boxship uncertainty
CONTAINERSHIP charter rates remain relatively flat and for the first time for some months medium-sized tonnage is being fixed against short-term charters. According to Braemar Seascope: ‘While rates in general have not appeared to take a downward turn we continue to see a sentiment of uncertainty about the medium-term future.’ This has resulted in recent short-term business including the 2,078 TEU Lindavia, which was fixed to Maersk Sealand for only two-three months, says Braemar. However, the broker suggests there is still a possibility for upside potential in charter rates once the summer lull is concluded although the effect of a large number of newbuildings entering the market during 2005 could begin to put downward pressure on charter rates. Significant fixtures recently reported include a trio of speculative, ER Schiffahrt-owned, newbuildings which are due for delivery between March and August next year. These 2,824 TEU 24-kt vessels are being built by Hyundai Samho and have been secured by Singapore-based Pacific International Lines for five years at a rate of $21,500/day. Other fixtures reported comprised feeder-max ships such as the 750 TEU capacity Encounter, which CMA CGM has secured for twelve months at $9,300/day, and the 639 TEU Pac Makassar, which Gold Star Line has taken for the same period at $7,500/day. © Lloyd's Register - Fairplay Ltd 2004

UK Coastguards under fire
A UK government report into the rising number of deaths in British coastal waters has severely criticised the Maritime & Coastguard Agency over "unacceptable" manning levels. The report, from the House of Commons Transport Select Committee, reveals that in the four years following the closure of several coastguard stations, the number of deaths increased by nearly one-third to almost 300. It says that under-manning at other stations might also be responsible. A third of stations now co-ordinating rescue activities are manned at below minimum levels. MCA officers are described as “complacent” and ignorant of why the death toll is rising. MCA chief executive Stephen Bligh is criticised for having “no convincing explanation” for the increase. Committee chairman Gwyneth Dunwoody called on the MCA to “react urgently as soon as any figures suggest that the agency’s performance is worsening; otherwise lives are lost.” In the face of the increased death toll she adds that the MCA has “both failed to conduct timely research into the reasons and appears entirely complacent about consistent understaffing.” The MCA said it would respond in full when it had had an opportunity to study the report in detail. © Lloyd's Register - Fairplay Ltd 2004

Expanded Pelepas seeks lines
PORT of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) has completed the first two berths of its phase two development and is now poised to bid for new lines. The Malaysian port, in the southern Johor state, is competing with neighbour Singapore for a greater share of the container transhipment trade. Maersk and Evergreen Marine both shifted their regional transhipment hub to Pelepas from Singapore, but in the last two years Singapore has been able to retain its customer lines. Now PTP chief executive Mohd Sidik Shaik Osman has hinted at more “aggressive marketing” to woo shipping lines following the capacity boost. “With the new berths operational, this will bring in extra capacity that will enable us to market the port more aggressively to shipping lines,” Sidik said. The berths have a total of 720m of quayside length and a water depth alongside of 19m that will enable them to take in the latest generation of container ships. PTP’s total annual capacity has increased to 6M TEU from 4.5M TEU. © Lloyd's Register - Fairplay Ltd 2004

Panama flag faces wave of defections in ISPS row
JAPAN - The Panamanian flag is bracing itself for a raft of defections following earlier criticism of the way International Ship and Port Facility Security Code certificates have been processed, which saw many ships fail to meet the July 1 deadline. Most notably Japanese owners, who account for 40% of the world’s largest register, are mulling moving away. A representative in Singapore for the Panamanian flag, Capt Sam Say, admitted: “The Japanese are thinking of reflagging. Some owners might reconsider the situation and reflag to other flags.” Capt Say works as a consultant for Panahon Marine – the Panamanian flag agency in the Lion City. The Panamanian registry’s London office refused to comment but Capt Say continued: “From the feedback of owners we have got, they do express dissatisfaction with Pamanian authorities in implementing the ISPS Code. The Panamanian authorities were slow in issuing [International Ship Security Certificates] and they required owners to pick them personally.” Capt Say said that in Singapore the problems were minimised and agents were employed to help deliver the certificates to the owners. However, he re-emphasised: “Owners are very disappointed with the actions leading up to ISPS implementation.” The Japanese Shipowners’ Association had repeatedly berated Panamanian authorities to speed up registration as the deadline neared. It was not until late April that a Japanese outfit, the Kanagawa-based Marine Bureau, was granted recognised security organisation status to process the Ship Security Plans. By then, the mounting backlog was impossible to complete by deadline. The Panamanians started with just one RSO, Phoenix, then added two more under pressure before adding a Japanese one too. On July 13, the US Coast Guard issued a report on detentions since July 1, noting: “Of the flag states, Panama had the most control actions with 18, but as a percentage of examinations conducted of Panamanian vessels, it is right in line with their safety and environmental record.” Many flags are currently talking to Japanese owners trying to lure them away. One such registry is the International Registries, Inc-run Marshall Islands. Its business development manager, Bill McCuskey, based in Hong Kong, said: “There are owners with Panama tonnage who are talking to us.” He said that owners from Korea, Taiwan and Japan were being approached, who combined accounted for 60% of Panama’s tonnage.” © 2000 - 2003 informa asia publishing ltd. all rights reserved.

ITF claims ISPS Code is being abused as seafarers do the work of dockers
SINGAPORE - The International Ship and Port Facility Security Code is being abused by shipping companies to make seafarers do the work of dockers, the International Transport Workers Federation warns. The ITF said that dock workers were not being allowed on board ship at particular ports in the US as they were seen by the shipping company as a security risk under the ISPS Code. As a result the work they normally did on board ship was being carried out by seafarers. “We now know that one of the cruise companies, Carnival, is not allowing longshoremen to go on board ship,” ITF dockers section secretary Kees Marges told a press conference in Singapore. “Now they are going to ask seafarers to do cargo handling normally done by dockworkers.” By cargo handling, the ITF is referring mainly to the taking on and off the ship of passengers’ luggage and other equipment. “If they are going to use the ISPS Code to not allow dockers to go on board ships because it is a security risk, that is totally unacceptable,” Mr Marges said. It was noted that even dockworkers who had undergone controversial background checks by the US authorities were not being allowed on board ships. While the practice is currently confined to particular US West Coast ports, the fear is it will spread to other US ports and sectors of the industry. “It is clear if it succeeds that it will spread across the US western seaboard,” said general secretary David Cockroft. © 2000 - 2003 informa asia publishing ltd. all rights reserved.

We don't inflate piracy stats: IMB
NOEL Choong, head of the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre in Kuala Lumpur, has countered claims by Indonesia’s navy chief that Malacca Straits piracy statistics have been deliberately inflated. Today's Singapore’s Shipping Times carries a report quoting Admiral Bernard Kent Sondakh as suggesting that outside influences were talking up the piracy threat and trying to make the Indonesian Navy’s record in countering it look bad. "We don't hike figures," Choong told Sea-Sentinel. “We have no political or commercial agenda.” Figures for piracy attempts or attacks are documented from information given by ship masters who have faced such menaces, he elaborated. “Reports of attacks are promptly sent to Indonesian authorities." The Centre compiles and broadcasts statistics on actual and attempted armed robberies against ships. Sondakh reportedly told a news magazine that the IMB was reporting more piracy in the Malacca Strait than was actually taking place. This would lead to a perceived inability to control the situation, he said, which would justify foreign intervention. Malacca littoral states Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore already provide piracy patrols, and Indonesia and Malaysia recently rejected the proposal of a US presence in the Straits on the grounds that it challenged national sovereignty. Sondakh made headlines last month when he suggested, in the light of increasing piracy, that pirates be shot on sight. © Lloyd's Register - Fairplay Ltd 2004

MCA responds to Commons report
THE UK's Maritime & Coastguard Agency says it will carefully consider the House of Commons Transport Select Committee report into its activities. The governmental committee had criticised the agency over “unacceptable” manning levels. Promising a fuller response after that consideration, the MCA said safety of people “comes at the top of any agenda”. Responding to claims of under-manning at coastguard stations the agency explained that all rescue centres had recently been upgraded with the latest digital systems and that “appropriate risk assessments are also carried out to decide the number of people needed at any one time.” A revision of the policy governing manning levels has been agreed with the Public and Commercial Services union which places “a higher emphasis on risk assessments”. The MCA added that the new digital equipment allows rescue centres to work in “operational partnerships enabling a better, more risk assessed approach to manning”. In response to the growing number of swimmers losing their lives the MCA has adopted “a more coherent and sustained accident prevention strategy based on education, information and advice”. © Lloyd's Register - Fairplay Ltd 2004

New route for Reef pilots
AUSTRALIA'S coastal pilots will start using a safer and shorter course along part of the Great Barrier Reef inner route following the introduction of a new chart. Chart Aus 281 features nine new permanent navaids, making it safer for vessels to transit Lads Passage and Fairway Channel, a saving of more than 20n-miles on the existing course closer to the coast. The new route also allows pilots one or two extra rest periods, which is expected to enhance safety. “There’s a long stretch within that area where they can leave the bridge and get a rest, just at the right spot in the middle of the pilotage where previously they couldn't get the rest period," said John Briggs, Australian Maritime Safety Authority's manager of ship operations and qualifications. AMSA has lifted its 10m draught restriction on the section, in effect permitting ships with draughts up to 12.2m to use the route. It is understood that both Torres Pilots and Australian Reef Pilots intend to recommend Fairway Channel in preference to the old route. Not only will ship owners save time and money, but ships are more likely to avoid collisions with fishing vessels operating closer to the coast. © Lloyd's Register - Fairplay Ltd 2004


Brunei develops Pulau Muara Besar
PLANS to develop the Brunei port of Pulau Muara Besar as a major container transhipment port have moved a stage further forward. UK consultant Halcrow has been appointed to find an operating partner for the RM6.5Bn ($1.7Bn) project. Halcrow, which undertook a feasibility study for the port last year, has been commissioned by the Brunei Economic Development Board to find partners to manage the construction and operation of the port. This process is expected to take about a year with tender documents being issued early next year. Pulau Muara Besar’s biggest advantage is the fact that 20m of deepwater is available close to shore allowing the largest planned containerships to be accommodated. The development of the port, which is a key facet of Brunei’s economic diversification programme, is proposed in two phases with the first costing $400M and becoming operational by 2008. This will create 600 jobs and the second will follow as demand grows. Funding is expected to be 70% from the Brunei government and 30% by the private sector. © Lloyd's Register - Fairplay Ltd 2004

Three nations launch joint patrols to boost security in Malacca Strait
SINGAPORE - Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia have kicked off co-ordinated patrols of the Malacca Strait in an effort to combat piracy and the threat of maritime terror. Yesterday 17 ships from Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore took part in exercises that included mock chases of pirates at sea. “Now there are many countries having interest in the security of the Strait of Malacca,” Indonesia’s top military commander, army General Endriartono Sutarto, told reporters on the Indonesian warship KRI Tanjung Dalpele. “So, we are intensifying what we have already had before through year-long co-ordinated ... continuous patrols, although not every day, and all three won’t be able to take part each time.” One of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, with over 50,000 vessels transiting a year, the Malacca Strait has been blighted by piracy attacks, particularly in Indonesian waters, and is seen as a prime target for a potential maritime terror attack. Each country will provide up to seven ships and 100 crew for the task force. Singapore continues though to call for international community involvement. “This is a very good first step,” said Singapore Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean at the weekend. “There is also the necessity to see how other players can also assist the two countries dealing with this problem. For instance, the IMO and the international community — I think they have a role to play. “The IMO has been playing a role with port security and ship security and we can see how this role can be expanded.” General Endriartono did not rule out international involvement, and said: “We lack ships, so, probably, if they have ships, they can offer help to us. We lack detecting skills while they have such abilities, so they can complement us.” © 2000 - 2003 informa asia publishing ltd. all rights reserved.

‘International conspiracy to talk up terror threat’
INDONESIA – On the eve of the start of the co-ordinated patrols in the Malacca Strait, Indonesian naval chief Admiral Bernard Kent Sondakh claimed the piracy and terror threat was overblown as part of international conspiracy. In an interview with the influential Indonesian magazine, Tempo, he hinted at an international conspiracy to control the key waterway and accused the International Maritime Bureau of distorting the number of attacks. “The world economy is now moving toward the Asia-Pacific,” he said. “Whoever controls the Malacca Strait, the Sunda Straits and the Makassar Straits, controls the economy of the Asia Pacific,” Adm Sondakh said, adding: “America earlier said it wanted to help secure the Malacca Strait.” The Indonesian naval chief accused the IMB piracy watchdog of over-reporting the incidents of piracy in Indonesian waters. The IMB said in its annual report that there were 121 pirates attacks in Indonesian waters last year, but Adm Sondakh said the Indonesian navy had only reported about 20. “I conclude that there is a large strategy to make our waters look bad, as if the Indonesian navy is weak and the level of sea crime there is on the rise,” he said. The inability of Indonesia to combat piracy was seen as an excuse for foreign intervention in its waters. The IMB rejected the allegations that it over-reports the number of piracy attacks. “We are transparent and share our information with everybody,” said Noel Choong, regional manager of the IMB’s piracy reporting centre in Kuala Lumpur. © 2000 - 2003 informa asia publishing ltd. all rights reserved.

QM2 security is child's play
AN incident last Thursday in which three people climbed onto the bulbous bow of the new Cunard liner Queen Mary 2 in Norway is “blatant evidence of the lack of ISPS measures,” says a senior Norwegian shipping official. Two children and their father boarded the bulbous bow of the 151,400gt cruise liner when it was at anchor at Geirangerfjord on the west coast of Norway. “It is quite a task in its own right to maintain a free zone around a vessel of this size,” said Sigurd Gude, acting head of the Maritime Directorate in Oslo. However, the directorate does not consider itself implementing new measures to prevent small boats from approaching big ships at anchor. “In this case, I was more concerned about the safety of the three people,” Gude told Fairplay. Should the ship have started the thrusters to maintain position, the three might have been sucked into them with potentially fatal consequences. Gude said he expects that cruise line security officials will draw conclusions from this incident and sharpen up their own procedures. The tabloid journal that published a photo of the intruders said that the QM2 did not discover its uninvited visitors until the “Marco Polo” lying nearby alerted it over the VHF.The Maritime Directorate has passed coverage in the Norwegian media of the incident to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency in the UK, but it has not been in touch with Cunard, the Carnival Corp subsidiary that owns the vessel, Gude said. © Lloyd's Register - Fairplay Ltd 2004

Japanese call for second register
WITH security becoming an ever-greater concern, Japan's ship owners are petitioning their government to create a second registry with both tax and security advantages. The Japanese Shipowners' Association (JSA) recently announced that it was supporting the Inland Sea shipping centre of Imabari as the base for a second Japanese registry, which owners could use as an alternative to tax-friendly flags elsewhere. "The JSA and the City of Imabari have jointly submitted a proposal to the Cabinet Office," confirmed Yuichi Sonoda, general manager of the JSA Planning & Co-ordination Division. He added that discussions within the government agencies concerned are due to be completed in September, with parallel discussions between the JSA and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport also planned. Should the second register be established, the JSA expects "more than 500" vessels eventually to join it. The biggest potential loser could be the Panama Administration, which has long been Japanese owners' open register of choice. © Lloyd's Register - Fairplay Ltd 2004

UK to publish ports policy in 2005
UK transport secretary Alastair Darling says his department “intends to take a long-term approach to port development and will publish a review of the policy for ports by the end of next year.” The review of the UK’s 10-year transport policy “also sets out a sustainable approach to freight= 2E” The UK government is planning to boost spending on transport over the next three years from £10.7Bn ($19.6Bn) to £12.8Bn. In a bid to reduce road congestion a major part of the review will be to look at introducing road pricing in place of the present road tax system. Congestion, which costs the UK more than £20Bn a year, is behind the efforts of the country’s key container ports to handle more rail-based traffic. Currently a decision is awaited on the £650M London Gateway plan supported by P&O Ports while a public enquiry is underway into a new terminal at Harwich promoted by Hutchison Ports UK. In October an enquiry will open into the Felixstowe South project also put forward by Hutchison. There is growing pressure on the government to come up with a port development policy especially as capacity at the main UK box terminals is fast running out. © Lloyd's Register - Fairplay Ltd 2004

Filipino marine leadership change
TWO Philippines maritime organisations have seen leaders change following appointments this week by president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Oscar Sevilla, administrator of the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina), has been appointed as the new general manager of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA). The vacant Marina post is said to be getting a new chief from the private sector. Official sources say Vic Suazo, former president of the cargo handling firm Manila Harbour Centre, is being considered to take over as Marina head. The previous PPA chief, Alfonso Cusi, has been appointed to head the Manila International Airport Authority. The movement is part of the overall changes in Cabinet since President Arroyo obtained a new mandate following her victory in the recent presidential election. © Lloyd's Register - Fairplay Ltd 2004

S Korean increases foreign crew
SOUTH Korea is to increase the number of foreign seafarers in its fleet through a process of negotiation between management and unions. Korean shipping companies believe the restriction on foreign seafarers is one of the factors hampering their competitiveness, and reportedly welcome the move that will mean considerable wage savings. To forestall any reduction in Korean seafarer numbers if the number of foreigners rises, Seoul is considering establishing a core fleet of designated vessels, known as the NNISS, that would carry raw materials in the case of national emergency. The number of foreign seafarers permitted to work on these ships would be restricted. In return the government would cover the extra financial burden resulting from employing increased numbers of Korean seafarers. The relaxation of the crewing rules currently applies only to ratings. Korea’s Ministry of Maritime Affairs also believes the country will face a shortage of officers from 2006 which will worsen sharply in successive years. © Lloyd's Register - Fairplay Ltd 2004

Singapore to get tough on yard safety
SINGAPORE'S acting manpower minister warned yesterday that the government would take a hard line on occupational health and safety issues. “We must act decisively to regain our safety standards,” Ng Eng Hen said. In a related move, 50 chief executives from shipyards in Singapore took part in a 'safety pledge signing ceremony' last week, reaffirming commitment to health and safety. The Association of Singapore Marine Industries has called on companies to report even minor incidents to the ministry to enable the root cause of accidents to be traced. ASMI president Heng Chiang Gnee, who is one of the three-member panel investigating a fire at the Keppel shipyard in which seven lives were lost, stressed: “we must continue to build a safety culture with passion.” © Lloyd's Register - Fairplay Ltd 2004

Vessels not complying with security code to be barred
Vessels, especially commercial vessels, carrying dangerous cargo will be barred from Malaysian ports if they do not comply with the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code. Marine Department director-general Datuk Raja Malik Saripulazan Raja Kamaruzaman said the code, which took effect on July 1, applied to all ports in the country. It is a global code that was introduced by the International Maritime Organisation following the Sept 11 terrorist attacks in the United States. "However, if the vessel is not classified as carrying dangerous cargo, it will be allowed entry but subject to the terms and conditions of the relevant port commissions," he added. He said the commission would evaluate and decide on additional measures to apply to these vessels. "Dangerous cargo was classified under nine categories, the most serious being Class 1 where the goods include explosives, poisons, flammable liquids and solids and radio-active material," he said. He was presenting the Statement of Compliance to Penang Port Commission, including Penang Port Sdn Bhd, Kedah Cement Jetty, Shell, Caltex and Petronas, here today. He said the code was to create an international framework among contracting governments, government agencies, shipping companies and ports to gather and share information in order to identify and take the necessary steps to secure against security threats. Prior to the ISPS Code taking effect, the port authorities had their own security measures.© The New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad

Local ports comply with ISPS code
MALAYSIA's ports may soon get busier, thanks to an international certificate on port security and safety. The country's 21 deep-sea ports recently received certificates of compliance of the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code, a requirement by the International Maritime Organisation under the Safety at Life at Sea Convention. The recognition would facilitate trade, said Deputy Transport Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Azlan Sultan Abu Bakar. "Foreign vessels may not want to dock at ports that don't comply with the code.Our compliance shows that we are serious about threats to security and that strict measures are being taken to protect the safety of a port and its ships. "This includes the management of the port, the type of cargo that it can handle and the secure storage and control of the cargo," he said. Ships that dock must also comply with cargo specifications contained in the code. Ninety per cent of the country's trade are conducted along international sea routes.© The New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad